European Foundation for Democracy
European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) is a Brussels-based lobbying groups and think-tank launched in November 2005 which purports to foster liberal Muslims, but it also advocates action against "intolerant" Islam and terrorism. It basically ports the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies's (FDD) formula to Brussels to influence European policy makers and opinion. NB:
From its About Us introduction:
- The European Foundation for Democracy (EFD) was launched in November 2005 as a centre of intellectual risk-taking. We take action to support universal human rights, freedom of conscience, individual liberty, and pluralism of peaceful ideas.
EFD was founded by concerned Europeans, Muslim and non-Muslim, who recognised the need to unite individuals and organisations from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds in a coordinated defence of European values and interests against the threat of authoritarian ideologies.
Based in Brussels, EFD is present at the centre of the European political arena. EFD has also created strong alliances with like-minded individuals and organisations throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North America. NB: FDD is one of the principal neocon think tanks in the US at present.
Contents
EFD Activities
- Lobbying
- "Raising Awareness"
- Providing "experts" for media
- Producing films about Muslim countries, e.g., Manji's Faith Without Fear
- Works on joint projects in Europe, but porting lobbying/propaganda formulas from US to Europe
- Monitoring EU relations with countries of "interests and in the fields of democracy, women rights, reforms and elections"[1]
- Follow debates in the main EU institutions[2]
- "Attend committee meetings of the European Parliament and plenary sessions, lunch briefings etc, on behalf of EFD"[3]
Principals
- Roberta Bonazzi Executive Director
- Alba Xhixho Operations Manager
- Valentina Colombo Senior Fellow
- Irshad Manji – Senior Fellow[4]
- Alexander Ritzmann Senior Fellow
- Ammar Al Shahbander Fellow
- Wahied Wahdat-Hagh Senior Fellow
- Talton Gibson Strategic Advisor
- Walid Phares Visiting Fellow
- Sargis Ghazaryan Adjunct Fellow
Affiliations
- Centre for Liberty in the Middle East (CLIME)[5] NB: this is a joint project between EFD and Foundation for Defense of Democracies
- Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM)
Contact, References and Resources
Contact
- European Foundation for Democracy
- BP 57
- 1040 Brussels Belliard
- Belgium
- Tel: +32 2 213 00 40
- Fax: +32 2 213 00 49
- Email: info@europeandemocracy.org
- Website: www.europeandemocracy.org
Resources
References
- ↑ Employment Opportunities: Main tasks and responsibilities, EFD (Accessed: 3 January 2007)
- ↑ ibid.
- ↑ ibid.
- ↑ Frontline Event Notification for 21 January 2007 (Accessed: 3 January 2007)
- ↑ Joint Initiatives, EFD (Accessed: 3 January 2007)
