Tuerk: Actual Equality Needs to Accompany Formal Equality
Actual equality needs to be secured in every society, apart from formal equality, President-elect Danilo Tuerk said on Monday ahead of a conference dubbed "Diversity Is Society's Wealth", organised by several NGOs on Human Rights Day.
In Slovenia equality is guaranteed by the Constitution and law, however ensuring actual equality and respect for diversity is an eternal task and the more society develops the more subtle these issues become, Tuerk said.
In Tuerk's opinion the realisation of human rights demands the engagement of the entire civil society. He added that he was glad that several NGOs, which informed the public on issues of equality, gathered at one place.
Tuerk also said that as president he would act for ensuring equality in society. In his opinion even the best of democracies cannot tackle the problem once and for all.
"Permanent commitment is necessary and my presence is an expression of understanding that this is an eternal engagement and that civil society is a very important aspect of this commitment. Democracy is a foundation for creating equality-based society, however a lot still needs to be done," Tuerk said.
The conference, organised by seven NGOs, is discussing discrimination in society and on the labour market, focusing on six factors that most commonly lead to discrimination: age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion and nationality.
The "Diversity Is Society's Wealth" project, which will take place in Slovenia for a year, is part of the European PROGRESS programme, which is aimed at increasing employment possibilities and social inclusion of all vulnerable groups.
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