The Leipzig Award in the press
Freie Presse Chemnitz 19.3.2002
Alain Vivien from France will received the Leipzig Human Rights
Award from the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and
Religious Freedom. As the Committee stated on Tuesday, the award will be
handed over
May 11 in the Old Stock Exchange in Leipzig. It was said that Vivien
worked
out the first French Enquete report on cults and totalitarian
organizations in
1993, and that since 1998, he has been the president of the
Interministerial Mission
to Combat Cults under the Prime Minister of the Republic of France (MILS).
The internationally represented citizens committee said that it is
working against violations by Scientology and other totalitarian
organization
against human rights and religious freedom. Vivien is the third person to
receive
the award. He follows German Norbert Bluem and US American Robert Minton.
(www.leipzig-award.org)
Frankfurter Rundschau 20.3.2002
Alain Vivien
The French government's cult commissioner will be honored for his "Fight
against cults" with the unremunerated Leipzig Human Rights Award. The
award will
be bestowed upon him May the 11th in Leipzig, with the laudatio to be
given by
Guenther Beckstein (CSU), Bavaria's Interior Minister. As stated by the
European-American
Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA,
Vivien has
been working to solve the problems caused by sects and totalitarian cults
since 1983.
As cult commissioner, he was instrumental in putting a law through the
Parisian
National Assembly that protects victims of Scientology. The committee
regards
itself as an anti-Scientology organization that works to protect the
"lives and
human dignity" of the cult's members and critics against "attacks" from
Scientology.
Leipziger Volkszeitung 13.5.2002
Leipzig honors Frenchman for his fight against cults
by Marco Mach Leipzig. Now the image of the Nicholas Church can also
be seen
in France. On Saturday, Alain Vivien, the French government's cult
commissioner, was distinguished for his involvement in taking action
against
totalitarian organizations with the presentation of the third Leipzig
Human Rights Award. In the
"Old Stock Exchange" of the Fair City (home of annual fairs), the 63-year-
old
socialist received from the hands of Bavaria's Interior Minister Guenther
Beckstein (CSU) the
"Alternative Charlemagne Award", an image of the Nicholas Church encased
in glass.
Vivien successfully applied himself to creating a legal framework
to protect the victims of Scientology and other similar organizations in
France. This was the basis of the award decision by the European-American
Citizens
Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA. The minister
has been
addressing problems related to sects and totalitarian cults since 1983. In
1993 he
worked on the first French Enquete report in that area. He has been the
French
president of the "Interministeriellen Mission im Kampf gegen Sekten"
(MILS) for the
Prime Minister of the Republic of France.
Beckstein described Vivien in his laudatio as a "pioneer in the
Scientology controversy across Europe and across the world." At the same
time he called for cooperation among political parties in the fight
against
totalitarianism. Vivien said he was pleased "to receive the award in a
place from which
freedom of thought has for so long emanated." Last year, former Labor
Minister
Norbert Bluem (CDU) was the award recipient.
Scientologists are critics of the human rights award. Vivien
managed to push legislation against religious minorities into a law that
is a source of discussion at the international level.
Südwest-Presse 11.5.2002
People in the News
Alain Vivien
The French cult commissioner has been honored with the 2002 Leipzig
Human Rights Award. Bavaria's Interior Minister Gunther Beckstein, in his
presentation
speech, called Vivien one of the "most outstanding personalities in French
politics." He said Vivien's work showed clearly that misuse of the word
"religion" by
totalitarian organization can be prevented. Beckstein said that Vivien was
a pioneer
against the Scientology organization in Europe and beyond. Scientology has
protested against Vivien's recognized accomplishment.
epd 11.5.2002
Leipzig Human Rights Award for French Cult Commissioner
Leipzig (epd). On Saturday Alain Vivien, the French government's
cult commissioner, was distinguished for his fight against cults with the
2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award. Besides his work with the influences
exerted
by cults, Vivien has also personally dedicated himself to the welfare of
the
individual, said the basis of the award given in the Saxon "Fair City".
The unremunerated award is bestowed by the European-American
Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA.
According to their statement, the politician was commissioned in 1983 by
Prime
Minister Pierre Mauroy to produce the first situation report on the
influences
exerted by cults and totalitarian groups upon French society. As cult
commissioner, he was said to have been instrumental in getting a law
through the French
National Assembly that protects victims of Scientology and comparable
organizations. For that reason he was also said to have been specially
targeted by cults that
operate worldwide.
The internationally composed European-American citizens committee
presents itself as an anti-Scientology organization. Its goal is to get
politicians
on both sides of the Atlantic involved with putting an end to "human
rights
violations" committed by Scientology and similar organizations in Europe
and the US.
KNA 11.5.2002
Cult critic receives Leipzig Human Rights Award
Leipzig - Alain Vivien, cult commissioner for the French Prime
Minister, has received the 2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award. On Saturday
the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious
Freedom in the USA
handed over the award, sculpted by Leipzig artist Ruediger Bartels, in the
Fair City.
For the basis of its third annual award, the committee named Vivien's work
in
protecting victims of Scientology and of similar organizations. He had,
for instance,
gotten legislation to that effect through the French National Assembly.
The
citizens committee says it consists of European friends of the USA and US
citizens
who address "attacks by the Scientology organization on the lives and
human
dignity of not only its members, but also its critics." Last year the
award went
to CDU politician Norbert Bluem.
AP 11.5.2002
Frenchman honored with 2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award for his
work against cults
Leipzig - Alain Vivien, French cult commissioner, has been honored
with the 2002 Leipzig Human Rights Award. Vivien has been constructively
involved with cults and totalitarian organizations for years, said
Bavarian
Interior Minister Gunther Beckstein in the award speech on Saturday in
Leipzig. He
characterized Vivien as one of the "most outstanding personalities in
French politics."
Beckstein pointed out that party boundaries played no role in essential
issues like human rights, a fact he said was demonstrated by him, as a CSU
member, giving the award speech for a socialist politician. He said the
staff in his
ministry had worked extensively with Vivien's on cults and totalitarian
organizations and that they had learned much. It had become clear in the
French example, for
instance, that misuse by totalitarian organizations of the word "religion"
could be
hindered.
Beckstein honored Vivien as a pioneer against the Scientology
organization across Europe and beyond.
He said that it constantly put human rights and human dignity at risk.
"Parties have to work together more closely here in Germany, too, in order
to
confront organizations like Scientology and be able to handle them," said
the
Bavarian Interior Minister.
The Scientologists have criticized the award ceremony and the
recipients. Vivien was said to have created an internationally disputed
law against religious minorities, explained Sabine Weber, the Vice
President of the
organization. She also said the Chinese government planned to adapt the
law to use it
against the Falun Gong movement.
This is the third presentation of the Leipzig Human Rights Award from
the European-American Citizens Committee for Human Rights and Religious
Freedom in the USA. The
committee says it is composed of Scientology opponents from all over the
world.
ddp 11.5.2002
Frenchman Vivien honored with Leipzig Human Rights
Award
Leipzig - On Saturday Alain Vivien, a Frenchman, was distinguished
with the Leipzig Human Rights Award. In 1993, Vivien produced the first
French Enquete report on cults and totalitarian organization, and since
1998 he
has been president of the Interministerielle Mission to Combat Cults for
the Prime
Minister of the French Republic (MILS), reported the event organizers. The
laudatio
was given by Bavarian Interior Minister Gunther Beckstein (CSU).
The Leipzig award is bestowed by the European-American Citizens
Committee for Human Rights and Religious Freedom in the USA. The
internationally
composed citizens committee says that it is concerned about violations of
human rights and
religious freedom by Scientology and other totalitarian organization.
Vivien is,
after Robert Minton and Norbert Bluem, the third recipient of the award (<
a href=
"http://www.leipzig-award.org">www.leipzig-award.org).
|