This website is the result of the cooperation between Raffaella Di Marzio and Camillo Maffia. It was started in 2012 thanks to the opening of the first and only space of information, offered by Agenzia Radicale, focused on the issues related to freedom of religion and belief. At that time, those issues were brought to the attention of the second Justice Committee of the Senate, involved in a Fact-finding inquiry on the phenomenon of mental manipulation of weak subjects, with particular reference to the phenomenon of so-called "cults".
In 2015, the common commitment in this specific field resulted in the foundation of FOB (European Federation for Freedom of Belief). In that project, the administrators of this website held the position of Secretary (Di Marzio) and Counsellor (Maffia), until August 9th 2016, when they both resigned along with the president, prof. Nocita, a founding member too.
This website represents the continuation, in a different way, of the commitment spent for years in the same direction: the defence of human rights, the denunciation of violations, the promotion of religious dialogue, and the spread of fair information on complex and delicate themes like freedom of religion and belief.
“Voices about freedom of religion and belief” has been and still is an open experiment. In time, this virtual agorà has turned into a real one, giving life to the project of a new Association: the Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion Belief and Conscience (LIREC). This website is also the official organ and the digital library of the Center.
It's possible to get more information at the LIREC's website: www.lirec.net
In this phase, just like in the previous one, the administrators mean to offer a place, possibly participated, of information and research on religious dialogue and freedom of religion, belief and conscience in order to promote an open debate, not only to reassert the right to profess one's religion and express one's thoughts, but also to bring these rights on a concrete level through communication, exchange and reflection.
So, this place is open to anyone wishes to contribute because he/she cares about this matter, intervening, reporting articles and events, participating, within the bounds of his/her possibilities and willingness.
An old Chinese proverb synthesizes the essence of our project: “If everyone helps to bank up the fire, flames will be higher and higher”. We want to give voice to every voice because, if we are many, our common voice will be louder and clearer.
The virtual space we opened in september 2016 is the “roof” we can find ourselves under together, to contribute to the development of a common, shared and secular space.