News in brief

Shi Jianfu, school teacher in Yan Qing, a small village in the northeastern mountains of China

"You know, the Chinese are mainly motivated by the right to free speech. What I say here in Lille I cannot say in China. Our schools have developed in quantity but not in quality. My message is that the international community needs to help us to invest more in the quality of basic teaching. The subjects of discussion in this World Assembly are not all pleasing to the authorities of my country, but I believe that they are important "…

Jean Fischer, academic

"As a Swiss citizen, I voted last Sunday against the army in my country. But 40 years ago, in South Africa, I accepted violence to fight against the immoral oppression that was the foundation of the Apartheid régime. I wish to say that we must not have a single doctrine here in our Alliance. We must convey our concern to see that all activities of life are approached with the common values of the religious communities. It is in this spirit that that we should consider what is happening today in India, in Colombia, or in Pakistan."