One of Us promotes human freedom, protects life, and calls for respect of the principle of subsidiarity.
Promoting human freedom.
The first freedom is to live one’s own life. The second is to act according to the good inspired by conscience. The third is to spread that good around oneself. One of Us encourages every European citizen to recognize that his or her life is unique, and that each person can choose to commit to advancing the good that touches them most deeply. One of Uscalls every human being to freely unfold all of their talents — those gifts that make them a unique person — in the service of the common good and of society.
Protecting human life.
Through their fieldwork in supporting women and men in pregnancy and parenthood, the member NGOs of One of Us witness that every human life is an adventure — sometimes difficult, yet always worth pursuing. No human life can replace another. Each life is unique and deserves to be lived.
When a person faces great difficulties, particularly those linked to motherhood, One of Us promotes solidarity, both public and private. Supporting motherhood is the daily work of the member NGOs of One of Us.
Material needs, disability, illness, old age, or moral and psychological trials are objective difficulties that demand the search for concrete and shared solutions. But they can never justify violating the right to life that is intrinsic to every person. Life is always a new, unpredictable reality — one that can surprise and catch us unprepared. In the face of the unexpected, human solidarity has a unique role to play. Every life deserves to be protected and defended, from conception to natural death.
Respecting the principle of subsidiarity.
One of Us promotes the principle of subsidiarity, which guarantees the democratic freedom of peoples to decide their own destiny in the matters entrusted to them by the Treaties. Subsidiarity engages peoples and citizens to take an active interest in the issues facing their countries. It also strengthens the responsibility and the right of every individual to express themselves and to take action at their own level. It is a safeguard of the freedom of both persons and peoples.