One of Us is a European Federation that today brings together 50 member NGOs across 19 European countries.
Its mission is to convey to the European institutions the field experience of its member organizations — associations that, every day in each of these countries, welcome and support women and men facing challenges related to family, pregnancy, and life.
The work of One of Us is grounded in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which affirms in its very first articles:
- “Human dignity is inviolable. It must be respected and protected.” (Article 1)
- “Everyone has the right to life.” (Article 2)
Furthermore, the EU Treaties recall that “The Union is founded on the values of respect for human dignity” (Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union).
And already, in 1948, the Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirmed that “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”
The foundation of all freedoms and human rights lies precisely in the unconditional recognition of the dignity of every human person, from conception to natural death.
The name One of Us expresses this unique humanity we all share, which binds us inseparably in a common destiny: to live. I am one of us, you are one of us, the embryo is one of us: we are united by our common humanity.
Rooted in the daily experience of millions of European citizens, the One of Us Federation tirelessly reminds us that every life — by the simple fact of being human — deserves protection from the very beginning. And that every life matters.