A SPECIAL academic convocation in honor of Hans-Gert Pöttering, PhD was held on February 19 at the Ricardo and Dr. Rosita Leong Hall auditorium.

Pöttering was the former president of the European Parliament from 2007 to 2009. He is also the chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a German political foundation affiliated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.

KAS has been in partnership with the Ateneo de Manila University for social development since the 1970s.

Pöttering was awarded with a degree of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa for his advocacy on European integration, human rights and intercultural-interreligious dialogue.

“He has strengthened our hope in politics to build bridges among our peoples. He has confirmed our conviction in the power of governance to unite us and change us thus for the better,” said University President Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ during his speech.

Pöttering was presented with two tokens symbolizing the Ateneo.

The first is a silver medallion specially minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Ateneo de Manila University. Depicted on the medallion are three symbols: St. Ignatius of Loyola offering his sword to God, the Church of the Gesù and a soaring eagle.

Pöttering also received a replica of the Sacred Heart statuette originally carved by Philippine national hero José Rizal. The replica was was sculpted by Faustino Caguiat.

Global humanitarian

In his speech, Villarin described Pöttering as a man who “has spent his life daring to bring us a step closer” to the ideal time described by Victor Marie Hugo during his opening address in the Peace Congress of 1849.

“A day will come when there would be no battlefields, but markets opening to commerce and minds opening to ideas. A day will come when bullets and bombs are replaced by votes,” said Villarin.

During his tenure as chair of the European Enlargement Working Group of the European People’s Party from 1996 to 1999 , Pöttering advocated for the inclusion of eight new democracies that emerged after the fall of the Berlin Wall into the European Union before May 2004.

He helped the European Union amend its constitution in order to accommodate the resulting increase of the call to draft and ratify a new treaty. Pöttering’s efforts resulted into the signing of the Lisbon Treaty during his terms as president, which was ratified in 2008.

His humanitarian efforts extended to Asia not only through the KAS, but also through helping pass a resolution that urged the Japanese government to formally apologize to the women forced by the Japanese military into sex slavery in World War II.

The resolution also indicated the removal of obstacles that prevented reparation for damages caused by the Japanese military.

During Pöttering’s presidency, the European Parliament supported Asian leaders persecuted in their own countries such as Hu Jia of China and Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar.

Jia called for an investigation of the Tiananmen Square killings and coordinator of a movement of civilians to educate themselves in the law so that they may use their rights. Kyi fought for democracy in Myanmar.

With reports from Billy B. Poon