Our principles are:

- equality between men and women,

- the principle of neutrality of public buildings,

- freedom of conscience and freedom of worship,

- equality of all before the law, regardless of their beliefs or convictions.

DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MAN AND OF THE CITIZEN OF 1789

The Representatives of the French People, constituted in the National Assembly, considering that ignorance, forgetfulness or contempt for the Rights of Man are the sole causes of public misfortunes and of the corruption of Governments, have resolved to set forth in a solemn Declaration the natural, inalienable and sacred rights of Man, in order that this Declaration, constantly present to all the Members of the social body, may be constantly reminds them of their rights and duties; so that the acts of the legislative power, and those of the executive power, which can be compared at any moment with the purpose of any political institution, may be more respected; so that the claims of the Citizens, henceforth founded on simple and indisputable principles, always turn to the maintenance of the Constitution and the happiness of all. Consequently, the National Assembly recognizes and declares, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of Man and of the Citizen.

Article I

Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can only be based on common utility.

Article II

The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.

Article III

The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body, no individual can exercise authority that does not emanate expressly from it.

Article IV

Liberty consists in being able to do everything that does not harm others: thus, the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure the other Members of the Society the enjoyment of these same rights. These limits can only be determined by the law.

Article V

The Law has the right to forbid only actions harmful to the Society. Anything that is not forbidden by the Law cannot be prevented, and no one can be compelled to do what it does not command.

Article VI

The Law is the expression of the general will. All citizens have the right to participate personally, or through their representatives, in its formation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in his eyes, are equally eligible for all dignities, places, and public employments, according to their ability, and without any other distinction than that of their virtues and talents.

Article VII

No man may be accused, arrested, or detained except in the cases determined by the law, and according to the forms prescribed by it. Those who solicit, expedite, execute, or cause to be executed arbitrary orders must be punished; but every citizen summoned or seized by virtue of the law must obey at once: he is guilty by resistance.

Article VIII

The law shall establish only such penalties as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one may be punished except by virtue of a law established and promulgated prior to the offence, and legally applied.

Article IX

Every man being presumed innocent until he has been found guilty, if it is deemed necessary to arrest him, any rigour which is not necessary to secure his person, must be severely repressed by the law.

Article X

No one shall be disturbed for his opinions, even religious opinions, provided that their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.

Article XI

The free communication of thoughts and opinions is one of the most precious rights of man: every citizen may therefore speak, write, and print freely, except to answer for the abuse of this freedom, in the cases determined by law.

Article XII

The guarantee of the rights of man and of the citizen requires a public force: this force is therefore instituted for the benefit of all, and not for the particular utility of those to whom it is entrusted.

Article XIII

For the maintenance of the public force, and for the expenses of administration, a common contribution is indispensable. It must be equally distributed among all the citizens, on account of their abilities.

Article XIV

All citizens have the right to ascertain, by themselves or by their representatives, the necessity of the public contribution, to consent to it freely, to monitor its use and to determine its proportion, base, collection and duration.

Article XV

The Company has the right to hold any Public Agent accountable for its administration.

Article XVI

Any Society in which the guarantee of rights is not assured, nor the separation of powers determined, has no constitution.

Article XVII

Property being an inviolable and sacred right, no one can be deprived of it, except when public necessity, legally established, obviously requires it, and on condition of a just and prior indemnity.