18/03/2011 Culture, Science, Education and Media
"We are today confronted with manifestations of intolerance, rejection and violence which are a threat to social cohesion. There is an urgent need for a new ‘living together’ paradigm. Each of us must not just accept the existence of differing sensitivities, religious or other, but must also respect them. Pretending not to care is inappropriate; feeling threatened is a mistake", according to Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg, ALDE), presenting her report on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue to the Culture Committee in Paris.
"Responsibility is borne by public authorities as well as by religious authorities and leaders of humanist movements. We must in future highlight not what divides us, but what unites us, namely the fundamental values of the Council of Europe which are the bedrock of every democratic society. No religion or tendency can supersede these fundamental values, let alone claim to be superior to them", she pointed out.
She added that it is vital for the various churches and religious communities to defend the European Convention on Human Rights, affirm the equal dignity of all human beings and subscribe unreservedly to democratic principles and to human rights. "In my view, given that we need to work together to defend the fundamental values of the Council of Europe, it is important to establish a common platform shared by representatives of churches, humanist movements and public authorities", she said.
Lastly, she emphasised the importance of the role of education, particularly the training of teachers in general and of religious officials.
The draft recommendation, adopted today by the Culture Committee, recalls that the assertion of the inalienable right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, as enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights presupposes that all are free to have or not to have a religion and to manifest their religion alone and in private, or collectively, in public and within the circle of those whose faith they share.
The Committee insisted on the need for everyone to learn to share their differences positively and accept others with theirs, in order to build cohesive societies receptive to diversity and respecting the dignity of each individual. It was necessary, the Committee said, to build a dynamic, productive partnership between the public institutions, the religious communities and the groups that espouse a non-religious belief. The Committee of Ministers should therefore promote a genuine partnership for democracy and human rights between the Council of Europe, the religious faiths and the chief humanist organisations, seeking to encourage the active involvement of all stakeholders in action to promote the fundamental values of the Organisation. It should also establish, to this end, a place for dialogue, a workspace between the Council of Europe and high-level representatives of religions and of non-denominational organisations, in order to place existing relations on a stable and formally recognised platform. This initiative should be developed in concertation with the interested parties and by associating PACE, the European Union as well as the Alliance of Civilisations.
"We need to re-learn greater humility and be more humble in recognising and respecting others, more humble in admitting that our beliefs are not the only valid ones, more humble in not trying to impose our views on others, more humble in helping to build a society in which every individual finds the place to which he or she aspires", concluded Ms Brasseur. Her report is to be debated at the forthcoming plenary session of the PACE (Strasbourg, 11-15 April).