Council of Europe: conference on interreligious dialogue. “The religious dimension as key to intercultural dialogue”

(Strasbourg) “The Council of Europe has acknowledged the religious dimension as an important feature of intercultural dialogue and has encouraged the religious communities to be proactively involved in the promotion of human rights, of democracy and the rule of law, in a different, multicultural Europe”. This is written in a text issued in Strasbourg to the participants in the international conference called: “Interreligious dialogue on religion and peace, religion and human rights” that is taking place in the Palais de l’Europe today. Since 2000, the CoE has been promoting initiatives like today’s one, where experts and delegates of the traditional faiths will meet to get to understand each other and reflect on religious matters in the context of lay states and secularised societies. “The goal of the current Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe – a notice explains – is to revive dialogue, within the CoE, among the leaders of the traditional religions, in order to boost mutual respect, peace, as well as a greater awareness of diversity in European societies”.
Valentina Bombelli