VALUING RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIESAS KEY ACTORS OF SOCIALCOHESION

Handbook for Local Authorities

The views expressed in this work are the responsibility of of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Council ofEurope policy.

The Intercultural Center Mondinsiemeis a Foundation of the Municipality ofReggio Emilia. Its main mission is topromote the value and the respect forcultural diversity in different socialcontexts. Over the years, Mondinsiemehas become an important organizationand accredited with various levels (local,regional, national and international) forits strong intercultural competencesand also for its planning and trainingskills, which have made it an advisorybody for policy development andcapacity building.

Publication by the staff of the Mondinsieme Intercultural Centre and by Dr. Fouzia Tnatni

Centro interculturale MondinsiemeVia Marzabotto, 3 - 42122 Reggio Emilia - Italiatel. +39 0522 456525

Fouzia Tnatni. After the bachelor degreein Architecture at the Polytechnic ofMilano, she graduated in EducationalSciences and specialized in PedagogicalSciences at the Department of Educationand Human Sciences of the University ofModena and Reggio Emilia. In 2017 she hascollaborated with Mondinsieme inmapping and researching places ofworship and later on she has developed athesis project with the title: Welfare andReligion. Community of faith and religiousassociations in Reggio Emilia

email: info@mondinsieme.orgwebsite: www.mondinsieme.orgFacebook: @mondinsieme - Instagram: @fondazione_mondinsieme

Thanks for their contribution to the survey:

Ana Parrinha Beja - PortimãoAnne Rizzo - LimerickArmando John - PembaBeatrice Lönnqvist - BotkyrkaBertrand Cassegrain - GenevaCarolina Adarraga - Donostia - San SebastianCatarina Ferreira - SetúbalDionysia Ampatzidi - IoanninaGhada Nasrallah - Beit JalaGianluca Grassi - Reggio EmiliaHaris Sijaric - Sarajevo CentarIlaria Codeluppi - NovellaraJacek Kostka - Górowo Iławeckie

Thanks for the collaboration:

Abdellah BouchraaAndrea WickstromErica TacchiniGianluca GrassiIvana D'AlessandroLéo Stern

Lehrer Anna - Neumarkt i.d.OpfLina Lucarelli - MilanoMaria Correia - PortimãoMirko Cikiriz - KragujevacNia Farreres Lladonosa - GironaNontuthuzelo Lucia Sipambo - EkurhuleniOlena Makarova - LutskOTA Harunobu - HamamatsuPhillip Rousseau - MontrealRifaaqat Ali - BradfordSølve Sætre - BergenVictor Poede - Iasi

Mohammad KurtamTommaso Dotti

Fondazione E35ICEI (Istituto Cooperazione Economica Internazionale)

RecommendationsBest practice: Donostia-San Sebastián Focus: Strategies to dignify the differentfaiths in public spaces

Local authorities and religious pluralism:normative instruments and institutionalorientations

Public space and freedom of worship:inclusion strategies and territorialenhancement

Strengthening welfare and social cohesion:the contribution given by places of worship

Questionnaires results

Content

Preface

Introduction

RecommendationsBest practice: Milano Focus: The right to religious freedom

RecommendationsBest practice: BradfordFocus: We learn from childhood

Conclusion: Consortes

Reference texts

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The recognition of the right to freedom of thought,conscience and religion are among the principles shared by anumber of articles of the Universal Declaration of HumanRights, the European Convention on Human Rights andFundamental Freedoms, and even the national Constitutions.The principle of freedom of worship and religion is formallyprotected in the nations of the world by various means,including through mechanisms for the legitimation ofreligious institutions.The aim of this publication, which seeks to offer some ideasto public administrators and officials of the local authoritiesof the Intercultural Cities network, is to fit between theofficial recognition through protocols and understandingsand the "practice" of religious freedom.In fact, when dealing with practical issues related to theexercise of religious freedom, it is necessary to refer to localinstitutions and administrations; from problems related tothe opening of places of worship to those related to foodstandards in school canteens, from the celebration of thevarious religious holidays to the right to be buried inaccordance with one's own will.Regions, Provinces and Municipalities are required indifferent

Preface

Mayor of Reggio Emilia

Elena Carletti

Luca Vecchi

Mayor of Novellara

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in different ways to define strategies to applysuch principles within societiescharacterized by different culturalbackgrounds, which enrich urban areas, andaffected not only by migration processes, butalso by a mobility deriving from professions,research, training and, more generally, fromthe processes favoured by globalization.In this context - among the cultural aspectsthat belong to the intimacy of each individualand, more generally, to the family dimension -the religious and spiritual dimension is anarea that local administrations mustapproach in a holistic way. Defining astrategy for inter-religious and spiritualdialogue not only is important in terms ofinclusion and social cohesion with thecommunities in the area, but it also definesthe attractiveness of a territory and itsinternational vocation.Also due to substantially recent migrationprocesses, Italy is a country which, until a fewyears

years ago, saw no need to develop in a fullystructured way a regulatory framework forthe application of Articles 19 and 20 of theConstitution.Probably, it is thanks to such a particularcontext that the will to reflect on the politicalreasons for which it is considered importantto address the issue of inter-religious andspiritual dialogue within administrativepractices arose.When governing our territories, it isnecessary to look ahead and think of oururban contexts of 2050. The overallinvestment in intercultural dialogue is in facta necessary element for the promotion ofcohesion and social inclusion in urbancontexts that will be deeply diversified andstratified compared to a few decades ago.Seeking dialogue and collaboration with theless and more recently established places ofworship in the territory serves not only tocomply with the principles of the articles ofthe

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the international conventions and theConstitutions, but it is also a fundamentalelement in creating alliances to promotedialogue between public policies and privatesocial actions inspired by a religious orspiritual sensibility.This process aims to highlight that there is apublic interest in sharing the objectives ofthe projects promoted by places of worship,which integrate the social, educational andcultural services system of localadministrations. This framework can alsofacilitate dialogue between places of worshipand faiths in the territory. Facilitatingdialogue and participatory processes putsdifferent ideas and beliefs in synergy,promoting dialogue and mutualunderstanding between places of worship,believers and also non-believers, which isfundamental.Through this publication, which aims to be astimulus for reflection also for theadministration

administrations, a dialogue between our twincities and those partners of the InterculturalCities network was established. Inter-religious dialogue often focuses ontheological, philosophical, political andjurisprudential aspects. This publicationinstead focuses on the relationship betweencities and places of worship.With the valuable work of the MondinsiemeFoundation, which has edited this volume, wehope to contribute to the debate andexchange of good practices, experiences andrecommendations between local authorities.

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NovellaraFor years Novellara has become a crossroads ofcommunities and religions. The various administrations thathave succeeded one another have facilitated theestablishment of places of worship, being aware that towelcome means to recognize and give dignity to all religiousgroups and that through dialogue it is possible to buildrelationships and opportunities for growth and exchange. Aconstant and continuous attitude of openness has alwaysbeen maintained with the religious communities with whomwe meet periodically to exchange information, importantthemes themes and projects. Several communities

have decided to form an association and evenset up their places of worship in Novellara. TheSikh temple, inaugurated in 2000, has beenexpanded and constantly upgraded in recentyears, becoming a point of reference in Italy.The Hindu community has also invested in anew temple, inaugurated in 2017. Otherreligious communities, such as the Muslimcommunity or the Orthodox one, continue tokeep alive the dialogue with the municipaladministration.

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In 2016, the Administration decided toapprove the "Open cultures" programme; aseries of guidelines for the development ofintercultural and inter-religious policies tocontinue promoting and directing dailyactions aimed at increasing dialogue, givingvalue to differences and building bridges inevery sector of the Institution.One of the most important objectives is thatof promoting the sharing of religiouscelebrations which are what the Communitieshold most dear and which characterize theiridentity. They include the Vaisakhi festivalwhich, in the month of April, brings more than10,000 believers with their colours, traditionsand prayers to the Novellara Square, and theend of Ramadan which is celebrated togetherwith all the religious communities thanks to arich cultural and musical programme.The resulting wealth of values is a heritageshared by all the institutions and associationsof Novellara and this undoubtedly supportsand

and strengthens our actions and projects thatwe want to keep alive for years to come.

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In 2001, thanks to the experience of the MondinsiemeIntercultural Foundation, Reggio Emilia began a journey thatled it to deal with policies aimed at promoting diversity andintercultural dialogue. The adhesion to the InterculturalCities network programme of the Council of Europeincreased dialogue and exchange with initiatives of otherterritories.The promotion of inter-religious dialogue has become overthe

Reggio Emilia

the years one of the areas of research andanalysis of the municipal administration, andin 2020 it became one of the objectives of theadministration's programme, as part of theactions called "Ditutti".Among the experiences that led the territory toinvest in the promotion of inter-religious andspiritual dialogue, there is the one carried outin 2018 as part of the Journey ofRemembrance promoted by Istoreco. In thatoccasion, the Mayor Luca Vecchi and 200students from Reggio Emilia schools visitedthe Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration campaccompanied by Monsignor MassimoCamisasca

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Camisasca, Bishop of the Diocese of ReggioEmilia-Guastalla, Rabbi Beniamino Goldsteinof the Jewish community of Modena andReggio Emilia and Imam Yosif El Samahy,representing the Islamic communities ofReggio Emilia.In the same year, the first performance of the"Alif Aleph Alfa. Let's raise our voices, jubilant,to God! A cultural perspective of Jewish,Christian, and Muslim dialogue" project washeld in the Aula Magna of the University ofModena and Reggio Emilia, promoted withinthe exhibition Soli Deo Gloria by Renato Negri.A project that has involved for several yearsthe faithful of monotheistic confessionsresiding in Reggio Emilia and the citizens ofthe city, a collaboration based on theprinciple of mutual listening and cultural-religious exchange. The concert - based onJewish, Christian and Koranic chanting doneby the three groups belonging to the threemonotheistic religions - was the culminatingmoment

moment of a sort of "workshop" for mutualcultural understanding, characterized by aseries of in-depth secondary events,including educational ones.

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Publishing a research on places of worship in cities and onintercultural and inter-religious dialogue in a period such asthe current one - a period of strong, global geopoliticalpolarizations determined by socio-economic, health, but alsocultural dynamics - is even more important, if possible,because it acts as a symbolic barrier against the tendency toresign ourselves to seeing our cities as hostile and diversityas a source of threat.The research in the following pages aims to give a usefuloverview of the complexity of the urban realities in which weall live. It is not a research that starts from a pre-constitutedthesis, but it intends to explore a "world" that we all deal with,albeit in different ways and to different degrees, but that atthe same time continues to be unknown to many i.e. theplaces of worship, their functions and their relationships inurban contexts. It is clear, however, that even when we limitourselves to exploring and describing a phenomenon,refraining

Matteo Rinaldini

Modern civilization has elected the principle of freedom as its foundation,wherebyman must not be a mere instrument in the hands of others,

but rather an autonomous centre of life

Chairman of the MondinsiemeFoundation

Professor of Sociology of economicprocesses and of Labour at theUniversity of Modena-Reggio Emilia

Altiero Spinelli from Manifesto of Ventotene

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refraining, as far as possible, from offeringexplanations and creating theories, we mustask ourselves “for whom is this being done?”or, in other words, “who is the targetaudience of the research?”This is the first question we actually askedourselves when the research wascommissioned to us by the Council of Europe,and we immediately agreed that this type ofinformation could be useful for policy makersinvolved in the governance of cities, as wellas for the representatives of the variousreligions that perform their duties in urbansettings. The topic of inter-religious dialogue,in fact, is a highly topical issue and isundoubtedly a key issue for those who havethe task of creating inclusive cities. “City”understood, as the French would say, both ascité and ville, i.e. both as built and plannedterritories, and as the ways in which citizensinhabit and live those territories. To createinclusive cities, in fact, it is also necessary toharmonize

harmonize these two souls of the city (or atleast attenuate their reciprocal conflict); theconcrete and rational soul and the soulemerging from the interactions andsubjectivity of those who live in the cities. It isclear that to achieve this harmonization, it isnecessary to know the context in which oneoperates. Today people talk a lot about smartcities and they usually associate the termsmart with the massive use of newtechnologies used to regulate urban life. It iscertainly true that new technologies open upnew opportunities for regulating cities, butany attempt to make cities smarter can onlybe possible with a deep knowledge of the city.This is our intent: to provide a smallcontribution in terms of knowledge, a firststep in a work that could be developed bothintensively and extensively.While we are happy with this first surveyabout the practices and actions regardinginter-religious dialogue, we realize that muchremains

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remains to be understood and that from amethodological point of view our researchshows some weaknesses. An important biasto be taken into account, for example, is thefact that the questionnaire of this survey hasbeen administered to cities that are part ofthe Intercultural Cities network (plus othertwin cities of Reggio Emilia on othercontinents) and therefore municipalities that,in fact, give great importance tointerculturality and inter-religious dialogue.It is clear, therefore, that the responses comefrom contexts in which interculturality is atleast present in the agenda of policy makersand this evidently does not reflect the generalsituation of European cities, nor that of otherareas of the world. Nevertheless, we believethat the results are still interesting, especiallybecause, as it emerges in the followingpages, many of them offer a conflictingreading, not celebratory, nor apologetic, ableto give further insights for research (bysurveying

surveying the people of the places of worshipin order to learn more about theirexperiences and their expectations) and toencourage further contributions. Theresearch also shows which cities, amongthose surveyed, carry out actions andinterventions concerning places of worshipand the characteristics of such actions andinterventions, providing a useful comparativeframework for evaluating what is being doneon their territory. Obviously, it is not aquestion of establishing rankings betweencities, nor of determining which is the bestcity. Each context has specific cultural, socialand economic characteristics and it would bea mistake to ignore them to find generalizedbest practices. At the same time, knowingwhat is being done elsewhere can be anincentive for possible actions to bedeveloped in one's own city and can lead toframing the territory in a wider context.Therefore, we believe that based on theseresults

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results, a public administrator could alreadystart to understand the level of interactionbetween local institutions and places ofworship in their own territory and even thinkabout possible interventions on the matter.

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This publication was conceived to support publicadministrations required to manage increasingly complexlocal contexts, where religious pluralism is one of thefundamental aspects for the promotion of interculturaldialogue.Defining a strategy for inter-religious dialogue is not in itselfa critical issue; much depends on how such dialogue isperceived and managed within the territories. Suitablegovernance strategies and tools can not only effectivelytackle these complexities, but also transform religiouspluralism into a resource accessible to the whole community.It was decided to deal with the issue by referring to threeareas deemed particularly significant, since they fall withinthe competence of politics and public administrations.The first chapter describes the regulatory and guidance toolsdeveloped by supranational institutions. Being aware of howreligious freedom is protected and how it is expressedrepresents the first step to create a normative continuitythat can be guaranteed by local authorities.The second chapter focuses on the relationship betweenreligion and public space that local authorities are chargedwith managing. The regulatory protection of religiousfreedom

Introduction

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freedom and its expression inevitably affectsthe way in which religions are involved withinthe territory. Considering that exclusion anddiscrimination are phenomena that need tobe tackled, the question remains how towelcome, but above all how to valorise,religious plurality.The third chapter focuses on the relationshipthat local authorities can build with thedifferent religious communities, by managingwhat can be defined as community welfare(social, health and education dimensions).The places of worship can represent aprecious resource for the territories that givevalue to the contribution they provide intaking care of social and other vulnerabilitiesand make them potential interlocutors andallies when it comes to welfare planning.At the end of each topic, indications havebeen included on potential concrete actionsthat could be put in place by local authoritiesto foster the creation of multi-culturalcontexts

contexts within their cities.Each chapter contains a positive example of acity's good practice that emerged from theresults of the survey carried out, and whichshould be taken into account when dealingwith the topic of reference.At the end of the chapters room was left forreflection, giving voice to experts who couldgive cues and ideas which could inspirefurther considerations on the subject.The three key areas identified in thepublication are the same ones that we havetried to detect in the initial phase of thesurvey. The main objective was to identify thelevel of development of the actionsconcerning inter-religious dialogue, and toidentify their strengths and areas forimprovement, in order to guide localauthorities in their efforts to improve theeffectiveness of their actions in the future.For the purpose of the research, thequestionnaire was deemed the most suitablesurvey

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survey tool. Precisely in consideration of thecities involved and of their specific socio-demographic and institutional contexts, aquestionnaire that could reconcile existingdifferences was designed. The questionnaireis the result of a process that paid particularattention both to the relevance andusefulness of the questions asked and to theorder in which they were asked. Beforeadministering the questionnaire, it was usefulto test it on the lead cities of the project,Reggio Emilia and Novellara, which belong tothe sample under survey. Once thequestionnaire was perfected, it wasadministered to the other cities belonging tothe Intercultural Cities (ICC) network and tothe twin cities of the leading municipalitiesthrough the Google Forms tool, which wasspecifically designed to fill in and administerquestionnaires online, to collect the datacontained in the individual answers and toprocess the aggregated data.

The questionnaire was divided into threemain parts, each one corresponding to amacro area of survey. The first part of thequestionnaire collected information on thepresence of the topic of inter-religiousdialogue in local documents and regulations,on the level of recognition on the territory ofexisting places of worship and on the criteriafor assigning new spaces for worship, inorder to understand the situation from aregulatory perspective. The second group ofquestions examined the relationship betweenreligion and public space - understood as theprovision of space for religious activities bythe local authority - and the degree ofdetection of requests related to the religiousprofession. The third and final part askedparticipants to select which cultural andwelfare activities and services are organisedby the places of worship and with which areasor departments of the local authority thereare collaborations or relations.

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Officials from 25 local administrationsanswered the survey, 17 of them belonging tothe ICC network (12% of the total number ofmember cities). 80% of the responses camefrom Europe and the remaining 20% fromoutside Europe, including Africa (Pemba inMozambique and Ekurhuleni in South Africa),Asia (Hamamatsu in Japan and Beit Jala inthe West Bank) and America (Montreal,Canada).The questionnaire consisted of 17 questions,mainly multiple-choice questions, whichproduced comparative results andquantitative data of indicative value. Thequestionnaire also included 4 open questions,which were optional and subordinate to apositive answer to a yes/no question, whichregistered a percentage of answers almostalways in line with that of the relativequestion. In addition, a further final sectionwas included for the insertion of documentsand references related to the topic inquestion

question. Although the percentage ofrespondents to this final section was only16%, it was still possible to obtain usefulinformation - supplemented by a deskanalysis and data from other questions - inorder to identify practices and significant cityexperiences for each of the macro-areas, ofwhich there is evidence in the publication.The outputs of the questionnaires are given inthe appendix to the publication. Hopefully,this study will serve as a guide for localauthorities that wish to follow an innovativepath - still little explored from a political andadministrative point of view - in their ownterritories, whose spiritual and religiouscomplexity will change profoundly over thenext years.

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NorthAmerica Europe * Asia

Africa

Montreal, Canada

Pemba, MozambiqueEkurhuleni, South Africa

Hamamatsu, JapanBeit Jala, West Bank

Beja, PortugalBergen, NorwayBotkyrka, SwedenBradford, EnglandDonostia - San Sebastian, SpainGeneva, SwitzerlandGirona, SpainGórowo Iławeckie, PolandIasi, RomaniaIoannina, Greece

* Kragujevac, SerbiaLimerick, IrelandLutsk, UkraineMilan, ItalyNeumarkt in der Oberpfalz, GermanyReggio Emilia, ItalyNovellara, ItalyPortimão, PortugalSarajevo Centar, Bosnia and HerzegovinaSetúbal, Portugal

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to

change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone orin community with others and in public or private, tomanifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching,

practice and observance

Article 9.1 of the European Convention on Human Rights

Current political institutions must increasingly face highsocial complexities due to an increased ethnic, cultural andreligious plurality in their territories.These conditions lead to a process of regulatory expansion.On the one hand there are the safeguards guaranteed bysupranational legal and regulatory systems, on the otherhand there is a consequent adaptation of national legislativereferences and their respective subsystems. If the macrodimension has above all a regulatory and guiding functionand responds to the ambitious need for political and socialintegration between countries, the micro level is concernedwith making the recognised rights tangible, concrete andexercisable. Moreover, national political strategies areaimed at maintaining a delicate balance between "periphery"and "centre", to guarantee an efficient and effective localpolicy.Therefore, the protection of citizens' diversity and rights is amulti-actor, multi-level task. The principle of subsidiarityallowed the peripheral level to play an ever-increasing role.In fact, in many countries it holds significant territorialgovernment and management powers, which encourage thedesign and implementation of policies aimed at integratingdiversity

Local authorities and religiouspluralism: normative instrumentsand institutional orientations

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and Cultural Organization (UNESCO),recognizing diversity as a necessary elementand ally of democracy, states that “Respectfor the diversity of cultures, tolerance, dialogueand cooperation, in a climate of mutual trustand understanding are among the bestguarantees of international peace andsecurity”.Where culture is defined as “The set ofdistinctive spiritual, material, intellectual andemotional features of society or a social group,and that it encompasses, in addition to art andliterature, lifestyles, ways of living together,value systems, traditions and beliefs” .

1 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and CulturalOrganisation (UNESCO) was established in Paris on 4November 1946. It was founded on the belief that lastingpeace between peoples could not be sought exclusivelythrough political pacts and agreements.2 Preamble to the Declaration3 Ibid.

diversity. Within local contexts, where anetwork of identities, cultures, beliefs andemerging values is intertwined, integrationpolicies must be conceived with the aim ofrecognising and valuing the different socialactors. When diversity is not met with asensitive attitude, particularly by politics,people run the risk of becoming withdrawn.As a result, there is a proliferation of high andsolid barriers behind which the different setsof values defend themselves, which is anobstacle to the preservation of democraticsocial structures. The appeal offered byisolation must be overcome with appropriateinstruments that encourage and promote asense of belonging, participation and trust.Public administrations have at their disposala broad international legal framework ofreference which represents an essentialguidance tool for the implementation of localpolicies.The United Nations Educational, Scientificand

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The difficulties caused by a lack of politicalmanagement of diversity increase andbecome more acute when more intimateaspects related to the moral and conscienceof individuals are at stake. The challengeposed by cultural pluralism is inevitably joinedby that of religious pluralism. In recentdecades there has been a growing interest inthe religious phenomenon, which perhaps fewhad imagined, at least in the ways in which ithas reappeared. Due to migratory flows,which in more or less recent times haveaffected all countries, people have physicallymoved from one country to another, takingwith them their religious affiliations andspiritual dimensions. It is no coincidence thatmigration plays a fundamental role in theprocess of religious revitalization.The important role played by the religiousdimension in the life of individuals, but also inthe life of the community, is alreadyacknowledged in the Universal Declaration ofHuman

Human Rights. The right to express one'sfaith or belief (Art. 18) is one of the universallyrecognised and protected human rights. Theadministrations, called to developmanagement and governance strategieswithin such complexity, have at their disposalother supranational instruments that canguide their choices.These include the European Convention forthe Protection of Human Rights andFundamental Freedoms and its Article 9,which reads as follows:

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4

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,conscience and religion. This right includesfreedom to change religion or belief andfreedom, either alone or in community withothers and in public or in private, to manifestreligion or belief, in worship, teaching, practiceand observance.

1.

4 Written in 1950 within the Council of Europe.

recent. The article also gives prominence andequal value to two different ways of livingreligious affiliation or belief. On the one hand,there is the absolute and unconditional rightto have a belief or to change it; there is nosubject or institution, not even the State,which has the authority to interfere with thisindividual right. On the other hand, the articleacknowledges a collective dimension toreligious experience and recognises the rightto manifest one's beliefs, either throughindividual or collective practices.The right to manifest ones' beliefs individuallyor collectively, however, is not viewed asabsolute. Paragraph 2 of Article 9 of theConvention specifies, in fact, that individualStates may impose restrictions on thefreedoms recognised where these arejustified on grounds of threat to “publicsafety, the protection of public order, healthor morals, or for the protection of the rightsand freedoms of others”. It is also true that ifthe

This fundamental statement is oftenaccompanied by a second article, whichreinforces its principles. Article 14 of theConvention:

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2. Freedom to manifest one's religion or beliefsshall be subject only to such limitations as areprescribed by law and are necessary in ademocratic society in the interests of publicsafety, for the protection of public order, healthor morals, or for the protection of the rightsand freedoms of others.

“The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms setforth in this Convention shall be securedwithout discrimination on any ground such assex, race, colour, language, religion, political orother opinion, national or social origin,association with a national minority, property,birth or other status.”

Article 9 does not contain any additionaldefinition or specification of religion. This“omission” represents a clear intention ofinclusiveness of multiple religiousexperiences, large and small, ancient orrecent

the decisions regarding the application of therestrictions in Article 9 were assignedexclusively to the States, there would be arisk that the objectives and therefore theConvention itself would be frustrated. It is forthis reason that the Convention also providedfor the establishment of the European Courtof Human Rights.The Court is called upon to give a secondopinion, in order to judge whether or not therestrictions acted upon are legitimate. If theyare not legitimate, the countries accused maybe ruled guilty of violating Article 9 of theConvention.Besides the Council of Europe, also theEuropean Union has long since begun to be areference point in matters of religiousfreedom. The jurisprudence of the EuropeanCourt of Justice, in fact, accepts theprinciples for the protection of human rightsby borrowing them from the EuropeanConvention and embodying them in theCharter

Charter of Fundamental Rights of theEuropean Union which, with the LisbonTreaty, takes on the same legal value as theTreaties.The European Union, although its structureand objectives are of a purely economicnature, is therefore on its way to becoming alegal area that also regulates matters offreedom of religion, both individual andcollective, and regulates national relationswith religious organisations, a clear exampleof which is Article 17 of the TFEU:

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5 Established in 19596 Article 17 TFEU - Treaty on the Functioning of the EuropeanUnion, introduced by the Lisbon Treaty of 13 December 2007

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The Union respects and does not prejudice thestatus under national law of churches andreligious associations or communities in theMember States.The Union equally respects the status undernational law of philosophical and non-confessional organisations.

1.

2.

The article shows the importance attributedto religious pluralism, churches and religiousorganisations, recognizing them as necessaryand fundamental elements for the building ofinclusive, fair, supportive, cohesive andpeaceful societies. Without the involvementof all the actors of the public sphere, thedriving force towards the values of Dignity,Freedom, Equality, Solidarity, Citizenship,Justice as desired by the Treaties themselvesis weakened. Religious pluralism, like culturalpluralism, is considered an element of vitality,functional to a society that wants to defineitself as truly democratic. Religious pluralismand its place within society can therefore beconsidered as an indicator of the health of ademocratic society.The right to have and be able to express one' sfaith

3. Recognising their identity and their specificcontribution, the Union shall maintain an open,transparent and regular dialogue with thesechurches and organisations.

faith or religion is protected by supranationalconventions and treaties and any unjustifiedrestrictions are sanctioned by Appeal Courts.These guidance and protection instruments,however, do not negate the autonomy ofindividual States in ecclesiastical matters.Today, the human rights recognised bysupranational systems have their place innumerous national Constitutions.Public administrations, as well as relying onsupranational recommendations, must alsofollow the principles enshrined in theConstitution of their country and exploit theflexibility that it may provide. States also havethe possibility to decentralise or notecclesiastical issues, making them fall withinthe competence of Regions, Provinces andautonomous territories. This is justified dueto the fact that certain needs or themanagement of certain issues relating to thesocial fabric are better addressed at a locallevel, which is more aware and sensitive tothe specific contexts.

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the specific contexts.The supranational regulatory framework andthe constitutions that refer to it create theconditions to fully protect religious freedom.The promotion of local policies aimed atfostering dialogue and confrontation, atestablishing cooperative working methods,and at supporting mutual understanding andexchange, are the basis on which a plural anddemocratic society can flourish. Publicadministrations should strive to implementtheir own integration policies, with a view tosocial and territorial valorisation. Embracingcomplexity means addressing it with asensitive but decisive attitude, it meansprefiguring the culture and values to bepromoted in one's territory and adoptingcoherent strategies and tools. The powersand degrees of autonomy increasinglygranted to local authorities constitute a newopportunity, but also a great responsibility.

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The Council for Religious and LifeStance Communities in the city ofBergen (Norway) brings together 18religious and life stances memberorganizations. It aims to promotemutual respect and dialogue betweenthem and provides an arena wheremembers are able to define and pursuecommon political goals.

For more information: https://www.bergen.kommune.no/

Recommendations

01Provide a reference to theimplementation of policies forthe harmonization of inter-religious and spiritual dialoguein the Statute of the localauthority, in the articlededicated to the principles orfunctions of the authority.

02 Make explicit reference to inter-religious dialogue in policyplanning documents and set upa dedicated office within theorganisational structure.

03 Provide for the inclusion ofreferences to documents ofinternational, national orregional bodies inadministrative and politicaldocuments concerningintercultural and inter-religiousdialogue.

04 Implement a protocol ofcooperation with those religiousorganisations that believe inlegality, are transparent in theiractivities, promote equalitybetween women and men andrecognise the neutrality of thelocal authority and of the non-discriminatory principles.

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05 Promote discussion orcoordination withrepresentatives of religiouscommunities, lay associationsor entities related to spirituality,for the development of jointprojects and the sharing of workproposals that may also involveother departments of themunicipality.

06 Consider setting up a municipalregister of places of worshipthat commit themselves todepositing their statutes, whichmust be compatible with theStatute of the Municipality andthe relevant Constitutions.

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The Administration promotes harmonious andconstructive coexistence between the differentreligious communities also in order to consolidatesocial cohesion and promote integration processes.Furthermore, it considers the role that churches andreligious and cultural associations play in combatingall expressions of religious radicalism to be strategic.It also continues its commitment to guarantee thepossibility of creating places of prayer and worshipthat are respectful of the norms, accessible and opento all and which promote the training of religiousguides who - also considering the role that they play intheir communities and the functions that they may becalled to perform in public places such as hospitals,reception

Milano - Italy

reception centres and prisons - can act as effective mediators to ensure the full implementation ofthe constitutional principles of civil cohabitation, secularity of the State, legality and equality of rightsbetween men and women. The construction of religious buildings and of equipment for religiousservices is by its very nature a matter caught between the protection of religious freedom andregional urban planning regulations. The purpose of the Religious Equipment Plan (PAR) approved bythe Administration is to provide rules to promote and improve the settlement of new places ofworship of any religion, whose demand is closely linked to the evolution of social dynamics thatchange the natural development of society, and to obtain a constant and updated framework of theexisting places of worship

Best practice

For more information: https://www.pgt.comune.milano.it/piano-le-attrezzature-religiose

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The right to religious freedom is protected in various national,European and international legislative sources. Freedom ofthought, conscience, religion or belief is recognised ininternational law by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights of 1948, by Article 18 of the InternationalCovenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and by theDeclaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance andDiscrimination based on Religion or Belief of 1981. While atCommunity level, the right to religious freedom is enshrined inArticle 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights and inArticles 10, 21 and 22 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights ofthe European Union. With regard to freedom of worship, thereare numerous safeguards granted by the various Constitutionsof the individual member states of the Council of Europe. Forexample, Article 19 of the Italian Constitution recognises theright to freely express one's religious faith and to practice it inpublic and in private, except for rites contrary to morality andpublic order.The right to worship is identified in the various fundamentallaws of the Member States of the European Union as anabsolute, personal right. Indeed, it applies to all persons, bothpublic and private, within any social context, just like the otherarticles

Focus: The right to religious freedom

Othmane YassinePhD student in Global Studies,Economy, Society and Law at theUniversity of Urbino "Carlo Bo"

Councillor for social inclusion andEuropean policies of theMunicipality of Fermignano

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articles considered as inviolable human rights.It should be further clarified that the freedomto freely profess one's faith implies the right tochoose what to believe in, to change orabandon one's religion or belief without anylimitation, as well as the right to practise andexpress one's opinion in a religious context.The right to profess one's faith also impliesthat communities of believers have the right toorganise themselves and to defend or abandontheir ethics, as well as the right of religious,secular and non-confessional organisations tohave their legal personality recognised. Itfollows that Member States of the EuropeanUnion and of the Council of Europe are obligedto protect individual religious freedoms in aconcrete and effective manner, taking intoaccount their different needs. Nevertheless,religious minorities living in the Member Statesof the Council of Europe do not find adequatenational legislation that allow them to exercisetheir fundamental right as sanctioned by thevarious

various fundamental laws of the same States.Furthermore, in some cases there is a realinterference with minor cults. This happenswhenever attempts are made to regulate theexercise of a minor faith within a State. Forexample, in France people felt the need tocreate a French Islam, while in Italy theywanted an Italian Islam. Unfortunately,religious freedom is also being exploited forpolitical purposes by some European politicalparties. This is due to the fact that the conceptof religion is not yet completely detached fromthat of identity. Therefore, when a person goesto a different country where the prevailingfaith is different from their own, it follows thattheir religious sphere is also required to have acertain degree of conformity with the nationalfaith. Consequently, when one is part of aminority, not only the person but also their Godmigrates and it goes without saying that theyhave to ask permission to be recognised, to besimilar to that of the host country.

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Everyone has the right to freedom of thought,conscience and religion; this right includes freedom tochange his religion or belief, and freedom, either aloneor in community with others and in public or private, to

manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice,worship and observance.

Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

The overview of the regulatory and policy instruments(supranational and national) presented in the first chaptershowed how religious matters have been given greatattention for many decades. An interested and attentive lookat ethnic, cultural and religious plurality and a knowledge ofthe instruments developed to guarantee and protect itcharacterise the work of public administrations, which arecalled to effectively manage the phenomenon within theirown territory. Cultural, religious and normative illiteracy at apolitical level are included, not by chance, among thepossible causes of social costs borne by the community thatnegatively affect the quality of social coexistence. A strongpolitical sensitivity towards religious plurality, on the otherhand, can result in detailed policies of integration,participatory democracy and active citizenship, aimed atenhancing and absorbing the different realities within thesocial fabric. Public institutions, in fact, perform theirfunctions in order to regulate religious freedom, religiouspluralism and inclusion with the aim of establishingprocesses of dialogue, confrontation and mutual knowledge.Political choices can be dictated from above, or they can bethe direct consequence of a synergetic work involvingmultiple

Public space and freedom ofworship: inclusion strategies andterritorial enhancement

35

multiple actors (public administrations,religious representations, citizens). However,in order to achieve a sense of cooperationand co-planning, it is essential to previouslyact in a way that promotes a sense ofwidespread and mutual trust. Religiousplurality is made up of subjects who must beable to feel that their needs are listened toand that their contribution is valued.There are many areas in which the religiouscomponent interacts with local authoritiesand institutions; among these, therelationship between public space andreligion is certainly one of the mostinteresting. From a first general look at thisrelationship, it is possible to identify the twomain tasks assigned to public authoritiestasked with planning how to use the territoryand manage religious pluralism within it. Thefirst one demands that religions do not sufferdiscrimination with regard to access to publicspaces, the second one implies the provisionof

of public spaces for religious activities. Theissues that can come into play are many andeach country can decide to resolve them in adifferent way, elaborating different strategiesalso starting from the interpretation given tothe principle of secularism.Public space is a multifaceted dimensionaround which complex issues revolve.Perhaps it would be more appropriate to referto different public spaces that requiredifferent approaches to the same issue:streets, neighbourhoods, parks, squares,stations, airports, hospitals, schools andpublic offices. However, it is not obvious thatreligion should be present everywhere in thesame way; faiths can interact with the publicspace in different ways, which need to bediscussed with local authorities or bodiesthat are responsible for the management ofsuch contexts.For example, public spaces, whether theyserve an institutional function or not, cancontain

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contain Multifaith rooms. These rooms, whichhave become increasingly more interesting,are spaces where people of different beliefs(religious or not) are able to spend time incontemplation or prayer. These places areattributed a certain degree of sacredness andare becoming more and more common inhospitals, places of detention, airports,railway stations and sports stadiums. Often,they are not immediately identifiable sincethey are placed slightly separate from thecontext in which they are located, this choiceseems dictated by the need for greaterintimacy and discretion.The biggest challenge regarding these placesconcerns their interior design. Manyarchitects asked themselves which designchoices were most suited to give shape to aspace capable of transcending all beliefs andreligions and of being equally inclusive foreveryone. The most common rooms arewhite, without windows and are equippedwith

with wardrobes/shelves containing sacredbooks and ritual objects. The walls arevoluntarily left without any symbols, so as notto affect people's sensitivity, their right toreligious freedom or discriminate againstthem in any way. Therefore, through the useof a subtractive logic, maximuminclusiveness is achieved. The planning ofMultifaith Rooms represents a very importantpolitical choice.In a globalised environment in which manyreligions have become de-territorialised, thereligious and spiritual needs of people arebeing met in order for them to develop newand positive forms of attachment to theterritory, which significantly affect theprocess of defining a collective identity.Therefore, symbol management can receivedifferent answers depending on differentcases and purposes.Religious recognition, integration andvalorisation may also be achieved throughchoices

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choices that require a certain degree ofinvestment in terms of human and materialresources.Just think of the religious assistance offeredin places of detention, in nursing homes andhospitals, the regulation of ritual slaughter, orthe allocation of burial space within cemeteryregulations. The management of these issuesrequires a far-sighted vision and a co-planning with the different representatives ofall religious denominations present in theterritory.Besides guaranteeing access to public space,local administrations are asked to grantspaces that make the collective dimension ofthe religious experience, characterised bycelebrations, rites and moments of prayer,truly feasible. In many countries, it is up tolocal governments to provide for specificprocedures in their territorial regulatoryplans that allow for the identification orconstruction of churches, mosques, templesand

and so on, just as it is up to them tounderstand the different needs involved andact in order to meet any territorial needs.It may happen, however, that local planninginstruments are not sufficiently consistentwith national and supranational legalinstruments. In this case, religion may face areal risk of being undermined andmarginalised. When the right to space is notanswered, an extremely fluid and difficult tomonitor proliferation of more or less informalspaces for assembly and prayer (abandonedsheds

In November 2007, Geneva(Switzerland) officially inaugurated inthe largest cemetery in the city and inthe presence of representatives of thereligious communities (Muslims andIsraelites) the burial sites withconfessional orientations (towardsMecca and Jerusalem)

For more information: https://www.geneve.ch/fr

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sheds, houses, garages...) occurs. Thisphenomenon should be avoided for severalreasons: first of all, it is clearly incompatiblewith Territorial Regulatory Plans whichidentify functional areas taking into accountvarious variables; secondly, there is nohealth, hygiene and safety guarantee for thefaithful and, moreover, conflicts with othergroups present in the same territory mayemerge and exacerbate.Being anonymous, such places do not helppeople to become aware of the presence ofsuch a religious phenomenon in their owncities. When the eye cannot capture anarchitectural peculiarity because of itsabsence, one risks missing the presence of aplace of worship. Public administrations canprevent such risks by using and implementingtheir own instruments for the government ofthe territory. It is a question of workingalongside the various religiousrepresentatives to avoid critical, unsafe andunsightly

unsightly solutions, while relying on ademocratic urban planning capable ofoffering the same quality and opportunities. Itis important to notice that it is not only amatter of recognizing the rights of thereligious communities, but also anopportunity to enhance and enrich cities.Sacred space represents a challenge as itrequires reflection on the founding elementsof architecture itself. Concepts and elementssuch as gravity, light, the threshold and therelationship with the divine can be solvedthrough creativity and innovation. This is whylocal authorities not only have religions asinterlocutors, but also architects and townplanners who are specialised and committedto the design of sacred space. All thesefigures work to meet people's spiritual needsand to give them a public space of greaterbeauty and quality. Throughout history andthrough the work they have commissioned,religions have contributed enormously to theartistic

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artistic and cultural heritage of differentcountries. Churches, monasteries, mosques,temples and synagogues help to define andenrich cities. In this sense, they should beconsidered as part of the heritage of theentire community and as objects of greatinterest, which can also have a positiveimpact in terms of tourism and territorialmarketing.Religious communities and public authoritiescan together build a new paradigm ofcoexistence and work together to build moreconscious and cohesive cities. Much canarise within dialogue experiences such asInter-religious Dialogue Councils, Boards,Forums and Workshops that involve differentactors who have the dual purpose ofeducating themselves and raising awarenessamong their fellow citizens.Many of the strategies undertaken bydifferent countries are partly based on theinterpretation of the concept of secularism.

There are, however, different ways ofunderstanding it. In some countries,secularism is a process of subtraction,oriented towards the removal of religion frompublic space. Other countries choose theopposite strategy, opting for approachesaimed at recognising, including and valuingdiversity and pluralism.The challenge for local authorities liesprecisely in understanding how to regulatepublic space and its use in order to enhancediversity and at the same time direct ittowards a sense of common identification.

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Recommendations

01Enhance the architectural andaesthetic features of the placesof worship in the territory asthey are part of the cultural andartistic heritage of thecommunity.

02 Verify that the regulations forthe concession and use ofpublic spaces have neutralcriteria and are equal to allreligions.

03 Promote religious neutralitywithin the structures andservices promoted oreconomically supported by thelocal authority.

04 Activate programs for thedefinition of shared regulationswith religious communities inorder to promote the creation of"Multifaith Rooms" in places ofcare, detention and residence(e.g. university campuses,centres for the elderly, etc.).

05 Renew local regulations relatingto places of worship (e.g.contributions or economicbenefits) or religious practicesamong citizens (e.g. dedicatedcemeteries).

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08 Promote the creation ofInfoPoints or the distribution ofinformation in severallanguages concerning servicesand opportunities accessible tocitizens in the vicinity of placesof worship (e.g. information onvital records, permits, socialsupport and assistance, schoolenrolment, language andprofessional training, financialsupport for the repatriation ofremains, etc).

07 Verify that all places of worshipand burial sites are marked withthe correct symbols, respectfulof all faiths, in the maps andstreet signs made by the publicadministration.

06 Make it easier to use publicspaces to celebrate religiousrites or practices that respectthe constitutional principles andthe regulations in force and thatare open to all citizens.

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The creation of the Möbius building in Donostia-San Sebastián is a practical example of therecognition of religious diversity. It is a visualrepresentation of how religions can use publicspaces and how public institutions can dialoguewith them to understand their needs andrespond accordingly. The design of the buildingwas selected among the various proposalssubmitted by the students of the HigherTechnical Institute of Architecture as part of acontest held in the year San Sebastián waschosen

Donostia-San Sebastián - Spain

chosen as the European Capital of Culture. The university students met with the members ofthe religious and spiritual communities of the area, to learn about their peculiarities andrespective needs. The modernist wooden structure, which can be used by different religiousgroups separately or together to promote initiatives and programmes, has a geometric shapethat evokes the concepts of eternity, cyclicity and infinity. Through the creation of anessential space devoid of religious symbols, visitors are able to feel at ease as human beingsand share their spirituality, whatever it may be, with others. The building is part of the Baitarabaita project, which addresses the challenge of managing religious diversity through thepositive role that different confessions play towards social cohesion and at the same timepromotes intercultural and inter-religious dialogue on the basis of human rights.

Best practice

For more information: https://www.donostia.eus

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Faith and pastoral support in European institutions havechanged significantly over the last 10 years. With increasinglydiverse populations they have had to review how such supportservices are provided in key statutory agencies. Much of thiswork has developed rapidly to keep up with changingpopulations and migration due to international conflict, thoughsome of the provisions of these pastoral services has beendriven by a need to increase integration and reduceextremism. These developments have been mirrored in theUnited Kingdom and I will explain these social developmentalchanges in some detail.There has been a debate in the United Kingdom over the lasttwo decades that has taken two positions on the issue of faithspaces in statutory agencies, to ensure that users and staffcan have access to emotional and spiritual care at the place oftheir employment. Given the diversity of communities in theUnited Kingdom, the growth of Black and Minority Ethnic staffin core agencies like the National Health Service, GP surgeries,fire services and public transport authorities in the 1970’s, 80’sand 90’s, meant that a growing sense of religious identitywithin these communities, (and particularly within BritishMuslim communities), meant that core statutory services wereunder

Focus: Strategies to dignify the different faiths inpublic spaces

Iman Abou AttaOBE (Order of the British Empire)

Director of Faith Matters and TellMAMA UK

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under pressure to provide inclusive quietspaces where staff could pray. In the contextof practising British Muslims, this meant shortprayer times of between five to ten minutesapproximately three times during the workingday.Many of these institutions had Christian prayerspaces in place and increasing calls forinclusion of other faiths in these quiet prayerspaces meant that the thrust of thinking in the1990’s and in the first decade of the newmillennia was around creating separate prayerspaces that were mainly used by practisingMuslims. The premise was sound and was tocreate an inclusive working space for otherfaiths though with increasing negativenewspaper articles suggesting that Muslimswere ‘asking for special treatment’, the viewmainly taken over the last decade was to havea shared prayer space for all faiths. This latestposition was therefore partially influenced bysuch headlines, but also by thinking thatequality

equality meant access to shared spaces ratherthan creating separate spaces which couldcreate a view of hierarchical support within thework space.Institutions have developed work policies whichhave encouraged the use of the prayer spaceswith a reduced sense of permanent symbolismso that people looking to prayer can have aspace where they feel comfortable for a shortperiod of time. Some institutions haveminimised religious symbols and allowed forthem to be temporarily covered for a period asothers use the space.Allied to this, institutions such as hospitalshave employed multi-faith chaplains thatprovide pastoral care to different faiths andwho also signpost local prayer spaces for usefor families and patients.It has been this investment into chaplains fromvarious faiths that has been at the forefront ofensuring the dignity of people from differentcommunities who use core statutory servicessuch

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such as hospitals, schools and even within thearmed forces.The role of chaplains has been toprovide pastoral care and practical andspiritual support to staff and to beneficiariesof services. This intervention has ensured thatfamilies have emotional and religious supportat some of the most turbulent and criticalpoints of their lives and also ensures that theyfeel that their identities are respected withinstate institutions which are maintained bypublic taxpayers monies. This chaplaincy hasalso helped to reduce access to suchvulnerable families and people by groupsseeking to cause divides in society and this isone of the reasons why the Prison Servicewithin the United Kingdom is the largestemployer of Muslim chaplains in the country.The Prison Service understands that prisonersrequire support in prison and that they aresupported in their resilience against thoseseeking to inculcate them with divisiveideologies.

These are some of the core ways that differentfaith communities are supported withinmainstream statutory agencies in the U.K. Itserves the integration of communities into thecountry and helps to build safer and strongercommunities.

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In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among people and

groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their willingness to live

together. Policies for the inclusion and participationof all citizens are guarantees of social cohesion, the vitality of civil society and peace.Thus defined, cultural pluralism gives policy expression to the reality of cultural diversity. Indissociable from a

democratic framework, cultural pluralism is conduciveto cultural exchange and to the flourishing of creative

capacities that sustain public life

Article 2 - UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity

The current complexity that societies must face does notderive exclusively from an increase in ethnic, cultural andreligious diversity. Historical, political, economic, culturaland now also climatic changes have increased socialvulnerabilities and changed the map of social risks. Thesecritical issues call for welfare models that are asparticipatory as possible and that favour planning and formsof public investment aimed at promoting the development ofhuman and social capital. In today's models of welfare mixand welfare community, all private social training whichpursue economic and social solidarity aims are offundamental importance. Given the activities they promote,religious groups fall fully into this category.In some religions, the faithful consider solidarity a real duty(zakat for Muslims and tithing for Mormons), and this is ahighly mobilising objective. Religious revitalization refers, infact, also to the relocation of the experience of faith. This nolonger finds expression exclusively in moments of personaland collective prayer, but also through social activism onbehalf of the most vulnerable.Many countries can count on solid and structuredexperiences of solidarity promoted by major religions,historically

Strengthening welfare and socialcohesion: the contribution given byplaces of worship

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historically rooted in the territory. These,however, are no longer alone. Migration hasencouraged the birth of multiple religiousexperiences whose solidarity actions enrichthe overall picture of religious welfare. Theserealities can represent hubs around whichspecific ethnic and cultural communitiesgravitate, or they can be the point ofreference for those belonging to a faith evenif they come from different countries andcontinents.There are different ways to contribute toreligious welfare. Religious groups canchoose their own way and much depends ontheir human and material resources. Thereare, therefore, organisations capable ofinvolving a very high number of believers, ofcreating sophisticated services of education,care, hospitalization and assistance, or ofactivating onerous social projects on a widescale; just as there are cases involving asmaller number of believers and acting on amore

more local dimension, responding to needsrelated to a specific context.To the second case belong many religiousgroups born as a result of migration andprocesses of territorial rooting, which do notalways receive adequate visibility andappreciation. By listening to people, they areable to read and respond to their needs withstable solutions. By resorting to human andmaterial resources, they are able to offeressential welfare services (shelter, meals,clothing...) to those who are forced intoserious poverty, but at the same time theycan also to solve more complex problems,such as the repatriation of remains.Many of these groups also demonstrate thatthey are able to respond promptly tocontingent emergencies, for example, bycollecting financial donations or goods ofnecessity for communities affected by crises.Religious communities can also be a place foreducation and cultural promotion for childrenand

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and young people who can rediscover theirroots by participating in religious, linguisticand cultural education and training. They arethe place where young people and adults candevelop a civic awareness and attitude,committing themselves to organise andparticipate in events, discussions,assemblies and debates on issues ofcommon interest. Last but not least,communities are places of socialisation,where the faithful can find familiar elementsthat help alleviate melancholy and cultureshock.It is clear, therefore, that the various religiouscommunities and minority groups show acertain enthusiasm and interest in combiningservices offered by public welfare with self-organised solidarity activities. Such initiativemust not be discouraged, lost and left to itsown devices. It is necessary that these formsof solidarity be met by a territorial, social andpolitical context ready to recognise, welcome

value and implement them for the benefit ofthe community, also through strategicpolitical actions aimed at preventing anypossible risks of ghettoization and socialexclusion. What must be sought is an alliancebetween local authorities and welfarepromoted by the private social sector (in thiscase promoted by religious groups) that is inline with local governance strategies and ableto improve the initiatives without wastingresources. While religious organisations wishto fully embrace the tasks they feel investedwith, public administrations work to developand support programmes of integration andempowerment, in order to combat all forms oflinguistic, cultural, social and economicclosure and marginalisation.Religious pluralism can become a valuable allyin the field of cohesion policies. Bearing agreat responsibility, they can take on the roleof important social intermediaries,facilitating communication processes withthe

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the different actors of the area in which theyare located. On the one hand, they voice therequests of the community, which are loadedwith value, meaning and intent, making it feellike a possible interlocutor; on the otherhand, they can be the bridge between publicauthorities and parts of the population thatare difficult to reach.In turn, local authorities play the role ofmediators. Their regulatory function, which isthat of coordination, rallies, catalyses andconnects the different souls of religious andcultural pluralism, promoting processes ofcommunity planning that are participatoryand open to all.Religious communities can also be a resourcefor public welfare services. Valuable skillsthat can support the work of differentprofessionals can be identified between thecommunities and their representatives. Theareas that deserve special attention are thelocal healthcare and education systems.

The relationship between religion, health,illness and care is a close one and can alsosupport health care facilities. Ethnic andcultural elements can be added to thereligious element. It is very important thatdoctors, nurses and all healthcare workers beable to benefit from training opportunitiesthat give them the tools to decode thebehaviour and needs expressed by patientswith specific religious or culturalbackgrounds. Awareness-raising campaignson the prevention of certain diseases andhealth risk behaviours and on the promotionof good parenting are particularly significantfor the general public. These campaigns areaimed at promoting awareness of the right tohealth, so it is essential that they areunderstood by everyone.The members of religious communities cangive important contributions to trainingactivities, they can also play the role oflinguistic and cultural mediators and assist inthe

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the production of information materialtranslated into different languages; they canalso contribute to the distribution of suchmaterial within their own communities, thussupporting local authorities in the importantwork of psycho-physical health prevention.Being aware that religious ethics and medicalethics can sometimes disagree is important.They may disagree significantly on what isgood or bad, right or wrong, which can lead tocritical situations. Mental health, sexuality,birth control and abortion, blood transfusionsand organ transplants are just some of themost debated issues. In everyday medicalpractice, it is possible to imagine how thedifferent spiritual figures could contribute tothe management of possible disagreementsregarding treatments and alleviate thepatient's sense of bewilderment.Special attention should be paid to schoolsthat, together with families, are the mainagencies of education. Schools are a publicspace

space where religious diversity can be foundeverywhere: in classrooms, canteens, schoolcorridors and courtyards. Schools areassigned the task of educating futuregenerations; they play a fundamental role inpromoting global citizenship education.Without challenging fundamental rights, it ispossible to respond to the different needsthat arise within a plural context like school,such as providing alternative diets incanteens, or negotiating specific aspectsregarding sports activities during physicaleducation.Moreover, religious plurality can become anobject of study. It can be approached in atransversal way by analysing historical,cultural and geographical aspects.

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7

7 Global Citizenship Education is mentioned in target 7 ofGoal 4 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda

It can be an opportunity for celebrations in aschool environment where the differentreligious calendars find the same recognition,or it can become something to be discoveredduring educational visits.It is clear that these choices are the result ofa sensitivity but also of a management abilityto be learned. Once again, important stimulican come from the different religiouscommunities, which can organisecomplementary activities in support ofconferences, cultural initiatives andrefresher courses for teachers, collaborators,school operators and the wider public.Such solicitations also come from theCongress of Local and Regional Authorities ofthe Council of Europe which suggesteducational strategies and significant toolsto promote knowledge and prevent any risk ofradicalisation at the local level.Religious communities can be a preciousresource for the territory and for the

community at large. They can support boththe implementation of actions and thediffusion of highly formative moments ofconfrontation. It is important that localauthorities promote and support thisconcept.

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8

8 Organising intercultural and interreligious activities: atoolkit for local authorities_Resolution 397(2016)

The Municipality of Ekurhuleni inSouth Africa, to ensure food securityto the vulnerable groups during thelockdown caused by he Covid-19pandemic, has created a partnershipwith the Covid-19 Food Bank andFaith-Based Organizations (FBO) tosupply these with food parcels for theirdistribution, avoiding queues andgatherings in front of the places ofworship.For about 3 months, 1000 foodparcels were daily distributed

For more information: https://www.ekurhuleni.gov.za/

Recommendations

01 Make agreements with places ofworship that recognise the fullautonomy and neutrality of thelocal authority, for therecognition of welfare, fragilitysupport, education, culture andsport activities promoted byplaces of worship in a formal orinformal way

02 Encourage the representativesof places of worship toparticipate in institutional roundtables promoted by localservices or authorities

03 Create a synergy between theeducational and school supportproposals promoted in places ofworship and the territorialeducational services

04 Promote initiatives ontransversal issues (e.g. the rightto health for all, guidance andsupport for work integration,computer and language literacy,support in obtaining a drivinglicence) in places of worship,also in partnership with localinstitutions or associations

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05 Provide information on thevarious welfare activities of theplaces of worship withininstitutional channels (websites,paper and online media, socialmedia), facilitating contacts andsupporting the creation ofactivity calendars

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The Interfaith Education Centre in Bradford hasdeveloped a religious literacy programme, widelyaccepted both by local teachers and teachersfrom other European countries, through whichpupils in different education cycles are taught tomeet diversity, to understand the importance ofreligious and non-religious worldviews and toexpress their personal beliefs, ideas, values andexperiences in a clear and coherent way, whilerespecting everyone’s rights. Bradford, a citywith a wide variety of faiths and cultures, desires

Bradford - England

to affirm that religions have equal rights to the maintenance of their distinct identities;moreover, their rich diversity, as well as their spirituality and attachment to common values,should be seen as a positive contribution to the life of the whole community. The generalaims of the educational programme are to help young people to deepen their knowledge oftheir own and other people's religious and spiritual dimension and to develop a positiveattitude towards other people, acknowledging what they have in common, respecting theirright to have different ideas and appreciating the richness of life in a society characterizedby religious pluralism.

Best practice

Per saperne di più https://bso.bradford.gov.uk/Schools/Home.aspx

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Childhood is a time when curiosity, research and listening arefundamental attitudes. They characterise the culture typical ofchildhood that we should always keep alive. If school is theplace where cultures and religions come into contact themost, it is not only because there, more than elsewhere,different peoples meet, but because at school differentpeoples meet during their childhood and youth. It is oftenchildren and young people who open adults' eyes to diversity'sbeauty. Children and young people are attracted by it, they areamazed by it and their wonder guides them towards diversity.Societies should therefore learn from children and trust whatwe like to call the pedagogy of listening. Listening is the firststep for a coexistence between religions, as well as betweencultures; only then can dialogue and relationships happen.Listening intended as openness towards the Other, waiting forthe Other, in their uniqueness, as an attribution of value to theOther because we think they may have something important tosay. It is a matter of reciprocity, which leads to the creation ofa relationship and, finally, of a community.Overwhelmed by epochal events such as migration,pandemics, climate change, climatic disasters, economiccrises and, last but not least, wars, our societies find inreligious

Focus: We learn from childhood

Carla RinaldiPresident of the Reggio ChildrenFoundation

2015 LEGO Award

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religious communities a place of ethicalprotection and cohesion, a place forinterpretations and the construction ofmeaning.When thinking about the Common Good,religions and their activities occupy aprominent place in the Social Capital in ourcities. They are widespread units that canwork for peace and harmony. This is why it iseven more important to listen and dialogue notonly between religions, but also betweenreligions and cities, to build networks, bridgesand communities.Religious places can act as real socialinfrastructures. They are able to interact withcivil society, neighbourhoods and localadministrations, to open doors and to offerand exchange activities in support of thepopulation.“No one is saved alone” was the title of arecent religious meeting held in Rome withPope Francis, which brought the differentperspectives

perspectives of salvation back to a commondestiny. “No one is saved alone. People saveeach other, through the mediation of theworld”, is a saying by Paulo Freire, much lovedand known.It is only through care and reciprocity, soinherent in education, that a community canbecome ever richer in its Social Capital. Thisway, it can become an open society thatdialogues with its different cultural, social,political and even religious expressions.

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By 2030, empower and promote the social,economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective

of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin,religion or economic or other status

SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Target 10.2:Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

The fact that perception and reality do not always coincide issomething that various disciplines and even common senseteach us. From social psychology to statistics, fromsociology to history, there are many ways in which one canexamine a discrepancy that, in democratic systems,increases consensus.Therefore, it is not unusual that the multifaceted religiouslandscape of today's Europe generates distorted perceptionsof a reality looked through blue glasses that mix culture andacculturation, faiths and customs, minority logics andmajority self-perceptions. This is affected both by a growingreligious illiteracy, which denotes a scarce knowledge ofoneself and of the other, resulting in religious traditionsbeing claimed by those who profane their substance,arbitrarily attributing racist or terrorist impulses; and bycaricatures of the other that turn symbols and their harmlessreference to those freely assumed higher duties that are themarker of “religions” a trigger for war, even before rights orpowers.Although easy to describe, the problem that arises is seriousand it is connected with what we might call a politicaladdiction to inequalities: just as in Italy for decades thesouthern

Conclusion: Consortes

Alberto MelloniProfessor of History ofChristianity at the University ofModena-Reggio Emilia

UNESCO Chair for ReligiousPluralism and Peace Universityof Bologna

Secretary of the Giovanni XXIIIFoundation for ReligiousSciences (FSCIRE)

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southern question was considered as thesubject of rhetoric to obtain easy votes, onlyto realize that criminal realities had madethese lands the platform of a much moreEuropean financial criminal system, muchmore active on international markets thanmany legal business realities, in othercountries it was thought that theconfinement of entire generations ofunderclassmen of the banlieue could have norepercussion in the fight between spiritualpreaching and terrorist recruitment thattakes place within the Muslim communities ofEurope. Not because Islamist extremism - theone that really profanes the figure of theProphet, caricaturing him as a vulgarpreacher of hatred - only takes root in thereand has no capacity to reach moresophisticated or camouflaged environmentswithin the urban fabric, as it had been with AlQaeda’s cells before 11 September, butbecause in such frustration a mass of peoplewith

with characteristics far from its core isformed. And they affect the places of civilizedliving and the cities.Giorgio La Pira - seer saint, constituent jurist,mayor - in the middle of the Cold War, whenthe nuclear threat was no longer great, butmore perceived, announced that one of hisvisions of peace started from the cities:places, or rather consortia (in theetymological sense: sharing the same fate)that aspire to reject war and reach anunderstanding.Today, in a changed religious landscape,cities are once again at the centre of twodimensions.The first one is that of the Napoleonic“compulsory communities”: those institutions- the registry office, the hospital, burial andimprisonment, school and justice - that theFrench emperor secularised, removing themfrom the control of the church and generatinga non-religious rituality and legality(secularism

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(secularism, France would say starting from1905) that without major changes invented adifferent "public space" where civil religionslived, both democratic and totalitarian. Inthose compulsory communities an increasedreligious diversity generates complex needsand requests: just think, for example, ofdietary needs which, in their profoundly andstructurally ascetic nature (all religionscommand not to eat this or that product), areoften the catalyst for barbaric resentments,as if avoiding one food meant giving anotherthe right to ignore it as an affirmation of theself.The other is that of "open-membership"communities, which are established in placesof prayer: namely where the belonging to atradition and to the dynamism that shaped itinto the form of a religious practice - with alldue respect for all fundamentalisms and allreturns to the "primitive" state of a faith - ismanifested in the clearest way. It is apractice

practice embedded in ever-changingcultures, languages, aesthetics, dogmas,morals. The old anti-religious rhetoric thinksthat this depends on the fact that, being aman's invention or a projection of his needs,religions are empty rhetoric that imprecise"hierarchies" propagandize as immutable. Thebelieving conscience instead knows thatloyalty to a revelation or to a dharma requiresan incessant hermeneutic and ascetic work,which does not change what is given butmakes it more comprehensible, more lived-in.Breaking down the political, juridical,administrative background of thesedimensions shows how cities - interpretedaccording to La Pira's notion - remain theplace where, in the dialogue betweencompulsory and open communities, peacecan nurture; while in those cities of Europemost exposed to the continuousmetamorphosis of violence and hatred canemerge

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emerge forms of antisemitism, Islamophobia,racism or ethno-nationalism.Looking at these problems from Europe,however, another trait that should not beunderestimated emerges; two recent crimesperpetrated in France have providedevidence of this. The first one was committedin the cathedral of Nice where a Tunisian manstabbed defenceless believers; the last of aseries of crimes perpetrated in places ofworship which caused rivers of blood to flowin synagogues, churches and mosques. It is atype of crime which adds to the contempt forhuman life proper to all terrorist acts and tothe contempt for God proper to all terroristswho claim to be religious, something more;the Nice crime gave the investigators theimpression of being the product of acraftsman of death and not of a criminalorganisation of some kind.The second one was the murder of Prof.Samuel Paty in Conflans committed by aChechen

Chechen man, convinced that he had topunish the teacher who, in order to explainthe democratic values of freedom ofexpression, began a discussion with hisstudents about the cartoon caricatures thatfor years have vulgarly targeted religious andpolitical faiths. A crime similar to thatcommitted in Italy by left-wing terrorists whomurdered professors guilty of having abackground of political or labour lawknowledge. This crime, too, seems to havebeen an individual gesture without terroristnetworks behind it.In one case and another - some have spokenof community terrorism - there is evidencethat the capacity for hatred and resentmentcan develop beyond the usual channels ofstructured preaching, organised militancy,methodical indoctrination and disciplinedmobilisation. A society where respect forthose who are different (due to religion orgender) is not "naturally" rooted in one'sdeepest

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deepest ethical and religious values, is asociety where the logic of murderouscraftsmanship can get out of hand and getout of hand.If this is true or not entirely inaccurate, thenlocal policies are no less important thangeneral policies related to security or theimplementation of religious freedom: andknowledge policies - building knowledge,disseminating knowledge, reviewingknowledge - are no less important and lessdemanding for the ethical standing of thosewith political responsibilities. They do notserve as a means to placing oneself in one ofthe many rankings of urban quality and to becomplimented among friends; they serve tomake the city a consortium of equality anddiversity.

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Questionnaires results

1) Does the municipal administration have political orprogramme documents to foster interreligious dialogueand the participation of places of worship in communitylife?

3) Are minority religions’ places of worshipsmapped?

40% NO

60% YES

2) Within the municipality, is there a representative(a political actor, a public official, an externalcollaborator etc.) and/or an organizationalstructure that manages interreligious dialoguepolicies?

58% 42%

Statute

RulesNo

Documents

Politicaldocuments

Board or Councilresolutions

Pacts or agreementswith singles places ofworship

20%

68%8%

4%

8%12%

5) Which criteria, indicated below, are used to issuethe building permit for the construction of a placeof worship?

It is granted only to religions whoserelations with the State is regulated byan agreement

It is granted to allreligions

It is not granted Other

8% 8% 28%

56%

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4) In the city planning and management documents(urban planning), do places of worship have aspecific denomination and classification related totheir use (e.g. privately owned public space, city-owned facilities loaned free of charge to thereligious communities, etc.)?

60% 40%

7) In public structures (schools, medical centers,detention structures, old age home, etc.) have youdetected specific requests from staff and/or usersrelated to the observance of religious precepts?

8) Does your municipality have burial sites dedicated todifferent religions?

6) Do different places of worship have any agreement onthe use of the national language?

9) In the event of initiatives organized by the places ofworship and open to all the citizens, which of the followingrequests have you received as municipality?

12% YES

44% NO 56% YES

88% NO

10) Does any public official authority participate onbehalf of the municipality in initiatives promoted byplaces of worship?

64% NO 36% YES

Specific foodrequests

Permits for holidays and/orreligious celebrations

No request

Spiritual practices

68%

48%20%

32%

No request Humanresources

Use of themunicipalitylogoOther

44%Economicfinancing

64%Space concession

36%

44%Promotion of theinitiatives

Equipment

32%32%28%4%

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12) During the Covid–19 health emergency and/or in thepast, did you receive any support from places of worshipand/or religious associations?

Other8%36%

60%32%

20%

No support

Volunteering

Donations of materials

Funddonations

11) Are the places of worship engaged by themunicipal administration in order to increasethe participation of their members in urbanlife?

Invitations to celebrations promotedby the Municipal Administration

Distribution of posters and culturalprograms in the city

Distribution of translated materialsabout the services of the municipality

Presentation of policies andservices with

linguistic mediation

Other

None of the abovealternatives

44% 44% 32%

24%

64%12%

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13) Which sectors/departments of the MunicipalAdministration collaborate with places of worship inthe implementation of local policies?

56%

44%

32%

Welfare and social policies Interculturaldialogue

Culture

Other

Mobility andEnvironment

Education Internationalrelations

80%

20%12%8%

14) Are you aware of forms of spontaneous welfare activated by the places of worship in the area?

Donation ofclothes

Collaboration with localsolidarity projects Food bank/Soup

kitchen

AccommodationCollaboration in

internationalcooperation projects

Repatriation ofcorpses

Help desk/Usersupport

Trainingcourses forprofessionalplacementFundraising during

climateemergencies

Other

No activity

Car sharing

4%

20%

80%76% 72%

8%

20%8%24%24%32%32%

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15) Are you aware of counselling service offered by places of worship and/or religious associations informing andassisting individuals about the local welfare system?

8%16%

32%40%

20%36%

16%60%

OtherNo activity

Participation in assemblies of public interest

Linguistic and cultural mediation service

Support on legal practices

Support on health practices

Career counselling

Help desk/User support

16) Are you aware of social and educational activities for families, young people and children promoted by places ofworship and/or religious associations?

17) Is there any organization supported by the municipal administration (for example intercultural centers, etc.) thatact as mediators between places of worship/religious associations and the local administration in order to furthersocial cohesion?

Celebration of feastdays

92%84%

52%

Organization of sportactivities

40%

No activity

Religiouseducation

4%80%

Cultural andrecreationalactivities

Organization ofsummer camps

68%Languagecourses

72%After-schoolactivities

4%

Other

32% 68%

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Council of Europe-European Convention on Human Rightshttps://www.echr.coe.int/documents/convention_eng.pdf

Council of Europe-European Court of Human Rights-Guide on Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights https://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Guide_Art_9_ENG.pdf

“Organising intercultural and interreligious activities: a toolkit for local authorities”https://rm.coe.int/168071ad9f

“12 PRINCIPLES FOR INTERFAITH DIALOGUE AT LOCAL LEVEL”https://rm.coe.int/168071b354

White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue “Living Together As Equals in Dignity”https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/source/white%20paper_final_revised_en.pdf

United Nations- Universal Declaration of human Rightshttps://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/

UNESCO- Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversityhttp://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CLT/pdf/5_Cultural_Diversity_EN.pdf

Documents consulted: July 2020

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Reference texts