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The Right to and Need for Interfaith

Education

Maria Lucia Uribe Torres

Geneva, Switzerland

February 2008

Specialization in Economic,

Social and Cultural Rights

Summer University of Human

Rights

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Table of Contents The Right to and Need for Interfaith Education ............................................................................... 3

Cultural Rights ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Quality Education ................................................................................................................................. 8

Intercultural Education ......................................................................................................................... 9

International Standard-Setting Instruments.................................................................................... 11

Interreligious Education as a part of Intercultural Education ....................................................... 12

Importance of Religion Today .......................................................................................................... 14

Migration and Religion ....................................................................................................................... 17

Religious, Interreligious and Interfaith Education .......................................................................... 18

Learning religion: ............................................................................................................................ 19

Learning about religion: ................................................................................................................. 19

Learning from religions: ................................................................................................................. 20

Interfaith Education in different settings.......................................................................................... 20

Formal settings ............................................................................................................................... 20

Non-formal settings ........................................................................................................................ 21

Informal settings ............................................................................................................................. 21

Pedagogies for Interfaith Education ................................................................................................ 22

Challenges for the Implementation of Interfaith Education Programmes in Schools .............. 25

- Secular societies. ................................................................................................................... 25

- Homogeneous religiously societies. .................................................................................... 25

- Private religious schools. ...................................................................................................... 26

- Development of Interfaith Education Programmes. .......................................................... 27

- Legislation. .............................................................................................................................. 27

- Pedagogical Approaches and Teachers Training. ............................................................ 27

Recommendations for Governments and Schools ....................................................................... 28

- Legislation and the role of governments. ............................................................................ 28

- Preparation of Interfaith Education Programmes for schools. ......................................... 29

- Training of teachers. .............................................................................................................. 29

CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................. 30

BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 31

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The Right to and Need for Interfaith Education The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that education shall be directed to the full development of the personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. Education should promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial and religious groups. This becomes the fundamental principle to ensure quality education that can help developing children’s ability to live peacefully together with others and embrace diversity. In a world that is increasingly multicultural and multi-faith, children need to be given the space and opportunities to learn about other cultures and beliefs, to engage in dialogue with people who are different to them, and develop skills to transform conflicts that can arise from the challenges that diversity poses. Education can no longer be reduced to develop only cognitive skills but needs to encompass the development of emotional abilities and ethical values, so as to equip children to strengthen a sense of responsibility, solidarity and empathy with people of other cultural and religious backgrounds. The type of education needed today has to be sensitive to the demands of multicultural societies, thus providing equal opportunities for children to express their beliefs and develop their own identity, aware of others’ identities. This paper emphasises the need for interfaith education as a way to promote and protect Cultural Rights. Religion today has new labels due to the uprising of religious fundamentalism that sometimes has led to terrorism and due to the new forms it has taken in many societies. The revival of spiritual beliefs outside the spheres of institutionalised religions, the influence of other faiths in countries where religious diversity did not exist and the process of secularisation, are forces that demand interfaith education programmes for children to learn to live in plural societies. However, interfaith education requires that governments make sure schools are arenas where the right to freedom of religion and beliefs is respected and promoted, and where there are equal opportunities for children who belong to religious minorities. As long as schools continue to provide religious education programmes that are distant to the religious plurality of the world, children will be ill-equipped to deal with diversity. New religious conflicts and wars fuelled by religious fundamentalism can take new forms and meanings in the future. Schools should be spaces for interreligious dialogue and to counteract racism, xenophobia and all kinds of discrimination and lack of understanding. Some of the recommendations given in this paper for the implementation of quality interfaith education programmes include: 1. changes in national legislations to enable revisions of religious education curricula and suggestions in the approach to confessional teaching, 2. the integration of religious communities in the development of interreligious programmes in schools, and 3. intensified and continuous training for teachers. These recommendations can create a good platform for the promotion and implementation of quality interfaith learning.

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Cultural Rights The world today is subject to rapid political, economic, social and technological changes that result in the development of diverse societies and in the continuous interaction with new information, ideas and beliefs. Diversity challenges the relations between people and their participation in the cultural life of a society. The expression of their identities requires respect for the traditional cultural practices of that society and vice versa. Majority and minority groups of a society should enjoy and share the same rights and responsibilities without any type of discrimination or given privileges. Cultural rights are therefore a response to protect the rights of those diverse groups that can be discriminated and excluded. Cultural rights can be defined as those human rights that are focused on the freedom of people and especially of ethnic minorities, indigenous and religious groups, among others, to preserve and conduct their own cultural practices, to participate in the cultural life of their choice and to express themselves in the language they want, as it is considered in the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity1. Cultural rights cannot be invoked to justify violations of other human rights. On the contrary, they should be seen in tandem with other human rights and be subjected to fundamental freedoms. The protection of cultural rights is covered in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), in the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights both adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1966. Other instruments have also been developed to advance and safeguard cultural rights, such as the UNESCO Declaration on Race and Racial Prejudice (1978), International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (1990) and the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001) among others. However, despite the efforts to create an international framework for their protection and promotion, it is one of the least developed and understood of the rights that have been guaranteed under international law. It is important to say that cultural rights are not a category of human rights, they are human rights per se, and their promotion and protection should be guaranteed under the principles of universality, indivisibility and interdependency that cover all human rights.

1 Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity. UNESCO 2002. http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-

URL_ID=13179&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

“Cultural rights can be defined

as those human rights that are

focused on the freedom of

people and especially of ethnic

minorities, indigenous and

religious groups, among

others, to preserve and

conduct their own cultural

practices, to participate in the

cultural life of their choice and

to express themselves in the

language they want.”

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The following human rights have been considered under international law as cultural rights2:

1. The right to education (art. 13 ICESC);

2. The right to participate in cultural life (art. 27 UDHR and art. 15 ICESC);

3. The right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications (art. 27 UDHR and art. 15 ICESC);

4. The right to benefit from the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which the person is the author, and (art. 27 UDHR and art. 15 ICESC);

5. The freedom for scientific research and creative activity (art. 15 ICESC).

The project concerning a Declaration of Cultural Rights elaborates and includes additional elements and rights3 to the ones mentioned before, which clearly show the challenges they pose to societies:

• The right not to be discriminated on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status (art 26 ICCPR);

• The right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through media and regardless of frontiers (art. 19 UDHR and art 18 ICCPR);

• The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (art 18 UDHR and 18 ICCPR);

• In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or to use their own language (art. 27 ICCPR);

• The right of parents to choose the kind of education for their children (art 26 § 3 UDHR).

Cultural rights become especially important and challenging today due to the increasing pluralism and cultural diversity in societies. Migrations, the use of the Internet, new technologies and globalization create the need and the challenge to educate individuals and especially children to understand and accept other people’s cultures, religions and viewpoints. This becomes a si ne qua non to be able to live peacefully together in a diverse society, safeguard human dignity and foster democratic societies.

2 UNESCO. Putting Cultural Diversity into Practice: Some Innovative Tools. Definitions 3 Fribourg Group in Cooperation with UNESCO, The Council of Europe, and The Swiss National Commission, ‘Project Concerning a Declaration of Cultural Rights’, 11th version, presented at the General Conference of UNESCO, 4 September 1996.: http://www.americas-society.org/as/events/pdf.d/UNESCO%20Fribourg.pdf

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The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted by the General Conference of the UNESCO at its 31st session on 2 November 2001, supports the right to an education that embraces pluralism, diversity and mutual understanding, thus fostering respect for cultural rights. The following pages will focus on the right to an education that contributes to the full development of people’s cultural identity and especially on the right and need for interreligious education programmes in different settings of society, especially in schools.

The Right to Education

Education can be defined as “the instrument both of the all-round development of the human person and of that person’s participation in social life”4. Education takes place in different settings not only in schools but in families, through media and in the interaction with friends and people around. It is a life-long process whereby individuals develop skills, attitudes and knowledge that enable them to interact with others and take part in social and economic activities.

Education is a vehicle for empowerment of those who are marginalized and exploited and can help improving the economic development of a nation. Achieving education is not only a human right but a means for protecting other human rights. In this sense education can become a powerful tool to foster cultural rights, to ensure respect for cultural, religious and linguistic minorities and acceptance of different opinions and expressions. The right to education has been recognized in several international treaties and declarations: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Art.26), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Art. 29), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Art. 18), and on the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (Art. 13 and 14). The latter is the

most comprehensive recognition of the right not only to education but of an education that is characterized by its availability, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability to all people. It is also relevant to mention that the Convention on the Rights of the Child provides important elements to describe the objectives of education and highlights the right of the child to receive relevant education. The education of the child shall be directed to:

4 UNESCO (1992) : International Conference on Education, 43rd Session, The Contribution of Education to Cultural Development, p.4,

“Education is a life-

long process

whereby individuals

develop skills,

attitudes and

knowledge that

enable them to

interact with others

and take part in

social and

economic activities”

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a) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential;

b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations;

c) The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own;

d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin;

e) The development of respect for the natural environment. The right to education can be understood from two different perspectives. The first perspective presents education as a social right, which needs to be offered and covered by the State. The second one presents it as a right to freedom for parents to choose the type of education they want their children to have and the freedom to open schools and be autonomous in their administration5. In order to ensure that parents have the possibility to choose and that they are encouraged to do it, there is a need, on one hand, to promote educational programmes that encompass the economic needs of families and societies and the development of skills that are useful for the full development of the child. On the other hand, there is also a need to provide schools that embrace and respect different cultures and religions, where parents can feel comfortable and assured that their culture and beliefs will not be by any way undermined. If the educational systems only provide an education that meets the needs of the majority of people and consequently exclude minorities, in whatever ways: language, religion, cultural practices and possibility to express and fully develop in society, there is a failure to encompass an education that promotes social cohesion and a culture of peace, especially needed in the current plural and every time-changing societies. Diversity needs to be understood as an enriching component of societies and not as a threatening element of globalization. Education should serve as a vehicle to foster cultural diversity and to promote the survival of cultures. “The right to education doesn’t exist if there is not an authentic pluralism in schools”6.

5 Alfred Fernández y Jean-Daniel Nordmann. El estado de las libertades educativas en el mundo. OIDEL / Santillana. Madrid (2002). 268 págs. 6 Ibid

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Quality Education For education to become a driver for sustainable development is important to focus not only on providing access to schools, proper infrastructure or availability of teachers but on providing education that contributes to the full development of the child. The right to education is truly promoted through guaranteeing that schools are arenas for acquiring knowledge that is relevant for children, for developing skills that can contribute to their participation in economic and social life, for nurturing values that are shared by their own cultural and religious beliefs and for developing attitudes that are respectful and open towards people of other cultures. According to UNESCO, education of high quality refers to the development of tools for life that enable learners feel confident and motivated to use the skills they have acquired. It also refers to the development of behaviours based on positive values – understanding and respect for people of all kinds, for their rights, for the natural world, for the past and the future. The following guidelines for quality education have been defined by UNESCO7 as a prerequisite to achieve sustainable development. Quality education: - Supports a rights-based approach to all educational endeavours. Education is a human right, and therefore quality education supports all of the human rights; - is based on the four pillars of Education for All – learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and with others, and learning to be (Delors, et al., 1996); - views the learner as an individual, a family member, community member, and a global citizen and educates to create individual competency in all four roles; - upholds and conveys the ideals of a sustainable world – a world that is just, equitable, and peaceable, in which individuals care for the environment to contribute to intergenerational equity; - takes into consideration the social, economic, and environmental contexts of a particular place and shapes the curriculum or programme to reflect these unique conditions. Quality education is locally relevant and culturally appropriate; - is informed by the past (e.g. indigenous and traditional knowledge), is relevant to the present, and prepares individuals for the future; - builds knowledge, life skills, perspectives, attitudes and values; - provides the tools to transform current societies to more sustainable societies; - is measurable.

7 UNESCO. http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=27542&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

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Teachers play a crucial role in the development of quality education. The guidelines above show the need to provide educational systems that go beyond teacher-centred approaches, where the child is simply an object that needs to be told and taught and who is submitted to receive information and store the knowledge “given” by the teachers. Quality education, in contrast, sees the child as a subject, who receives and creates knowledge from different sources and is able to critically analyse it and use it for the betterment of society. The relation teacher-student is changed from a vertical position to a horizontal one, challenging the educational systems in many countries. Therefore, education needs to be equitable, inclusive and relevant to local circumstances. It should provide spaces for children to rethink social structures, to interact with diversity and to develop practical skills, in order to achieve a high quality level.

Intercultural Education According to the UNESCO, Intercultural Education is a response to the challenge to provide quality education for all. It is framed within a Human Rights perspective as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948): Education shall be directed to the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial and religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace8. The Declaration of the 44th session of the International Conference on Education develops the role of intercultural education with regard to education for peace, human rights and democracy. It states that an education for international understanding is based on “learning about the diversity and wealth of cultural identities”9, open-mindedness to other cultures and respect for human differences10. Intercultural education enhances mutual respect and understanding among people of different cultures and promotes dialogue to achieve social cohesion. In the final report of the International Conference on Education in 1992, the aims and objectives of intercultural education were highlighted and discussed. These are:

- the reduction of all forms of exclusion - the furthering of integration and school achievement - the promotion of respect for cultural diversity

8 UNESCO. Guidelines on Intercultural Education. 2006. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001478/147878e.pdf 9 Declaration of the 44th Session of the International Conference on Education, 1994, endorsed by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 28th Session, 1995, No. 2.2 10 ibid, No. 2.4

Intercultural Education is a

response to the challenge to

provide quality education for all. It is

framed within a Human Rights

perspective as it is expressed in the

Universal Declaration of Human

Rights.

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- the promotion of understanding of the cultures of others; and - the promotion of international understanding11

The overarching objective of intercultural education is to learn to live together as individuals but also as representatives of different cultural groups. Intercultural education encompasses the need for developing skills to deal with conflicts and dilemmas that are unavoidable in multicultural societies. It should also help finding interconnectedness among people and shared values that promote a harmonious coexistence. Intercultural education promotes respect for diversity, which is not only confined to cultural background but also to other aspects of identity such as gender, talents, interests, skills, knowledge, beliefs, etc. This is particularly important in defining intercultural education programmes that take into account the full identity of the child and develop appropriate methods for coping with cultural diversity. According to the UNESCO Guidelines for Intercultural Education there are three Principles that may guide international action in the field of intercultural education. These principles are: Principle I. Intercultural education respects the cultural identity of the learner through the provision of culturally appropriate and responsive quality education for all. This Principle attends the need to provide children with knowledge about their own cultural heritage and to offer education, where possible, in their mother tongue. It also emphasises on the need to use teaching methods that are participatory and experiential with the objective of challenging cultural prejudices and stereotypes. Methods and content require adaptation to the needs of minority groups. Principle II. Intercultural Education provides every learner with the cultural knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to achieve active and full participation in society. Children from all cultural groups of the population should have access to all forms of education. This Principle recommends the provision of equal opportunities for all, including the adoption of measures to facilitate the integration of minority groups in the school system. It also underlines the importance of creating safe environments for interaction, free of discrimination and conducive to learn in diversity. Principle III. Intercultural Education provides all learners with cultural knowledge, attitudes and skills that enable them to contribute to respect, understanding and solidarity among individuals, ethnic, social, cultural and religious groups and nations. This Principle stresses the need to creating awareness of interdependence between people from different cultures and nations. It underscores methodological approaches that help children to discover the richness of diversity and to acknowledge different ways of thinking, believing and acting. Teachers need to be

11 UNESCO. Final Report : International Conference on Education, 43rd Session, No.7, 1992

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equipped to deal with diversity and develop communication skills that allow them to be more open minded and embracing toward minority groups.

International Standard-Setting Instruments Intercultural education is endorsed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that stipulates that education “shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms”, and that it “shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.”12 This principle is the foundation of other instruments, conventions and treaties that have further elaborated on the need of intercultural educational systems, materials and programmes to counteract stereotypes, discrimination, xenophobia and all types of racism. Some of the international instruments that use the Principle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights regarding education (although using a different wording) are: The International convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). The involvement of UNESCO in promoting intercultural education is longstanding and has been instrumental in mobilising organisations, governments and civil society in developing educational programmes for intercultural understanding. In 1974, UNESCO adopted at its General Conference in Paris, a set of Recommendations Concerning Education for International Understanding, Cooperation and Peace and Education relating to Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The objectives of these Recommendations were threefold: 1) Promoting values that enclose respect and understanding among people from different cultures and civilizations. 2) Developing in children communication skills to be able to get into respectful dialogues with others, and 3) Promoting principles and educational policies that enforce social inclusion at all levels and in all forms. Another international instrument that has proved influential in protecting the rights of minorities is the UN Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities (1992). The Declaration urges States to take measures in the field of education in order to encourage knowledge of the history, traditions, language and culture of the minorities existing within their territory. This is especially important in countries affected by migration processes, where immigrants have brought different religious beliefs and cultural practices and have, sometimes, been discriminated and excluded from the social and political life. The lack of knowledge of others’ cultures and beliefs and of interaction among different cultural groups can create racism and xenophobic attitudes in the population.

12 Art. 26.2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1946)

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The efforts made by the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief in preparing guidelines for strengthening a non-discriminatory perspective in education have also been effective in advancing intercultural education. The Dakar Framework for Action 2000-201513 has served UNESCO to promote understanding not only among cultures but specifically among religions, by recommending the development of partnerships with religious groups in the education process. UNESCO has also developed the Interreligious Dialogue Programme to promote mutual understanding between people of different religions and beliefs. The Programme develops and publishes pedagogical material to be used for educational purposes. In March 2006 an initiative called UNESCO Chairs of Inter-religious Dialogue for Intercultural Understanding was launched, bringing together major universities and academic centres specialized in the topic. It is important to underline the relevant role that the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, developed in 2001, has played in reinforcing the idea that culture should be considered as a common heritage for humanity and that it is inseparable from respect of human dignity. The UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005) builds on the above Declaration and emphasises that cultural diversity can only be safeguarded and promoted if human rights and fundamental freedoms are guaranteed.

Interreligious Education as a part of Intercultural Education Religious education can be considered to be a part of intercultural education due to the influence of religious beliefs in the cultural patterns and behaviours of people. The definition of culture can help in understanding the relation between culture and religion. Culture can be defined as the “set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of a society or social group... encompassing in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs”.14 In this sense, religions and spiritual beliefs are part of a culture and help shaping individual’s identity, ways of thinking and acting in society. Religion has become a critical issue during the last few years due the uprising of religious fundamentalism that has led sometimes to terrorism and to social and political conflicts. Religious differences are frequently used as a pretext to create division and separatism. At the same time, religions have also experienced a new revival due to the development of many new religious or spiritual groups that have sprung up in diverse forms. This, on one hand, attracts people who are in search of meaning and self-soul understanding, not necessarily within an institutionalised way

13 The Dakar Framework for Action, Education for All: Meeting Our Collective Commitments, adopted by the World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 April 2000, available at http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0012/001211/121147e.pdf 14 UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001). Also the definition given in the Mexico City Declaration on Cultural Policies, adopted by the World Conference on Cultural Policies (Mexico City, 1982)

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of believing. On the other hand the search for new religious meaning, “can also lead, in some places, to fundamentalism tendencies”.15 Current societies are not only multicultural, but have also become multi-faith, proving the need for educational systems and programmes that foster social cohesion and interfaith learning. Intercultural education, as noted before, refers to learning to live together. This implies learning to live in diversity with an inclusive and understanding attitude towards others’ cultures and what it enfolds, i.e. different languages, ways of thinking and even diverse religious practices. Learning to live with people of different faiths and religious beliefs is not only a need but a right in plural and every-day more diverse societies, despite the increasing secularisation many modern societies experience nowadays. Today secularised societies cannot deny the influence that religious beliefs have in people who consider religion important in their lives; neither can it ignore those who belong to minority religious groups and for whom religion is a part of their identity. These societies need to be aware that even though there is a clear separation of the State and the role religion plays in the political arena, religion still has a great influence in the cultural patterns of their country. Furthermore, religion in secularised societies can no longer be confined to private spheres, since it affects individuals’ social action and personal convictions and very often beliefs are the driving forces of people’s conduct in society.

Secularisation needs to give space for religious diversity and for freedom of religious expression at different levels of society, indifferently of people’s personal choices of belief. Similarly, traditional religious societies also need to allow freedom of choice for non-believers and for those whose beliefs differ from the majority. A respectful interaction between secular and non-secular people needs to be achieved in societies. Interreligious education can provide children with knowledge about other religions and spiritual beliefs and develop communication skills to deal with possible conflicts. It can provide means for nurturing attitudes that are accepting towards others’ faiths and truths, thus paving the way for a respectful living together among people of secular and religious traditions. The religious dimension of intercultural education should nurture mutual understanding between believers and non-believers and the ability to reflect on the different worldviews to be found in pluralistic societies. This

religious dimension helps developing not only cognitive aptitudes in children but also skills for coping with diversity. It also helps developing personal autonomy and a critical spirit in children, and a feeling of belonging to the community as a whole.16

15 UNESCO Guidelines on Intercultural Education. 2006, p. 12 16 Adapted from Religious Diversity and Intercultural Education: A Reference Book for Schools. Council of Europe. 2006

“Learning to live

with people of

different faiths and

religious beliefs is

not only a need but

a right in plural and

every-day more

diverse societies,”

despite the

increasing

secularisation many

modern societies

experience

nowadays.

Importance of Religion Today

Even though secularisation has become majority of people in many countries although it does not imply they are practicingshows the average percentage of people in the world whopart of a particular religion.

The numbers clearly show It also gives an idea of the higher than the third most practicing religion in the world, Hinduism with 14%), within a variety of forms: agnostic, atheist, secular humanist, those who do not have any religious preference and half who are theist but non-religious. The worldwide Gallup IntMillennium Survey17 finished in 200and conducted in 60 countries1.25 billion citizens of the world can help in understanding the importance of religion for people today. people who were interviewed said they consider themselves to bof some religion and only 13% said they belong to none. numbers validate the information shown in the graphic above. Catholics, Protestants, other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and followers of other religions. The survey also asked questions regarding the importance of God in people’s lives and if people consider their faith to be the only true religion in comparison to others’ religions and beliefs. These answers can terms of geographical region and visualize the implications in the current phenomenon of immigration. It is important to understandto belong to a particular religion, thdepending on the country they belong tofor Western Africa where Muslims are the largest believers, 12 points above average.

17 Gallup International Millennium Surveyinternational.com/ContentFiles/millennium15.aspMiddle East.

Importance of Religion Today

secularisation has become a broad phenomenon, there is still a majority of people in many countries who claim to belong to a particula

does not imply they are practicing members. The following graphic shows the average percentage of people in the world who consider themselves as

a particular religion.

The numbers clearly show that religion is still important for many people in the worldthe increasing number of non religious people (16%, 2%

than the third most practicing religion in the world, Hinduism with 14%), within a variety of forms: agnostic, atheist, secular humanist, those who do not have any religious preference and half who are theist

he worldwide Gallup International finished in 2004

and conducted in 60 countries to billion citizens of the world can

understanding the importance of religion for people today. 87% of people who were interviewed said they consider themselves to be part of some religion and only 13% said

These numbers validate the information shown in the graphic above. Catholics, Protestants, other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and

s.

The survey also asked questions regarding the importance of God in people’s lives r their faith to be the only true religion in comparison to others’ These answers can help to identify the diversity of opinions in

region and visualize the implications in the current phenomenon of immigration.

understand that even though 87% of people considered themselves to belong to a particular religion, there are noticeable differences

they belong to. The graphic below shows that the figure ere Muslims are the largest and most practicing group is

believers, 12 points above average. However, in Hong Kong 64% of the people

Gallup International Millennium Survey (2004) http://www.gallup-

international.com/ContentFiles/millennium15.asp. Note: The survey does not include people from

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a broad phenomenon, there is still a to belong to a particular religion,

The following graphic consider themselves as

nt for many people in the world. increasing number of non religious people (16%, 2%

Believers include Catholics, Protestants, other Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and

The survey also asked questions regarding the importance of God in people’s lives r their faith to be the only true religion in comparison to others’

the diversity of opinions in region and visualize the implications in the current

ven though 87% of people considered themselves differences in their answers

. The graphic below shows that the figure and most practicing group is 99%

, in Hong Kong 64% of the people

. Note: The survey does not include people from

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responded they do not believe in any religion and similar answers were found in South Korea with 46% and in the Czech Republic with 55%.

Regarding the question if there is only one true religion, 46% of the people interviewed believe there is more than one true religion, while 31% think theirs is the only true faith. 10% responded that there is no any true religion and 13% said they ''don't know'' or ''don't answer''. The graphic on the following page, shows the answers according to region.

In response to the question if God matters to people, 55% of respondents in Sweden, 52% in Norway and 49% in Denmark responded that God does not matter to them. On the other hand, almost everyone surveyed in Ghana, Nigeria, the Philippines, Colombia and Pakistan said God is very important in their lives.18 It seems, the answers are affirmative mostly in developing countries, where there is a high percentage of emigration to developed countries, where according to statistics, there is a lower appreciation of the importance of God in people’s lives. This can create possible conflicts in the interaction among people of different beliefs and among those whose appreciation of God highly differs. Migration processes create new multicultural and multi-faith societies that need to learn to cope with differences.

18 Ibid

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These answers show that even though people expressed they belong to a particular religion, it does not mean they give importance to God in their lives, which can be a source of conflict in the interaction among people for whom their religious beliefs are fundamental. In Latin America, statistics show that the presence of new religions and Christian denominations different to Catholicism are gaining space, along with atheism and non-believers. There is evidence that Protestant churches, Bahá’í Faith and Agnosticism are growing in some countries in this continent. In Colombia, for instance, according to information provided by the biggest newspaper in the country, El Tiempo, said that 13.5% of people belonged to non-Catholic forms of Christianity, 2% agnostic and 4.5% belonged to other religions such as Islam and Judaism. These numbers are important in a country where few years ago almost 95% of the population was considered Catholic. In Panama, Protestant groups account to 11.9% of the population, Muslims 4.4%, Bahá’í 2.2%, Buddhists 0.8% and Hindus 0.3%, according to the World Christian Encyclopedia (2001) In Uruguay, a survey published in the daily newspaper El País in 2004, reported that 54% of those interviewed designated themselves as Roman Catholics, 6% as evangelicals, 5% as Protestants, 9% believers without a religious affiliation, and 26% as nonbelievers. The numbers above illustrate a changing scenario in traditional religiously homogeneous countries in Latin America. The increasing numbers of Christian groups that sometimes have resorted in fundamentalism tendencies can become a source of conflict in the region. Difficulties accepting the diversity of expressions of Christianity call for rethinking religious educational programmes, in order to promote respect for other beliefs and understand other ways of conceiving Christianity and God. Freedom of religion and belief can only be guaranteed if there is respect for other religious truths at all levels of society.

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Migration and Religion According to the International Organisation for Migration more than 175 million people currently reside in a country other than where they were born. This corresponds to about 3 percent of the world population.19 The number of migrants more than doubled between 1970 and 2000.20 Although overall population growth began slowing down during the 1980s, international migration continued to grow substantially, at about twice the rate of the population growth.21 Demographers project an increase in the world population to approximately nine billion by 2050, including some 230 million migrants.22 The annual flow of migrants is now somewhere between five and ten million people.23 Europe is the main destination for migrants worldwide, with over one million migrants a year and 299,000 asylum applications in 2006 alone24. The increasing immigration, as a consequence of Europe’s imperialist years, has become one of the most significant catalysts for cultural change across the continent, especially in Western Europe. Countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea such as Spain, Italy, and Malta are the most affected by immigration. In 2006, “Spain received at least 636,000 migrants, representing almost half of the EU’s total and 122,500 more than the number of migrants arriving in Germany, France, Italy, and United Kingdom combined”25. The majority of these immigrants are not adherents of the traditional Christian faith, but of Islam26. The graphic below shows the percentage of Muslim people now living in Europe, which illustrates the increasing number resulted of the migration process. Information shows that in France Muslims represent between 8 and 9% of the population, mostly coming from former French colonies in Africa. In the Netherlands

19 World Migration 2003. Managing Migration - Challenges and Responses for People on the Move, Volume 2 of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) World Migration Report Series, (Geneva: IOM, 2003): 4. Hereafter referred to as IOM 2003. 20 5 International Migration Report 2002, (New York: United Nations, 2002): 2. Hereafter referred to as UN 2002. 21 6 Susan F. Martin, "Global Migration Trends and Asylum," U.N. High Commission on Refugees Working Paper, No. 41, April 2001. 22 IOM 2003: 5. 23 IOM 2003: 6. 24 Choe, Joe. African Migration to Europe. July 10, 2007. At Council on Foreign Relations http://www.cfr.org/publication/13726/african_migration_to_europe.html?breadcrumb=%2Fbios%2F13470%2Fjulia_choe 25 Choe, Joe. Opt. Cit. 26 Windorf, Robert J. The Future of Religion in Europe? at http://www.financialsense.com/editorials/kwr/2006/0328.html

Major migration flows have

highlighted more clearly than in

the past the diversity of

religious beliefs and cultural

practices and, therefore, the

need for a genuine integration

of immigrants to the host

countries. This integration

process implies not only giving

them support to learn the

language of the country, or to

integrate to the culture but also

to provide spaces for local

people to learn from

immigrants’ beliefs and

customs.

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5.8%, in Denmark 5%, in Switzerland 4.2%, in Austria 4.1%, in Belgium 4%, in Sweden 3%, in the UK 2.8%, and in Spain 2.3%.27

As it is showed in the graphic, Islam has become part of the religious diversity of European societies. However, the full integration of Muslim people in Europe has been difficult due to the association of Islam with terrorism. This has led to Islam phobic reactions that challenges the way governments create mechanisms for their social inclusion. Other religions like the Bahá'í Faith are spreading fast in many countries. The Britannica28 Book of the Year (1992–2002) listed it as the second most widespread of the world's independent religions in terms of the number of countries represented. Britannica claims that it is established in 247 countries and territories and has scriptures translated into over 800 languages. Major migration flows have highlighted more clearly than in the past the diversity of religious beliefs and cultural practices and, therefore, the need for a genuine integration of immigrants to the host countries. This integration process implies not only giving them support to learn the language of the country, or to integrate to the culture but also to provide spaces for local people to learn from immigrants’ beliefs and customs. It also means providing spaces to practice their religion and beliefs and freedom to participate fully of social and political life. These new scenarios that create multicultural and multi-faith societies called for mechanisms to challenge stereotypes and prejudices that hinder social cohesion. It also welcomes methodological approaches in education that enhance interaction and communication skills and allow practical learning of others’ cultures and religions.

Religious, Interreligious and Interfaith Education Interreligious education is not the same as religious education. According to UNESCO, religious education can be described as learning about one’s own religion or spiritual practices, or learning about other religions or beliefs. Interreligious education, in contrast, aims to actively shape the relations between people from different religions29.

27 BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4385768.stm 28 Encyclopedia Britannica (2002). Worldwide Adherents of All Religions by Six Continental Areas, Mid-2002. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved on 2006-05-31 29 UNESCO. Guidelines on Intercultural Education. Op. Cit.

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Interreligious learning goes beyond multi-religious education, which studies a multitude of religions mainly from the historical point of view. In the interreligious model, students learn to appreciate the value of other religions and beliefs, which enriches and develops their own personal religious identity. It is important to consider that in plural and diverse societies there are other types of religious expressions that are not necessarily within the form of an organised religion, and therefore, the concept of interreligious education can be limited. One could consider the term interfaith to include other kinds of beliefs and forms of spirituality that are less well understood than long-established religions. In this sense, the term interfaith education will be used henceforth to refer to the methodological approaches that promote interaction, constructive dialogue and mutual discovery process between people of different religious beliefs, secular traditions and faiths. In Europe, however, the term religious education not only refers to the teaching of a particular religion or a comparative study of many, but can also refer to analysing religious and moral issues through interactive methodologies that allow children to reflect about themselves, people around them and the world. This is normally understood as learning from religions and is a close approximation to the concept of interreligious education, given above. Religious education in the European context has different approaches and layers, depending on the country where it is taught and its religious and historical process. The models of Religious Education can be identified within a framework of three main concepts30:

Learning religion: Refers to the study of a religion with the objective of instructing the students in its beliefs and values. It requires that the teachers are believers of the religion themselves in order to pass the values and principles the religion professes. In this form of instruction, religious communities are in charge of developing the curriculum and the methods of teaching. A variation of the learning religion approach is the faith-based approach which gives the opportunity to students to learn different religions separately, but still from the point of view of only one religion.

Learning about religion: Teaches religion from a descriptive and historical approach. Scriptures from different religious traditions are often taught from a non-religious perspective. This approach emphasises on the comparison of values, beliefs and practices of different religions and seeks to understand how those may influence behaviour of individuals. Some criticisms are done to the historical and content-based approach that does not favour the attention of students. Children learn much easier if they can relate the learning to their own reality or to issues that affect their own environment.

30 Hull, John. The Contribution of Religious Education to Religious Freedom: A Global Perspective, in IARF (ed.) Religious Education in Schools: Ideas and Experiences from around the World, Oxford: IARF, 1-8. 2001

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Learning from religions: Refers to a methodological approach that brings students into a reflective mode, teaching them to analyse different questions to major religious and moral issues. Students become the centre of the teaching and the methods used are interactive and experiential. Learning from religions fosters interreligious encounters through dialogue and allows practical interaction with people of different beliefs. This includes meeting people of other faiths and cultures, visiting religious places, discussing religious conflicts, social issues that can be fuelled by religious beliefs, and reflecting upon a student’s own religious identity. Learning from religions and interfaith learning have similar objectives and can therefore be used interchangeably in religious education. Both concepts refer to a learning journey to challenge perceptions and open up to embrace the diversity of the other. This journey leads to an inner transformation and a spiritual growth that helps rethinking the way children act in their daily lives, and how to respect those who are different, think differently and act in different ways.

Interfaith Education in different settings Interfaith education does not happen only in schools but is a life-long learning process that is experienced at home, through Media, with friends, in religious places and through daily relations with people in society. Interfaith education needs a proper platform for creating awareness about others’ beliefs, for generating respectful interactions and for freely exploring the diversity of beliefs.

Formal settings

School is one of the first places where children start shaping their identity and develop awareness of who they are and who the others are. Schools need not be a battleground of conflicting ideologies, but rather a place of challenge, dialogue, and, in a non-sectarian sense, of spiritual development. Public schools are key platforms to introduce interfaith education. They are places where children are usually in contact with other cultures, religions and different perspectives. Therefore, opportunities to get into dialogue, to learn from each others’ beliefs and cultures and to challenge their viewpoints need to be created and enhanced. Private schools, indifferently of how culturally or religiously homogenous they may be in certain countries, need to be arenas to learn in plurality and diversity. They need to create spaces to challenge cultural and religious views that may be exclusivist and to develop skills to deal peacefully with conflicts that may arise from the interaction with diverse groups of society. In order for schools to be successful in creating spaces for children to learn to live together, it is needed to develop school policies that support not only the development of an inclusive curriculum but also an environment where children feel comfortable expressing their different views and beliefs, and free to discuss issues of diversity. For example, schools should promote spaces for collective worship,

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cultural interaction, and practical learning activities such as interreligious visits or interfaith dialogues. Furthermore, schools need to provide pre and in-service training for teachers on how to deal with diversity in classrooms, how to promote human rights and how to ensure respect of fundamental freedoms. In the recommendations given at the end of this paper, there will be clearer explanations of what is needed to enhance the implementation of interfaith education programmes.

Non-formal settings

Religious organizations, youth groups, peace clubs and other types of non-formal educational groups or spaces are important agents for promoting interreligious learning. These are groups which young people usually attend voluntarily and where social issues are raised and discussed more openly, sometimes on daily basis. The more relaxed nature of the settings and the voluntary attendance by young people can make these groups ideal places to get to know the “other”, discuss interreligious issues, widen the perspective of diversity and develop skills to work inter-religiously. Debates, open discussions, interfaith cafes, round tables, joint-initiatives, are among other methods that may take place more easily in non-formal settings. These methods help develop critical thinking and promote intercultural and interfaith interaction through a relaxed programme that children and young people have chosen to follow. In places where the interaction of inter-religious groups is difficult due to the separation of religious and secular schools and to religious conflicts, non-formal spaces are needed to promote mutual understanding and provide opportunities for a genuine interaction and dialogue.

Informal settings

Media has a prominent role to play in sensitizing children about others’ cultures and religions and serve as a vehicle to transmit values that help promoting social cohesion. Children and young people are in constant interaction with the Internet, television, radio and newspapers which influences their senses through provocative and sometimes violent images and sounds that can easily manipulate their views. Media programmes can help creating awareness about the richness of diversity in society, without depicting negative characteristics of cultures and religions, but promoting critical thinking and challenging prejudices and stereotypes. Media should help empowering children and the civil society to articulate rights, ethics, freedom, respect, transparency and mutual understanding. The role of the home and the family is also important in promoting respect and understanding between different groups. Parents can bring up children and young people in ways that enable them to develop openness to the other as a significant presence in their lives. Families can become a platform for appreciation of differences and for the development of children’s identities.

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Pedagogies for Interfaith Education Interfaith education is a new field that is being explored due to the challenges that pose living in plural societies and to the new dynamics that are developed by the interaction among people of different beliefs. It responds to the need to foster social cohesion and protect the rights of religious minorities. In order to strengthen the ability of children to open up to others in respectful ways and challenge their prejudices and stereotypes, education has to provide interactive and participatory methodologies that help exploring and revising attitudes and values. Human rights and peace methodologies are models for interfaith education, whereby, their objectives presuppose learning about mutual understanding and respect. Therefore, one could think that the field of interfaith education is not new but falls into the category of human rights and peace education. This is correct to some extent, interfaith education has necessarily to be ingrained in the need to respect and safeguard human dignity indifferently of cultural or religious identities. It also needs to address the individual and the nurturing of peaceful attitudes and behaviours that lead to mutual understanding and peace. However, interfaith education requires a unique element which is fundamental for its methodologies and practices, which is the genuine interaction among people of secular and religious beliefs, a si ne qua non for building bridges of trust and discovering each other. Learning about diverse religions is not pursued as an end in itself for interfaith education. It is learning in relation to others and learning about the other what characterizes it. “Interfaith educators see their ultimate task as cultivating and sustaining social cohesion and a culture of peace”1, through the promotion of mutual understanding and dialogue among people of different faiths. Interfaith pedagogies are not only conducive to foster mutual respect but also to help religious organizations and people open up to others’ truths and engage in interfaith actions, keeping their own religious identity. Pedagogies for interfaith education should help creating awareness of self and self in relation to others. They need to promote spaces for children to reflect upon their identity and how it is shaped by their interactions with others and by the events and experiences they are exposed to. Awareness of one’s own cultural and religious identity is necessary to learn about others’ cultures and religions, which also helps enriching the process of self-discovery. Interfaith learning processes provide opportunities to question and rethink social structures that force religious discrimination and social exclusion. Experiential

interfaith education

requires a unique

element which is

fundamental for its

methodologies and

practices, which is the

genuine interaction

among people of

secular and religious

beliefs, a si ne qua non

for building bridges of

trust and discovering

each other.

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activities that challenge children’s understanding of other beliefs become crucial to internalize differences and similarities, and shift set paradigms and prejudices about others’ faiths and religious traditions. The ability to critically think about those societal issues that seem to be normal and rethink their causes is created by exposing children to situations that are unknown to them and/or by creating spaces to analyse injustices with a magnifying glass, vis à vis their reality and the social and economic structures and systems they live in. Children should also gain skills to transform conflicts and respond to violent situations in peaceful ways. Communication and listening skills are needed to learn to deal with diverse points of view and behaviours. The capacity to empathise with others is one of the conditions needed to learn how to reconcile differences and understand others. Children and young people are in constant exposure and appreciation of reality. However, their immersion in reality is sometimes done without internalization of their experiences and relations with others. Pedagogies for interfaith learning should provide spaces to reflect upon their interactions with people and their understanding of beliefs and religious practices that differ from their own. Such a reflection process helps broadening their understanding of interconnectedness with others and the dependency to one another, thus providing room for nurturing their spirituality and natural need to go beyond their daily experiences. The pedagogies for interfaith education contribute to the development of high quality education and to the empowerment of children as change agents and peace builders, forging ethical values that are conducive to live in plural societies and providing spaces to embrace diversity. The International Commission for Education for the Twenty-first Century describes in its report to UNESCO, Learning: the Treasure Within, that education throughout life is based upon four pillars: learning to know, learning to do, learning to live and learning to be. All pillars refer to the need to develop individuals with a holistic approach to life and who are not only aware of their own needs but also of the needs of their societies. Individuals who are able to interrelate and work with others aware of their differences, who are equipped to transform challenging situations and willing to contribute to affect social change. Interfaith education encompasses methodologies that emphasize the full development of children and young people. It contributes to develop their own independent and critical thinking that is respectful toward others and nurtures their ability to make well grounded decisions, concerned about the diversity and plurality of the society they live in. Through interfaith education children and young people develop individual and collective responsibilities to affect social change and develop skills to be able to work together with others, despite of their cultural or religious differences. The following table shows the kind of curriculum needed for interfaith education. It summarises what kind of content should be included in the curriculum to develop cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills in children through interfaith education.

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Alternative Curriculum of Inter-religious Education No Aspect Content 1 Cognitive 1. knowledge of perennial dimension of religions and its

possibilities of encounter; 2. explanation on the similarities, differences, and

uniqueness among religious traditions in order to share and co-operate in solving the common problem of humanity and environment;

3. regarding all religions as “genuine” and “universal” and understanding their uniqueness;

2 Affective 1. respect to oneself religion and the others is necessary in everyday life;

2. positive thinking on equal relations in religious diversity; 3. recognition of all religions to live and allows to grow; 4. mutual-understanding among religions to get a new and

rich horizon and perspective;

3 Psychomotor 1. ability in reconstruction of anti-violence culture and peace-building;

2. skills in making reconciliation and conflict resolution; and 3. providing places for religious identities and recognition of

minorities groups; 4. social talent to show empathy and empathetic

understanding with the other

Source: Interreligious Education for Multicultural Virtues - An Alternative for Indonesian Context. By Zakiyuddin Baidhawy31

It is recommended to include in the interfaith education curriculum all the aspects mentioned in the table in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values. The combination of the three will create a balanced methodological approach that will motivate the learning of other beliefs but most importantly the understanding and acceptance of others’ cultural and religious identity. Cooperative, experiential and problem based learning are the most appropriate methodological approaches to achieve the objectives of interfaith education. These methodologies include pedagogical techniques such as role playing, simulations, games, debates, round tables, problem-solving, meditation, the arts, focus groups, field trips and service-learning that can promote religious interaction and bridge-building.

31 Presented on The Oslo Global Meeting of Experts on Teaching For Tolerance, Respect and Recognition held by The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief in collaboration with UNESCO, Oslo, September 2-5, 2004.

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Challenges for the Implementation of Interfaith Education

Programmes in Schools The need for interfaith education today is a clear prerequisite for living together, especially in multicultural societies. However, there are a series of challenges that can hinder its implementation and overshadow the commitment of governments and civil society. The following is not an exhaustive list but can provide important aspects to be taken into consideration when promoting interfaith education programmes.

- Secular societies. Societies that have asserted that political institutions should exist separately from religion or religious beliefs may have difficulties introducing interfaith education programmes in public schools. Strong arguments against promoting any kind of religious education are based on the need to ensure religious neutrality in society to protect any interference of major religions in the life of its citizens. Secular societies can be restrictive toward all religions in order to equally protect all from interference by others. In countries like France, religious education is not even considered as a part of the educational curricula in public schools. The principle of laïcité, understood in the sense of neutrality toward religious convictions, considers that the government must refrain from taking positions on religious doctrine. This can mean that there should be no religious signs in public schools and no religious education either. For example, the wearing of headscarves for Muslim girls in most public schools has been forbidden in the name of this principle. Religious questions in the public school are not treated as a subject of culture or as a belief system but as a matter of civilisation and historical knowledge. In France, religious education and nurturing spirituality is considered to be a matter of individual conviction that should not interfere in the public sphere. This poses a major challenge in the implementation of interfaith education and can be counterproductive in a multicultural society, where there is an imminent need to promote community cohesion and mutual understanding. Schools are places where children spend most of their time and should be ideally places for interfaith learning and for counteracting prejudices.

- Homogeneous religiously societies. Countries where the majority of its people belong to a single religion and where the current immigration flows do not affect the diversity of their beliefs can become alienated to the need for interreligious education. The lack of religious diversity makes individuals unaware of other beliefs and easily influenced by the Media and other sources that sometimes depict religious people and communities negatively. These countries need to provide spaces in schools to learn about other spiritual beliefs that can be present in the country, but that not necessarily represent an institutionalised religion.

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In Latin American countries, ecumenical dialogues and interaction among Christians has become more relevant due to the appearance of Charismatic and Pentecostal movements, which challenge the influence of the Catholic Church in society. Understanding and respect for people who practice the same religion but in different ways is a priority in Catholic predominant countries. Children in Latin American societies need to also be aware of the indigenous beliefs practiced in their country and of the other minority religions or faiths that are present. Homogeneous religiously societies are ill-equipped to lead with minority groups and can, sometimes, even become violators of the right of people to religious freedom. Iran presents an example of discrimination against religious minorities. People who belong to the Baha’i Faith in Iran, which is the biggest non-Islamic religious minority, are persecuted and even subjected to defamation. There have been reports of imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, and discrimination based on religious beliefs.

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This might be the case in many other societies where a particular religion is strongly embedded in political and government affairs. In a globalised and plural world, where the interaction with people from other cultures is inevitable (via the Internet or through personal communication) there is an express necessity to learn about other faiths and to foster values that promote mutual respect and understanding.

- Private religious schools. Private schools with a particular religious ethos can be reluctant to teach about other religions or to include in their curricula methodological approaches to learn from other religious sources. Some arguments are found in the conviction of parents and schools’ managers to provide children with an education that is only based on their religious beliefs. Religious private schools are not required to change their ethos but to be open to promote understanding of other faiths and to allow children to be informed of other beliefs. This will help children form their own identity in relation to others and to create a better understanding of the religious beliefs they and other people follow. Guarantying respect for the right of the child to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (CRC Art. 14.1) is particularly important when children do not feel identified with the religion of their parents, even though, this should not contravene the right of the parents to provide direction to the child in the exercise of his or her right (CRC. Art 14.2). Children should be guaranteed the right to an education that is directed to their preparation for a responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin, as it is considered in the CRC Art. 29.1d. Interfaith education in the framework of a religious school is especially relevant to avoid fundamentalist

32 International Federation for Human Rights. 2003. Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran. fdih.org. Retrieved on 20-10-2006.

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strands and xenophobic tendencies that can arise from the ignorance toward others’ beliefs and cultures.

- Development of Interfaith Education Programmes. There has been a tendency to segregate schools according to their religious affiliation, due to the incapacity of governments and schools to develop interfaith programmes that respond to the needs of all religious and faith communities present in the country. The main challenge for the development of interfaith education programmes is to include all religious communities in its preparation, revision, planning and evaluation. A sense of co-responsibility needs to be created among religious communities and the government. There should be willingness to initiate an interfaith dialogue that can pave the way for the implementation of interfaith education curricula.

- Legislation. Interreligious education can be difficult to introduce in schools if the country does not have legal provisions to enforce its inclusion in educational curricula. According to a Study carried out in 2001 by the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of religious intolerance33 in 77 countries, 46 considered that they have explicit constitutional or legislative references to or definitions for religious education. 14 considered that the prescription of "Laïcité" precluded state involvement in defining religious education, even though there might have to be a certain regulations of the activities of religious institutions. 10 countries considered that there were "no" definitions available. While a significant majority of countries have prescriptions for religious education, one fifth prohibits or restricts it. The lack of legislation on this subject can be a very difficult obstacle to promote interfaith programmes and influence schools’ curricula.

- Pedagogical Approaches and Teachers Training. Interreligious education and learning requires methodologies that encourage critical thinking and the development of meta-cognitive skills. It also requires turning from a teacher-centred approach to a student-centred approach, where knowledge is constructed and shared. This approach demands new teaching skills from educators and changes in the educational curricula that sometimes schools fail to provide and facilitate. A study conducted throughout OSCE34 participating States show that many teachers feel ill-prepared to address the cultural and religious diversity they encounter in their classrooms. They often lack the training to discuss different religions and philosophies in a fair and balanced way and do not always have an adequate understanding of how issues concerning religions and beliefs relate to human rights. Many teachers report that they have never taken a course that addresses such issues, and have never had direct exposure to

33 The Role of Religious Education in the pursuit of Tolerance and Non-discrimination. Study prepared under the guidance of Prof. Abdelfattah Amor, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of religious intolerance. International Consultative Conference on School Education in relation with Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination, Madrid, 23-25 November 2001 34 Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

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other cultures, belief systems, or human rights principles in their apprenticeship.35 The lack of a religious balanced training for teachers and of an interreligious planning of the programme content can also hinder the implementation of interreligious education. This can lead to complaints from religious minority groups and to consequently drop-outs of children.

The study of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the question of religious intolerance, mentioned above, explored how teachers were trained and recruited, showing that 37 countries claimed to provide state facilities for training teachers of religious education who are then appointed to state or private schools; religious communities may sometimes provide additional training and accreditation. One case emerged of a country which depended on teachers trained abroad and two which acknowledged that their existing training facilities were inadequate. In fifteen other countries schools depend on religious communities to provide, accredit and appoint religious teachers. In the case of countries where religious communities are in charge of pre-service and in-service training for teachers, there is a need to reach out to other belief communities in order to guarantee an inclusive and balanced programme.

Recommendations for Governments and Schools

- Legislation and the role of governments. Governments need to include in their legislations provisions regarding religious education in schools. Through the development of a legal framework, they can ensure that the respect of the right to freedom of religion and beliefs in schools is maintained, and that children have access to an education that encompass their spiritual growth and ability to relate to people from other cultures and beliefs. Legal provisions can help meet the challenges for implementing interfaith education in secular societies and promote community cohesion. Governments need to evaluate and revise schools curricula to avoid indoctrination and to determine whether religious education programmes promote respect for freedom of religion or belief and whether they are impartial, inclusive, free of biased and meet professional standards. Governments also need to examine restrictions related to who can teach religions and beliefs in schools and assess the extent to which they conform to human rights standards. They need to assess the process of development of the curricula and make sure this process is sensitive to the different

35 Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools, prepared by the ODIHR Advisory Council of Experts on Freedom of Religion or Belief. Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, 2007

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religious groups in the country and that has had their previous participation and consideration.

- Preparation of Interfaith Education Programmes for schools. Interfaith education programmes should be based on a human rights framework so as to guarantee a balanced approach to teaching about and from religions and faiths. This means that the programme should be based on the right to freedom of religions and beliefs and the right of the child of an education that promotes understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial and religious groups. The development of interfaith education curricula can only be successful if the ethos and general policies of the school value plurality and promote respect and mutual understanding. Schools need to confront racism of all kinds, including institutional and cultural racism, recognizing the equal worth of all members of the school community36. For the process of developing an interfaith education curriculum, governments should encourage the creation of a committee, formed by representatives of all religious communities present in the country, to give recommendations, revise the existing programmes and advice on the ways to promote interfaith learning in schools. This can forge a balanced approach to religious education. Good textbooks are also a part of the development of an interfaith education programme. Textbooks and all kind of pedagogical materials need to consider both cultural and national realities within the framework intercultural and interfaith education. A material that has been developed by Arigatou International, under the coordination of the Interfaith Council on Ethics Education for Children, can provide a good framework for developing interfaith education programmes. It aims at promoting ethical values and nurture spirituality in children through an Intercultural and Interreligious Programme that can be adapted to formal and informal settings. This material has been developed and piloted globally, and is supported by UNICEF and UNESCO37.

- Training of teachers. Teachers need to be trained in participatory methodologies and critical thinking techniques, thus helping them to shape their own understanding of their role as facilitators and providers of spaces for constructive dialogue. Training models for teachers need to be designed for them to discuss issues of religious diversity that are unfamiliar to them, and which they may feel uncomfortable dealing with.

36 Jackson, Robert. Intercultural Education and Religious Diversity: Interpretive and Dialogical Approaches from England. Presented on The Oslo Global Meeting of Experts on Teaching For Tolerance, Respect and Recognition held by The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Belief in collaboration with UNESCO, Oslo, September 2-5, 2004. 37 Learning to Live Together: An Intercultural and Interfaith Programme for Ethics Education. A Resource for Facilitators and Educators to be launched in May 2008. Further information, http://www.arigatou.ch/

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Teachers need to learn how to create safe spaces in schools to allow a genuine interaction among students. This is a prerequisite to a successful interreligious programme that demands from children not only to learn about other religions but also to reflect on their own personal experiences and discover the other through dialogue and interaction. Teachers need to gain knowledge about other faiths different to their own, about human rights and to get skills on how to nurture values and spirituality in children. It is recommended to create pre-service programmes for teachers that allow them to get deeper understanding of religious issues, awareness of religious differences and develop communication and listening skills. Additionally, in-service programmes need to be in place for a continuous training that can enhance teachers’ ability to deal with challenges and gain knowledge on new methodologies and pedagogical techniques. The creation of virtual discussion forums for teachers to exchange ideas, share resources, experiences and communicate issues of concern can provide ongoing support to the training process. Sharing best practices among schools and teachers can also result in the amelioration of the programme.

A balanced interreligious training programme needs to be developed in cooperation with the religions present in the country. The training of the teachers needs to be provided in partnership with government, religious communities, NGOs and specialised institutes.

CONCLUSIONS Learning to live with people of different religions and beliefs is an important part of providing quality education. It can reinforce respect for everyone’s right to freedom of religion or belief, foster a culture of peace and contribute to social cohesion. Interfaith education becomes a way to protect cultural rights but also a need for plural societies to promote religious understanding and cooperation. It is a powerful tool to advance the respect of cultural rights in a society. The elimination of religious discrimination, the protection of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, and the right of minority groups to enjoy their own culture and to profess and practice their religion, can be promoted through interfaith education programmes in schools. The success of these programs in schools will only be possible with the commitment of governments and school managers, and the genuine dialogue and interaction between religious groups in society.

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