Council of Europe 2010 Exchange on

“The religious dimension of intercultural dialogue”

Ohrid, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, 13-14 September 2010

Speech by Dubravka SUICA, Vice-President of the Chamber of Local Authorities,

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe

Mr President,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The annual Council of Europe exchanges on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue have become a good tradition of this Organisation, and an excellent occasion for the various bodies to present their action and share their experiences on this important matter. I wish to thank the current Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers for keeping this tradition and organising the 2010 exchange in Ohrid, in a country where issues of intercultural and interreligious dialogue are prominent.

This issue is indeed of direct concern to all member states of the Council of Europe, as no country in Europe today can claim having the population of only one ethnic origin or religious following, living in its territory. Europe has always been a multiethnic and multireligious continent, and the processes of European unification and integration, with their migratory flows and cultural exchanges, have turned almost every European country into a multi-ethnic state. The smooth interaction between the various ethnic and religious groups, which is a crucial contributing factor for democratic stability and development, has become a requirement of modern society. This is also one way of involving minorities and foreign residents in decision-making and boosting their participation.

This interaction necessarily begins in local and regional communities, in our municipalities and regions, which is why intercultural and interreligious dialogue is high on the political agenda of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Local and regional governments have a crucial role to play in fostering dialogue between religious communities and therefore different cultural groups. For us in the Congress, it is also a matter of good governance, because the smooth interaction between the various components of a community means also the smooth running of the community as a whole.

It is in this spirit that the Congress organised, in November 2006 in Montchanin, France, a colloquy on the role of local authorities in promoting intercultural and interreligious dialogue. The colloquy adopted in particular twelve principles for local authorities, aimed at improving knowledge and understanding of the local religious situation, promoting understanding between participants in the dialogue, establishing partnerships, and evaluating the effectiveness of the measures taken. These twelve principles formed part of the Congress’ contribution to the Council of Europe’s White Paper.

We are now preparing a follow-up to this colloquy – the 2nd Encounters of Montchanin – which we expect to provide greater input on the current situation in Europe and further our work in this area.

In addition, following a report on intercultural and interreligious dialogue as an opportunity for local democracy, which was prepared and debated in 2008, we are currently finalising a report on the cultural integration of Muslim women in European cities, which will be debated during the Congress’ 19th plenary session at the end of October. We chose to focus on Muslim women to assess the arguments used in much of the current debate about their supposed resistance to integration, to take stock of the specific problems faced by Muslim women in Europe – such as the debates about what they should or should not be allowed to wear – and to suggest approaches for their greater involvement in integration efforts.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The problems faced by local authorities in dealing with religious communities and sensitivities are often mundane – such as, for example, the location of cemeteries or of religious meeting places and centres, observance of religious holidays and rituals, or the use of religious symbols. Yet many of these issues form part of the cultural life of the community, and the way we treat them goes to the heart of the question: “In what kind of communities do we want our children to grow up?” Diverse, tolerant and intercultural or segregationist, racist and bigoted?   

No doubt, local authorities have an important role to play in the matter – but so does the media. Many of the religious issues that hit the headlines today are indeed local ones. For example, the current debate on the proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York will be very familiar to many of our local authorities. With its effect on the popular imagination, with its ability to form, mobilise and – yes – manipulate the public opinion, the media has a very big influence – and a great responsibility in fostering tolerance and dialogue between religious communities. 

The forthcoming report of the Congress is addressing this issue as well, and I am pleased to see that this is one of the major themes of our meeting today. This is why I look forward to our discussions with great interest.

Thank you.