As part of Liechtenstein’s Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, an international conference on “How can interreligious engagement help to re-invigorate the European democracies?” will take place on 14 May at the Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) in Berlin, Germany.
The opening address (by video message) will be made by German Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development Svenja Schulze. The German Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Frank Schwabe, will make a welcoming address. More opening remarks will be provided by the Chair of the Ministers’ Deputies, Ambassador Domenik Wanger (by video message). The introduction will be given by Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge. The keynote address will be delivered by Heiner Bielefeldt, Professor at University of Erlangen and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
High-level religious leaders from groups that have a strong historical and traditional presence in Europe, such as the Catholic, Protestant and reformed, Orthodox, Jewish, and Muslim communities will exchange views on the following themes:
- What mutual efforts can be taken by religious leaders to help combat the democratic backsliding that we now see throughout Europe?
- Does the method and practice of interreligious exchange, based on dialogue and a spirit of compromise, have something to offer in an increasingly polarised democratic public sphere?
- How can interreligious dialogue contribute to the strengthening of a culture of democracy? And in what practical ways can interfaith engagement help to reinvigorate key democratic institutions at local, regional, and national levels?
Ambassador Jean-Christophe Peaucelle, Advisor for Religious Affairs with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will also attend the conference. Concluding remarks will be provided by Dr Fabio Petito, Director of the FoRB and Foreign Policy Initiative (University of Sussex).
