European Interreligious Encounter, May 22 - 25  Rovereto, Italy "Shared Values for a Changing Europe"

Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti of Rovereto, Italy and Religions for Peace in Europe have joined forces to create a meeting space, an Encounter, where some of the most pressing challenges to the religious traditions represented in Europe will be addressed.

During these days, some 250 participants - politicians, senior religious leaders and grass root activists - will meet and acknowledge the shared values and responsibilities that we need in today's changing Europe and for a sense of identity in our common home.

The focus of the Encounter will be to facilitate how different faiths and civil structures can co-operate in building that European society we all need and want to feel at home in. The issues community cohesion, economic disparity, immigration and movement of populationwithin Europe require each of us to look at our own responsibility.  The Rovereto Encounter wants to keep a focus on:

• The responsibility of each of the different elements that make up a nation to the European society as a whole.
• To further help build harmonious societies that are established on a common  European identity.
• Inter-cultural cooperation .Recognising the contributions the immigrant munities wish to make.
• Hear how communities and civil institutions will contribute to the changing European society.
• Applying a self-critical view that we do not always practice what we preach.

The concrete "proof" of a success, will be the establishment of Inter Religious Councils in yet more European countries to continue our common actions based on our shared values.

The Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti of the City of Peace, Rovereto, is founded on the symbolism carried by the World's biggest ringing bell (campana, It. = bell). The bell is made from melted cannons donated by the nations involved in the First World War.

The Encounter has obtained the Patronage of the Council of Europe. In addition the cooperation of the Province of Trento, the Diocesis and of the International Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Education-IFIIE. 

The Pope has also suggested a working meeting between the delegation headed by Prince Ghazi and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, sided by the PISAI (Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies) and the Pontifical Gregorian University.The full text of the letter of Cardinal Bertone can be read at: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/card-bertone/2007/documents/rc_seg-st_20071119_muslim-leaders_en.html

The PISAI and the IFIIE Foundation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in March 2007 to cooperate closely on areas of joint interest.

On May 2007 in Rome at the "Hotel Rose Garden" at 8.30 pm Professor Andreu Rocha Scarpetta of the Pontifical University "Regina Apostolorum" has taken place a lecture for the Rotary Club Centenario of Rome on : "Interreligious Dialogue: Needs, Models and Scope"

Prof. Rocha Scarpetta holds also teaching responsibilities at the Gregorian University. He is member of the Executive Committee of the "International Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Education" - IFIIE .

Representatives of Christianity, Judaism and Islam participated in the conference, which was also open to state leaders, observers, INGO, experts and the press.

"The subject is important, topical and complex,"  said Council of Europe Secretary General Terry Davis when opening the  European conference. "Intercultural dialogue is important because it brings peoples and cultures closer together and reduces the risks of misunderstanding, tension and conflict"

Davis said that the Council of Europe understands religion from two angles: first, freedom of religion as a human right, and second, religious beliefs as an element of personal identity and culture.

"The promotion of intercultural dialogue is a priority for our organization," Davis continued. "Our objective is to develop a long-term policy to exploit fully the potential of cultural diversity as a positive and cohesive force in our societies.

"I believe that religious communities have a tremendous potential in this respect. They can help to heal wounds, and they can build bridges."By working together, religious communities can defeat extremists who want to hijack and manipulate a faith to propagate violence and hate. They can become an enormous power for peace and tolerance, by making it clear that an attack against one faith is an attack against all of them."

"The next challenge is to bring this dialogue to the local level," he asserted. "The religious dimension of the intercultural dialogue will reveal its full potential when a priest in a church, an imam in a mosque and a rabbi in a synagogue -- I emphasize: a local church, a local mosque, a local synagogue -- talk to each other and work with each other, to convey one common message, of tolerance, respect and understanding between people."

The European Commissioner for Human rights, Thomas Hammarberg, has underlined the values which religions do share with the Council of Europe. In particular: the right to life, human dignity, respect for life and rule of law.

"Who is better qualified than religions leader to fight for human rights ?" Hammarberg has asked.
In 2006, the Council of Europe launched the "White paper on Intercultural Dialogue" which is expected to be published in November 2007. Link: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/whitepaper_en.asp#TopOfPage 

Jordan's King Abdullah Outlines Principles of Moderate Islam

The International Foundation for Interreligious and Intercultural Education- IFIIE - supports the message of King Abdullah II of Jordan in which King Abdullah spoke on the shared beliefs of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.

Please read King Abdullah's Amman Message,  by clicking:

http://www.kingabdullah.jo/main2.php?page_id=464?_hmka1=1