The Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religion and Beliefs in Public Schools

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 229-239
Author(s):  
Silvio Ferrari ◽  
Simona Santoro ◽  
Cole Durham Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
Conflict Prevention ◽  
Mutual Respect ◽  
Educational Approach ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
Teaching About Religion

AbstractIn line with the OSCE's conflict prevention role and its commitments to fostering a culture of mutual respect and understanding, the ODIHR published the Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions and Beliefs in Public Schools. The Toledo Guiding Principles have been prepared in order to contribute to an improved understanding of the world's religious diversity. Their rationale is based on two core principles: first, that there is positive value in teaching that emphasizes respect for everyone's right to freedom of religion or belief, and second, that teaching about religions and beliefs can reduce harmful misunderstandings and stereotypes. The primary purpose of the Toledo Guiding Principles is to assist OSCE participating States whenever they choose to promote the study and knowledge about religions and beliefs in schools, particularly as a tool to enhance religious freedom. The Principles focus solely on the educational approach that seeks to provide teaching about different religions and beliefs.

The Place of Religious Freedom in the Structure of Peacebuilding

2015 ◽  
pp. 280-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Cole Durham ◽  
Elizabeth A. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Religious Pluralism ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
Religious Liberty ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
The Right

This chapter analyzes the role that the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief plays in ending or averting religious warfare, and in providing necessary footings for crystallizing peace out of conflict. After stressing that there is a tendency to lay exaggerated blame for many conflicts on religion, the chapter explores the Lockean insight that under certain circumstances, religious pluralism can serve as a stabilizing factor in society if states protect the right to religious diversity instead of imposing homogeneity. International limitation clauses on the scope of religious liberty play an important filtering role in promoting the positive contributions religion makes to society, while constraining negative religious effects. The analysis argues that secularity, understood as a framework welcoming religious pluralism, rather than secularism, as an ideology advocating secularization as an end in itself, is most conducive to the peacebuilding potential of religious freedom.

scholarly journals Cities of Refuge: Harassing Nation-States’ Legal Systems for a More Inclusive Religious Stance

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
pp. 85-97
Author(s):  
Calvyn Clarence Du Toit
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Complexity Theory ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Religious Diversity ◽  
New School ◽  
School Year ◽  
European Nation ◽  
Nation States ◽  
Religious Extremism ◽  
The Media

On 2 September 2004, at the start of the new school year in France, a law was enacted banning all religious symbols and garb in public schools. The media interpreted this law as focused on the khimar (headscarves) that Muslim girls wear as part of hijab (modesty). On 14 September 2010, a ban on covering one's face in public followed. Such legal action, limiting religious freedom, is gaining traction among European nation-states partly due to their inability to deal with religious diversity in a constructive way, partly fuelled by a fear of religious extremism. According to the developing study of complexity theory in philosophy, however, dealing with religious diversity in such a way will only lead to a larger rift between nation-states and religious extremists; decreasing the meaningfulness and limiting the resilience of societies. This paper, attempts to track ways around such limiting legal moves by revisiting Derrida’s 1996 speech at the International Parliament of Writers published as On Cosmopolitanism. Employing an idea from Derrida’s address and supplementing it with one from Žižek, I will show how cities might become spaces that challenge austere and protective legal measures, enacted against religions, by European nation-states.

Religion and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe

2021 ◽  
pp. 385-402
Author(s):  
W. Cole Durham
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Public Schools ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
Advisory Panel ◽  
Democratic Institutions ◽  
Legal Personality ◽  
The Core ◽  
Guiding Principles

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and its Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) have played an important role in reinforcing, distilling, and implementing the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in the OSCE region. The CSCE (later OSCE) has engaged in major norm-setting initiatives regarding FoRB. The ODIHR’s Advisory Panel/Council on Freedom of Religion or Belief emerged in 1997, and in ensuing years, produced legislative reviews, ‘Guidelines for Review of Legislation’ (2004); and the Toledo Guiding Principles on Teaching about Religions or Beliefs in Public Schools (2007). The FoRB Programme at ODIHR followed through with ‘Guidelines on the Legal Personality’ (2014) and ‘Freedom of Religion or Belief and Security’ (2019). These documents are at the core of more extensive institutional promotion of FoRB.

Waving the 'Freedom of Religion or Belief ' Card, or Playing It Safe: Religious Instruction in the Cases of Norway and Finland

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Slotte
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Public Education ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Religious Instruction ◽  
Wrong Answer ◽  
Public Education System ◽  
Religious Person

AbstractIn order to gain an understanding of what it means to have a human right to freedom of religion or belief, one has to start by looking at the different actual conflicts that give rise to discussion in terms of such a human right. Different conflicts reveal different problems. It is therefore unsatisfying to attempt to essentialise the human right to freedom of religion or belief, and simply apply it to different cases. There are, for example, various ways of organising religious instruction in public schools. Neutrality consists in presenting these models and conflicts, not in saying that there is one right or wrong answer. This, of course, does not exclude critical examination and discussion. This article examines one model attempting to accommodate religious freedom within a public education system while including religious instruction on the curriculum, and juxtaposes it to a second model of organizing religious instruction that has given rise to conflict. The models discussed have different problems and potentials. However, both trigger a critical analysis of how law perceives religion, especially religious manifestation and, within this framework, what it means to be a religious person. The analysis offers a contribution to ongoing debates about how to understand the human right to freedom of religion or belief.

POLA KOMUNIKASI ANTAR UMAT BERAGAMA MASYARAKAT DESA SINDANG JAYA, REJANG LEBONG, BENGKULU

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 283
Author(s):  
Idi Warsah ◽  
Amelia Avisa ◽  
Anrial Anrial
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Communication Pattern ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Mutual Respect ◽  
Religious Activities ◽  
Religious People ◽  
The People ◽  
Kinship Relations

This study aimed at finding out a depiction of the communication pattern among religious people in the Sindang Jaya community, Rejang Lebong Regency, Bengkulu Province. This study used a qualitative approach, and the data collection techniques were observation and interviews. After the data were collected, the analysis was carried out with the stages of reduction, presentation, and drawing conclusion. This study drew the conclusion that First, the pattern of communication set by the people of Sindang Jaya Village was based on mutual respect among religions. Second, there were three forms of tolerance given by the people of Sindang Jaya Village, namely cooperation, religious freedom, and appreciation for the religious activities of other religions. Third, the strategy carried out to avoid conflicts was that both religious leaders, village officials, and the community in general always became fair, respected each other, had kinship relations, discussed every problem, helped each other, and cooperated with one another.

The Umma in Italy: Eurocentric Pluralism, Local Legislation, Courts’ Decisions. How to Make the Right to Worship Real

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-20
Author(s):  
Giancarlo Anello
Keyword(s):  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Basic Assumption ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Veneto Region ◽  
Lombardy Region ◽  
Muslims In Europe ◽  
The Right ◽  
Muslim Minorities

Abstract The article describes the making of the right of worship of Muslim minorities in Europe and its current difficulties, presenting and commenting on the emblematic example of local legislation concerning the building of new mosques in northern Italy. Controlling norms arise from recent decisions of the Italian Constitutional Court. The Court declared unconstitutional certain provisions of two regional laws approved by the Lombardy region (2/2015) and the Veneto region (12/2016), which imposed very strict conditions for the opening, approval and use of mosques. In particular, the Court declared unconstitutional norms that—with regard to the building of places of worship—introduced certain conditions for groups with an agreement with the State and different conditions for those without. Moreover, the Court declared unconstitutional the principle that all religious services that take place in a building open to public should be conducted in Italian. The basic assumption of the article is that current discrimination is the combined result of anti-migration sentiment and Islamophobic prejudices, and the consequence of the Eurocentric nature of the principle of religious freedom. A historically-oriented pluralism and multilevel (national) enforcement of freedom of religion seem to be huge obstacles to the implementation of the right to worship for Muslims in Europe and Italy.

scholarly journals Framework of communication needed to protect against human rights violations of individuals who exercise their right to religious freedom in minority religions

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanus P. Pretorius
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
World Peace ◽  
Special Rapporteur ◽  
International Level ◽  
Minority Religions ◽  
Religious Intolerance ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Relationship

The right to religious freedom is generally believed to be the solution to religious intolerance and discrimination and to ensure world peace amongst world citizens. On an international level, the United Nations, through the appointment of a special rapporteur for freedom of religion and belief, has introduced a tool to monitor violations of this right. This tool is known as �the framework of communications� and is focused mainly on the relationship between governments and religions. Unfortunately, religion is not excluded from the violation of human rights within its own ranks. This article pointed out that however pure the intention of freedom of religion, no real measures are in place to address violations of human rights in minority religions. Therefore, a tool is needed to investigate and address alleged violations within minority religions.

scholarly journals THE CONCEPT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: HISTORY AND MODERNITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-23
Author(s):  
Mariia Nesterova
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Religious Traditions ◽  
Personal Rights ◽  
The Status ◽  
Human Rights Standards

The concept of religious freedom, the history of its development, the concept of religious freedom in acts of international organizations, as well as the legislation of Ukraine is considered. Human rights and freedoms do not depend on the socio-economic structure of the state and the level of its development. They should be provided to every person and guaranteed by the country. Constitution and national legislation. It should be noted that the relevance of the issue of international human rights standards (including religious freedom) has become much more acute for our country. No one should be subjected to coercion that diminishes his will to have or accept a religion or belief of his own choosing. Freedom to manifest religion or belief is subject only to restrictions established by law and necessary to protect public safety, order, health, and morals. The features of improvement and trends of changes in the understanding of religious freedom in different epochs and cultural and historical periods of the development of society are analyzed. For a meaningful understanding and clarification of all controversial issues related to the issues of freedom of religion, the origin and perception of it by thinkers and religious traditions of past centuries are considered. The problematic moments and promising achievements of the Ukrainian legislation in matters relating to religious freedom and the rights of believers are highlighted. Freedom of conscience and freedom of religion occupy an important place in the system of personal rights. Guaranteeing the equality of churches before the law, our state recognizes and abides by the provisions, none of them can claim a dominant role in society and the status of a state, and national interests should prevail over the interests of any religious organization.

scholarly journals Barns rett til religionsfrihet

Prismet ◽  
1970 ◽  
pp. 273-287
Author(s):  
Rune Øystese
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Religious Freedom ◽  
Freedom Of Religion ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Children And Parents ◽  
The Right

This article discusses whether there is a tension between granting children freedom of religion and giving the parents the right to decide over the upbringing of their children. It presents what Norwegian law, which has incorporated several UN Human Rights conventions, has to say about this. It also discusses whether the interpretation presented can be in the best interest of the child. The last part addresses how parents can give their children a sound religious upbringing and still give them the freedom to choose their own faith.Keywords: Rights of children and parents, Religious freedom, Religious upbringingNøkkelord: Barn og foreldres rettigheter, religiøs frihet, religiøs oppdragelse,

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