Events Archive

IRLA Board of Experts Meeting, Caceres, Spain May 17-21, 2001

The IRLA Board of Experts met in Caceres, Spain May 17-21, 2001. The theme chosen was: "Meeting of Experts on Education and Religion in Relation with Freedom of Religion and Belief."

This was a joint meeting with IRLA's sister organization, the Association pour la Defense de la Liberte Religieuse, and was hosted in Caceres by the University of Extremadura (Dr. Jaime Rossell, coordinator) and the Spanish Department of Religious Affairs.

The purpose was to formulate strategy and to develop recommendations for the UN 2001 Madrid International Consultative Conference on School Education in Relation to Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination.

Recommendations

IRLA Experts Develop Religious Education Strategy

May 21, 2001. Caceres, Spain [IRLA News]

The International Religious Liberty Association board of experts meeting in Spain May 17-21 developed a strategy for freedom of religion in education in preparation for the UN-sponsored Conference to be held in Madrid, Spain in November 2001.

The board of experts brought together religious freedom professionals and educators from a wide range of backgrounds and countries, reports John Graz, IRLA secretary general. "We were able to make much progress in defining the role of religious education especially as it relates to concepts of religious freedom and human rights. Such preparatory meetings are essential to produce a clear framework for the development of educational curricula in which freedom of conscience and respect for human rights can be developed."

The board of experts meeting was held in Caceres at the invitation of the University of Extremadura with the participation of the department of religious affairs, Spanish Ministry of Justice, with several academic and official representatives also present.

The UN 2001 Madrid International Consultative Conference on School Education in Relation to Freedom of Religion and Belief, Tolerance and Non-discrimination is the most significant UN conference to address such concepts, says Graz. The Caceres meeting was designed to provide direct input into the Conference, and an 18-point recommendation document was voted by the board of experts.

The recommendations include re-affirmation of the right to receive religious education, the importance to limit state intervention according to international norms, and the respect for freedom of conscience and religious convictions in state-directed education.

The recommendations conclude that "The UN Madrid Conference should take into account the importance of religious traditions in modern life. The Conference should encourage school religious education to foster a culture of peace through a better understanding among persons and groups of different religions or philosophical backgrounds." [Jonathan Gallagher]

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Participants:

Prof. Alberto de la Hera, Director, Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Spain

Profa. Da. R. Martinez, Deputy Director, Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Spain

M. Doudou Diene, Director, Inter-cultural Division, UNESCO

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Robbers, Director of European Constitutional Law Institute, University of Trier

Prof. Jean Paul Willaime, Director of Studies, School of High Studies, University of Sorbonne

Prof. Dr. Natan Lerner, Radzyner School of Law, Herzliya Interdisciplinary Center, Israel

Dr. Gunnar Staalsett, Bishop of Oslo, President of the Oslo Coalition on Religious Freedom and Belief

Prof. Roland Minnerath, Catholic Theological Faculty, University of Strasburg

Dr. Maurice Verfaillie, Secretary General, AIDRL

Dr. John Graz, Secretary General, IRLA

Dr. Bert Beach, Vice-president, IRLA

Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, Deputy Secretary General, IRLA

Prof. Cole Durham, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

Dr. David Little, President of the International Academy for Church-State Relations, Harvard University

Dr. Jean Arnold de Clermont, President, Protestant Federation of France

Dr. Enrique Becerra, Education Department, Seventh-day Adventist Church

Dr. Roberto Badenas, Director, Education Department, Euro-African Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church

Dr. Jaime Rossell, Department of Ecclesiastical Law, University of Extremadura

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Observers

Prof. D. Isidoro Martin Sanchez

Prof. D. Daniel Tirapu

Prof. D. Jorge de Otaduy

Profa. Da. Carmen Perez-Coco y Sanchez-Matas

Profa. Da. Maria Dolores Cebria Garcia

Prof. D. Joaquin Mantecon

Sr. Alberto Guaita

Report prepared by: Jonathan Gallagher
Deputy Secretary General
International Religious Liberty Association

5/22/01

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