LA ENSEÑANZA DE LAS RELIGIONES Y SU POSIBLE CONTRIBUCIÓN AL DESARROLLO DE LA PAZ

Abstract

The religious education taught by different religious groups has direct influence on the development and consolidation of peace and tolerance in the world. In that respect, the authors of this article noted the concerns expressed by the representatives of major religions who met in Granada (Spain) in 1998, regarding certain issues related to the specific approaches of peace among different peoples and cultures. They mention, among others: spirituality as common framework of religious experience; human and social sciences as an objective tool for the evaluation and analysis of different religious traditions: concern for social justice and for the establishment, respect for and defense of human rights in all States: the struggle against violence: as wells as the environment and the role of the Catholic Church and other religious traditions in building a new Europe. These concerns were logically reflected in the conclusions adopted at the meeting on «The Contribution of Religions to a Culture of Peace» regarding religion and religious communities, educational institutions and the important role UNESCO and the entire United Nations system in directing, supporting and consolidating this process.