“Blessed are the peacemakers” at the Conference of the Faculty of Theology.

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The workshop “Blessed are the Peacemakers” by the Interorthodox Centre of the Church of Greece, with coordinators Kalliopi Mavragka, Dr. Christos Nasios and Sergios Voilas, was held on November 26th, 2024, within the framework of the international conference of the Faculty of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens “Orthodox Theology in the 21st Century, Challenges & Perspectives”. It should be noted that at the Interorthodox Centre of the Church of Greece in 1976 the previous conference of the Faculty of Theology took place, the second one, and you can view the material HERE
The workshop we ran, focused on understanding and cooperation among religious communities, on building bridges of communication and peaceful coexistence through education, dialogue and the participation of civil society.
The workshop aimed to empower religious leaders, educators and community representatives with the necessary knowledge and skills to address xenophobia and promote tolerance in their respective communities. By adopting an approach that takes into account the religious beliefs and sensitization of community members, the workshop sought to create an environment conducive to interfaith dialogue, understanding and cooperation.

“Why words matter: an interreligious perspective to combating hate speech”

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A great event on the theme: “Why words matter: an interreligious perspective to combating hate speech” was held at the European Parliament in Brussels on 19th of November 2024 and was hosted by Austrian Member of the European Parliament Mr. Lukas Mandl with the support of KAICIID and the European Council of Religious Leaders-ECRL. Ambassador Antonio de Almeida-Ribeiro, Deputy Secretary General of KAICIID, Ms. Antonella Sberna, Vice President of the European Parliament responsible for the implementation of Article 17 TFEU, Ms. Katharina von Schnurbein, Coordinator on combating Antisemitism and fostering Jewish life, European Commission gave speeches. Presentations were also made by Mr. Vincent Depaigne, Coordinator for the dialogue between the European Commission and churches, religious associations or communities as well as philosophical and non-confessional organizations, Rabbi Schlomo Hofmeister, Board member of the European Muslim-Jewish Leadership Council-MJCL, Ms. Amina Baghajati, Board Member of the Muslim-Jewish Leaders Majlis (EuLeMa) and member of the MJLC and Mr. Alexandre Guessel, Special Representative of the Secretary General on Antisemitic, Anti-Muslim and other forms of religious intolerance and hate crimes, Council of Europe. The meeting was coordinated by Ms. Teresa Albano, senior Program Manager, Europe Region Program, KAICIID. The Interorthodox Centre of the Church of Greece was represented by Mr. Sergios Voilas. Discussions took place concerning the importance of Article 17 dialogue between the #EU and #faith-based organizations. The meeting focused on matters of common concern and on creating opportunities for stronger collaboration with European institutions and faith-based organizations on issues such as countering hate speech, integrating refugees and migrants and building social cohesion.