EFTRE Conference Budapest Reflections John Keast, Rapporteur, 26 August 2007

Task of rapporteur to summarise (!) to reflect on achievements, significance, directions not just my own but help to articulate yours

Reflections as rapporteur Common metaphor - journey: through time (four days) of discovery: - each other - about city - the issues

Rhys Jones makes it real

Liam Gearon: RE & citizenship complexity of concepts of citizenship the inevitable (if benign) ideological link between citizenship education and politics necessity of a historical perspective the previously neglected but increasing role of religion in citizenship the potential for Religious Education What is citizenship for RE?

Svein Sando: City and Citizenship The link of city and citizenship through three architects Notions such as the importance of ‘sensing’ the concept of ‘indfald’ the ideal combination of impulse and utility enabling us to identify with our buildings

Religious Identity and Citizenship: Budapest Prehistoric Slav Mongol Turk Austrian Nazi Communist Hungarian Jewish minority

Religious Identity and Citizenship: Bert Roebben a description of religion that could enable a discovery of the identity of the common humanity for Europe a concept of RE that is multi-, inter- and intra-religious for this purpose

Into the classroom Various menus and dishes to sample

Chris Doude van Troostwejck: Identity on the move The nature of the European spirit Towards a community of spirit Part of the self search of humankind Requires an enlarged (global) perspective Religiosity of young and self-reflexivity should inspire RE on European level

Peter Schreiner: visions for the future History of EFTRE conferences EFRE to be connected to Europe and become NGO at Council of Europe EFTRE to be further linked with wider education agenda EFTRE to be full contributor to Europeanisation of RE through exchange and research

Journey of discovery Getting to know each other Getting to know the city Getting to know the issues –Citizenship –Identity –RE

Citizenship and religion 1 a hallmark of civilised humanity & always will be citizenship education new, citizenship is not new now are the threats to that civilised humanity –the power and role of the media –secularisation and fundamentalist/extremist nature of some religious traditions –globalisation and mass migration –materialism and individualism of modern culture how to promote citizenship and do citizenship education in such a time

Citizenship and Religion: Issue 1 Religion cannot be ignored in developing answers to how to be a citizen in our time, but what are the roles of religion (and the religions) in those answers?

Citizenship and religion 2 Always been ideological link between education and politics - the state pays for education: utilitarian/economic reasons, and literate population needed for a flourishing democracy, more governable how to manage the ideological linkage in such a way that the integrity of the education process is not too compromised crucial issue for religion: have their own (various) claims to truth, authority and practice that may transcend the state, politics and educational theory Eg launch of ‘Faith in the System’ - a memorandum of understanding between government and faith communities about the role of religion in education Crucial issue for RE curriculum – real/relevant/citizenship

Citizenship and religion: Issue 2 How is role of religion in education to be defined and exercised? What are the implications for the structure and control of schools, of the curriculum, and of the RE curriculum?

Citizenship and religion 3 global and international forces at work A variety of political and legal systems at work in the world today that limit the freedom of individual states a mixture (confusion, transition) the nation state and a global human rights-based system of governance Religion part of the nation state identity but also universal in its claim and allegiance religion is about more than human rights, even if it is about them too.

Citizenship and Religion : Issue 3 How does religion cope with internationalisation?

Religion and Identity 1 Role of religion in acquiring, establishing, maintaining identity Family, social and individual issue Question of power as well as status I – thou rather than I – It (Buber) Role and nature of dialogue

Religion and Identity: Issue 1 How to have and value (religious) identity without denying or obliterating the (religious) identity of the other?

Religion and Identity 2 Multiple identities: Not chosen (given by birth) - Cornish, English, British, European, White, Male Cannot be European without national Chosen? Christian Role and nature of choice – issues of personhood, family, community, truth

Religion and identity: Issue 2 How to be religious in a religiously plural society?

Religious Education 1 Importance of articulating the links between religion and school, community, nation, Europe and world Importance of a vision of the nature and purpose of the RE curriculum and link with the wider curriculum/agenda

Religious Education: Issue 1 How can RE make a bigger contribution to the wider world of education? What sort of RE do we want in our schools and who should decide it?

Religious Education 2 Importance of research into intention and effect of RE Networking with the source/controls of the RE curriculum: confession, profession, community, state, Europe, UN

Religious Education 2 (contd) Role of EFTRE in answering issue 1 Role of CoGREE in answering issue 1 Links with national institutions Links with European institutions, especially CoE Need for a European RE strategy?

Religious Education 2 How can EFTRE (CoGREE) build the capacity to play a more powerful role in shaping RE in Europe?

What do you think? 1 1.Religion cannot be ignored in developing answers to how to be a citizen in our time, but what are the roles of religion (and the religions) in those answers? 2.How is role of religion in education to be defined and exercised? What are the implications for the structure and control of schools, the curriculum and the RE curriculum? 3.How does religion cope with internationalisation?

Religious Diversity and Intercultural Education: A reference book for schools Council of Europe Publishing Price 15 euros or US$25 Link to CoE website publications: ISBN

What do you think? 2 4.How to have and value an identity without denying or obliterating the identity of the other? 5.How to be religious in a religiously plural society? 6.How can RE make a bigger contribution to the wider world of education? What sort of RE do we want in our schools and who should decide it? 7.How can EFTRE (CoGREE) build the capacity to play a more powerful role in shaping RE in Europe?

Final reflections Take this discussion back to your own various contexts and progress it Report your progress to EFTRE Board in one year’s time Feed that into CoGREE and to the planning process for next EFTRE conference Focus may need to be on the role of the RE teacher Bon voyage!