Contribution by Dr John B. Taylor
Representative of IARF at United Nations, Geneva

In the context of the 20th anniversary of the 1981 United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, the Special Rapporteur on the question of freedom of religion or belief organized in Madrid in November 2001 an International Consultative Conference on the theme "Tolerance and non-discrimination in relation with freedom of religion or belief in primary or elementary and secondary education". IARF has warmly congratulated the Special Rapporteur because he has not rested content with exposing instances of intolerant legislation or practice; he has had the foresight to promote a strategy of prevention of intolerance via school education.

Several members of the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, which has been recently re-established in Geneva with the support of IARF and other religious and secular NGOs, prepared a statement for the March/April 2002 Commission on Human Rights regretting that the Madrid conference spoke in its final document only of "education for tolerance" and omitted explicit reference to "religious education". However, there had been much discussion, especially among the relatively few educators at the conference, as to how "religious education" might itself contribute to "education for tolerance".

A contribution of "religious education" could be not only in terms of learning from religions the values of mutual respect and tolerance, but it could also include learning from some of the mistakes and abuses made in the name of religion which have led to persecution or hostility. The good and bad potentials of religious education can find parallels in the good or bad teaching of history, ethics or civics. Tolerance requires an active, appreciative and constructively critical sense of respecting diversities This should not be reduced to a stagnant sense of unwilling toleration, as in the sentiment "I tolerate your presence but do not respect your beliefs". The "right to difference" is a fundamental aspect of the right to freedom of religion or belief.

IARF prepared for the Madrid consultation a booklet with case studies of religious education in a variety of countries: United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, People's Republic of China (Taiwan Province), Australia, United States and other countries in Latin America. These case studies demonstrate a wide variety of contexts; in some of these religious education is required in the syllabus but in some it is inhibited or even prohibited. One of the recognized rights of the child is to have access to appropriate education about his or her religious and cultural traditions in accordance with parental wishes. Sometimes this education may be provided by the state, even on a compulsory basis (although parents or children may exercise a right of withdrawal if they have conscientious objection to the syllabi or teaching methods). In other places religious education may be in the hands of parents and religious communities.

Neglect or exclusion of religious education from state schooling can lead to ignorance about one's own or one's neighbours' religion and can be a prime cause of tension, xenophobia and conflict, even leading to civil and international wars. This was seen most strikingly in the break-up of the former Yugoslavia; decades of atheistic ideology had left people in widespread ignorance of religious values or with the sort of partial or prejudiced knowledge that could be manipulated to reinforce chauvinistic appeals to justify violence.

When religious education is primarily the responsibility of religious communities and families, teachers and parents should avoid, no less than in the context of state education, any pressure, constraint or false inducement to follow such education. It is to be regretted that religious education offered in churches, mosques, temples, seminaries, religious schools, etc., may sometimes in the past have been or may still sometimes be conducted without proper respect for children's and students' freedom of enquiry and choice and without attitudes of truthfulness and respect towards religions other than one's own. Such religious education can defeat its own purposes and can turn children and students against their own religious heritage as well as against that of others.

All teaching and learning take place today in societies that are increasingly exposed to global pluralism. The ambivalent processes of globalization are not only political and economic but also cultural; some may confer benefits but some may lead to exploitation and destruction. There are the extreme dangers of imposed control and standardization or of deliberate marginalization and fragmentation. People may sometimes react defensively and retreat into a ghetto of cultural isolation or they may take up aggressive postures and try to impose their own culture on others. On the positive side there may be an exhilarating opportunity for people to be enriched by diverse expressions in art, literature and religious practice; such experiences may help to build a sense of mutual inter-dependence. People can feel that they need each other not only in economic or political terms, but also in sharing cultural wealth and diversity. Syllabi and teaching materials in "Global Ethics" can provide useful models and challenges.

Young children who come from different backgrounds but work in the same classroom may want to celebrate together their respective religious festivals. Here is a chance to learn respect for differences of practice but also to recognize common or at least comparable experiences of joy or grief. Here too is a way to recognize that each person can have aspirations to common rights and this can lead to a desire to fulfil together shared duties. The preparation of religious calendars covering the festivals of all communities is a useful exercise which promotes contact and confidence both in gathering the information and circulating it, and may lead to the possibility of mutual congratulations or visits on the occasions of each others' festivals.

In some ways I should prefer this theme to have been entitled "Learning Tolerance" since a change of attitude is not something that can be simply taught, let alone imposed or required. Tolerance is an attitude that must be discovered, chosen and applied. Education for tolerance is a process of motivating and inspiring people to overcome their own prejudices. It is also a process of developing an understanding of the diverse and even conflicting explanations as to why intolerance and discrimination have come to be so prevalent and dangerous. These learning processes will need to be adapted for many distinct age groups and will need to be developed at many levels of both formal and informal education, of both secular and religious education.

When IARF brought together Muslim and Christian educators for a workshop in June 2002 the participants were aware of levels of misunderstanding and prejudice between their communities in many parts of the contemporary world. They agreed upon various principles and proposals, among others that: "Religious education and learning about religion must include a commitment to understanding the traditions of others who share a common space with us" and that "all teaching must engender respect for people and their inalienable human rights as well as for the communities wherein they are located". There was a desire to "develop a comprehensive approach to religious pluralism by involving all stake-holders including parents, teachers, civil society and governments".

"Learning" calls for teachers, and so the teaching of tolerance does become a legitimate concern. First of all there should be adequate facilities for training teachers, not least in encouraging values and attitudes of respect and tolerance. Pedagogical methods of state employed teachers but also of teachers in religious institutions should lead to the development of students' curiosity and freedom of choice. Teachers, parents and students should apply such principles as they promote experiments and experiences of inter-disciplinary co-operation. Such approaches will help to motivate responsibilities towards society at large and also to the natural environment. Teaching should not be a process of brain-washing, inculcation or unilateral directives but should be inspiring learning, enquiry, discovery and choice.

Freedom of religion or belief, including non-religious belief, is a fundamental human right and it is a basic religious and moral responsibility to promote values of tolerance and of respect for difference. One should never uphold the freedom to express one's religion or belief by using educational methods that contain or transmit violent, discriminatory or intolerant attitudes.