Peer Reviewed Article on Laws and Ethics Religious Beliefs Similarity and Differences Pdf

What is faith and belief?

Belief is a state of the mind when we consider something true fifty-fifty though we are not 100% sure or able to prove it. Everybody has beliefs about life and the world they experience. Mutually supportive beliefs may class belief systems, which may be religious, philosophical or ideological.
Religions are belief systems that relate humanity to spirituality. The post-obit definition from Wikipedia provides a skilful overview of the many dimensions of organized religion:
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to requite meaning to life or to explain the origin of life or the universe. They tend to derive morality, ethics, religious laws or a preferred lifestyle from their ideas almost the cosmos and human nature. […] Many religions have organised behaviours, clergy, a definition of what constitutes adherence or membership, congregations of laity, regular meetings or services for the purposes of veneration of a deity or for prayer, holy places (either natural or architectural), and/or scriptures. The exercise of a religion may also include sermons, commemoration of the activities of a god or gods, sacrifices, festivals, feasts, trance, initiations, funerary services, matrimonial services, meditation, music, fine art, dance, public service, or other aspects of human culture. However, in that location are examples of religions for which some or many of these aspects of construction, belief, or practices are absent.ⁱ

Beliefs in the spiritual dimension of life accept existed since time immemorial. Many homo societies accept left the states historical evidence of their systems of belief, whether it was worship of the dominicus, of gods and goddesses, cognition of expert and evil or of the sacred. Stonehenge, the Bamiyan Buddhas, the Almudena Cathedral in Madrid, Uluru at Alice Springs, the Bahá'í Gardens of Haifa, Fujiyama, the sacred mount of Japan, Kaaba in Saudi Arabia or the Gilt Temple in Amritsar all bear testament to the human experience of spirituality, which may exist an objective reality or a issue of the man yearning for an explanation of the meaning of life and our role in the world.
In the simplest sense, organized religion describes "the relationship of homo beings to what they regard as holy, sacred, spiritual or divine".² It is commonly accompanied by a gear up of organised practices which foster a community of people who share that faith. Every bit discussed above, conventionalities is a hypernym and information technology also includes "commitments which deny a dimension of existence across this globe".ⁱⁱⁱ

Religions and other belief systems in our environs have an influence on our identity, regardless of whether we consider ourselves religious or spiritual or not. At the same fourth dimension, other parts of our identity, our history, our approach to other religions and groups considered "unlike" will influence how nosotros interpret that faith or belief system.

Question: What religions are practised in your country?

Religions and related social and cultural structures take played an important part in human being history. As mental structures, they influence the fashion we perceive the world around us and the values we accept or reject. Equally social structures, they provide a supporting network and a sense of belonging. In many cases, religions accept become the footing of power structures and accept become intertwined with it. History, remote and recent, is full of examples of "theocratic" states, be they Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish or other. The separation between state and religion is notwithstanding contempo and merely partly applied: there are official state religions in Europe and de facto state religions. In most cases this does not pose a item problem every bit long equally information technology is tempered past values of tolerance.

Statistics on religion or conventionalities adherents can never be very accurate, because the dynamic nature of this pattern besides as the fact that many people amongst us live in contexts where freedom of religion and conventionalities is non enjoyed. The statistics below are, therefore, intended to exemplify the diversity of the global picture. The figures indicate the estimated number of adherents of the largest religions⁴:

African Traditional and Diasporic:	100 million
Baha'i:	7 meg
Buddhism:	376 one thousand thousand
Cao Dai:	4 million
Chinese traditional religion:	394 million
Christianity:	ii.1 billion
Hinduism:	900 million
Islam:	1.5 billion
Jainism:	4.2 1000000
Judaism:	14 meg
Neo-Paganism:	1 million
Primal-indigenous (tribal religionists, ethnic religionists, or animists):	300 million
Rastafarianism:	600 thou
Shinto:	iv 1000000
Sikhism:	23 milllion
Spiritism:	15 1000000
Tenrikyo:	2 1000000
Unitarian-Universalism:	800 m
Zoroastrianism:	two.six million

The number of secular, non-religious, agnostic and atheists is estimated at 1.1 billion.

Question: Which religions are missing in this list?

Different religions and beliefs accept long existed in the European region every bit well. In some historical periods, Europe has provided refuge to persecuted religious groups and immune a diversity of religions and beliefs to flourish. At other times, still, European countries have fallen casualty to fanaticism and been engrossed in "religious wars", such as the Thirty Years War of 1618-1648 that led to the slaughter of ane-3rd of the continent'due south population.
The misuse, or abuse, of religious arguments has led to the justification of painful conflicts and wars, persecutions and intolerance. Regardless of how nosotros empathise these historical legacies, a wide range of religions and beliefs exist in Europe and they have and continue to accept an touch on on our societies. In this manner, organized religion and belief are important factors to consider in relation to immature people and youth work because, directly or indirectly, they take an affect on immature people'southward identity and sense of belonging.

Liberty of religion or belief in human rights instruments

Everyone has the correct to liberty of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his organized religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or individual, to manifest his religion or conventionalities in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Universal Annunciation of Human Rights, Article 18

This was later on confirmed in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as in several regional binding human rights documents, such as the African Charter on Man and People's Rights (Article 8) or the European Convention on Human Rights and Primal Freedoms (Article 9).
The United nations Human Rights Committee emphasises that this freedom is "far-reaching and profound", that it "encompasses freedom of thought on all matters, personal confidence and the delivery to religion or belief, whether manifested individually or in community with others", that the freedom for conscience should be equal to that for religion and belief and that protection is for "theistic, not-theistic and atheistic beliefs, as well every bit the correct non to profess whatsoever religion or belief".⁵ Accordingly, any serious conventionalities or conviction – whether a person is Sikh, confronting hunting, pacifist, Mormon, vegan or ideologically driven past activism against climate change – tin exist protected within this right.

This freedom in international law was historically focused on the religious liberty of minority communities. Today, laws securing freedom of religion and belief are no longer focused on the need to maintain the status quo in guild not to undermine regional security, but spotlight a number of concerns including not-discrimination, equality and nobility. Championing this freedom has societal as well as individualist rationales, allowing people the scope to (openly) seek, (vigorously) discuss and (freely) uphold the behavior that they cull, alone or forth with others. Achieving an enabling environment for this freedom requires not only non-interference on the grounds of religion or belief by the country but positive measures to exist taken to attain and maintain such an environment in society at large. In practice, this should include, for example, the possibility to brand available places of worship or to provide moral and religious education.

Question: Are yous a fellow member of whatsoever religious community? How did you become involved?

As with all other man rights, this freedom does not "trump" other freedoms and it sometimes finds itself in tension with other man rights, such every bit freedom of stance and expression and freedom from discrimination on the grounds of sexual practice or sexual orientation. This is reflected for instance in the fashion Article nine of the European Convention on Human rights is structured: there is an accented protection of the right to religious belief, conscience and thought, but the manifestations just bask a qualified protection in so far as they do not violate other human being rights.

European Convention on Homo Rights and Cardinal Freedoms

Article 9
1.  Anybody has the right to freedom of idea, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to modify his faith or belief, and freedom,
either alone or in customs with others and in public or private, to manifest his organized religion or belief, in worship, didactics, do and observance.
ii.  Freedom to manifest ane's religion or beliefs shall exist subject only to such limitations equally are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic
social club in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health or morals, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.

Freedom of religion and belief – including freedom to change religion – is essential to all of usa, in our search for significant, our total evolution, our identity and our expression as members of a customs or communities. Whether we have a business firm religion or belief, whether we are undecided, or even if we do not really care much for religion or belief, this liberty matters to people and the societies they build.

^{Are there whatever communities in your country that do not enjoy the same level of liberty of organized religion and conventionalities as others?}

Challenges to and violations of the freedom of religion or belief

Throughout religious history, many religious and societal features have been embedded in the surround where a particular organized religion was practised, and they are reflected in culture and politics. Many pieces of literature, poesy, art and music, wearing apparel codes and ways of organising life together have been drawn from religions. Religion has made a strong imprint on civilization, which can be seen, for example, on holy days, at feasts, in marriage ceremonies, burial practices, pilgrimages, the wearing of religious symbols (e.m. jewellery or dress codes), or in physical alterations to the body, such as male circumcision.
The influence of religions may go even stronger when nations adopt a state religion or religious ideology. In such situations, religion and religious arguments may become dislocated with the political, economic or social reasoning.

The extent to which freedom of thought, censor and faith allow distinctive practices of a community of believers to diverge from those of the residuum of the lodge is ofttimes debated within the human rights community. Examples of this include attitudes towards women in religious leadership positions, traditional ceremonies involving children, laws surrounding marriage, divorce or burial, prohibition on the depiction of divine beings or other religious figures, and so on.

In such contexts, the human rights bodies would criticise harmful practices, regardless of whether they were traditionally condoned by particular cultures, nations or religions. Such criticism is not an attack on civilisation, nationality or organized religion but an effort to strike a balance between the right to one's religions and belief and other human rights, since several of these practices tin result in serious homo rights abuse. Harmful traditional practices include female genital mutilation, son-preference (which can manifest itself in sex-selective abortion, declining to treat newborn girls, discrimination in education in favour of sons, discrimination in nutrition), arranged or forced marriages, union of children, dowry-related crimes and crimes justified past "honour", exclusion or limitation of some rights of not-adherents to a more powerful religious group in a given community, segregation co-ordinate to religious lines, and so on. Such practices disproportionately affect women and children: invoking tradition is used to justify bigotry on the basis of gender and age. Furthermore, in several cases, situations which, from a human rights perspective, are a violation of human dignity, remain unrecognised, taboo and unpunished. Few of these practices are based on religious precepts; the fact that they are deeply anchored in culture and tradition do not make catastrophe them whatever easier. Changes have to come up through legislative change, education and empowerment.
Throughout history, religions have played a crucial role in imposing limitations on human activity in order to protect the physical and psychological integrity or nobility of other people. Yet, even though religious philosophies take contributed to the development of a censor of man rights and nobility, the human rights related to religion and belief are no more exempt from the tensions and contradictions that are present in human rights instruments, than are other rights. Equally seen in the case of harmful traditional practices, sometimes convictions or beliefs are used to justify outright concrete harm with astringent health consequences.

Question: Are there religious practices in your customs/ies that you consider harmful?

Discrimination and intolerance
on grounds of religion or belief

Religious intolerance tin can be observed at different levels: among adherents of the same organized religion (intra-religious intolerance); between one religion or religious mental attitude and another, manifesting itself in various forms of conflicts between persons and groups of persons (inter-religious intolerance); in the class of confrontational atheism or confrontational theism, which are intolerant of complimentary option and practise of other religions or belief commitments; or in the form of anti-secularism. Religious intolerance is oftentimes confused with xenophobia and other forms of discrimination; sometimes information technology is also used to justify discrimination.
Most human rights violations related to liberty of faith and conventionalities are also related to liberty from discrimination. Discrimination on the grounds of religion and belief is opposite to human rights just information technology is nonetheless experienced daily by many people beyond Europe. The fact that religion and belief are often confused with culture, nationality and ethnicity makes information technology more than complicated but also more painful on an individual level: you may be discriminated against on the grounds of religious amalgamation fifty-fifty if you happen not to believe in the religion you lot are associated with.

Bigotry and intolerance touch negatively on order as a whole, and particularly on young people who experience it. Such effects include:

• Low self-esteem
• Cocky-segregation
• Internalised oppression
• Disengagement from schoolhouse activities
• Not-fulfilment of their potential
• Attraction to violent extremist ideologies
• School drib-out
• Health problems / low⁶

Religious intolerance is also used to feed hatred in, and to contribute to, armed conflicts, not then much considering information technology is the cause of conflict but because religious belonging is used to depict dividing lines, as armed conflicts in the Balkans and Caucasus demonstrate. The consequences of international terrorism and the "wars on terrorism" have been especially devastating in Europe and across, notably because religious intolerance becomes mixed with xenophobia and racism.
No unmarried social group, organized religion or community has the monopoly of discrimination. Fifty-fifty though the levels of protection of the freedom of religion and belief vary significantly across the member states of the Council of Europe, religious intolerance and discrimination affects everyone in Europe.

Intolerance and bigotry
against Muslims (Islamophobia)

Of particular business organization in several European countries is the ascent of Islamophobia, the fear and hatred of Islam, resulting in bigotry against Muslims or people associated with Islam. Islam is the most widespread organized religion in Europe afterwards Christianity and the majority organized religion in various member states of the Quango of Europe. The hostility towards Islam as a organized religion and to Muslim people, specially following the "wars on terror", has revealed deep-rooted prejudices against Muslims in many European societies. With the perception of the religion of Islam as being associated only with terrorism and extremism, Islamophobia has contributed to negative views of Islam and Muslims, wrongly generalising militant religious extremism and ultra-conservatism onto all Muslim countries and Muslim people. This intolerance and stereotyped view of Islam has manifested itself in a number of ways, ranging from verbal or written corruption of Muslim people, discrimination at schools and workplaces, and psychological harassment or force per unit area, to outright fierce attacks on mosques and individuals, peculiarly women who clothing headscarves.^seven In this context, mass-media has played a role, offer at times representations of Muslim people which were distorted, if not outright stereotyped and defamatory.
Similar other victims of bigotry grounded on religious affiliation, bigotry against Muslims may overlap with other forms of discrimination and xenophobia, such as anti-immigrant sentiments, racism and sexism.

Half-dozen recurring prejudices about Muslims

All the same:

Muslims are seen as all beingness much the same as each other, regardless of their nationality, social class and political outlook, and of whether they are observant in their beliefs and practice.
All are motivated by religion: It is thought that the unmarried near of import matter almost Muslims, in all circumstances, is their religious faith. And then, if Muslims engage in violence, for case, it is assumed that this is considering their religion advocates violence.
Totally "other": Muslims are seen as totally "other": they are seen equally having few if any interests, needs or values in common with people who practise not accept a Muslim background.
Culturally and morally junior: Muslims are seen as culturally and morally junior and prone to existence irrational and violent, intolerant in their treatment of women, cynical towards world views different from their own, and hostile and resentful towards "the West" for no good reason.
Threat: Muslims are seen equally a security threat, in tacit or open sympathy with international terrorism and bent on the "Islamisation" of the countries where they live.
Co-performance is impossible: As a consequence of the previous five perceptions, it is claimed that there is no possibility of agile partnership between Muslims and people with different religious or cultural backgrounds.
Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, OSCE/ODIHR, Council of Europe and UNESCO.

Anti-Christian sentiments (Christianophobia)

Christianophobia refers to every form of discrimination and intolerance confronting some or all Christians, the Christian religion, or the practise of Christianity. Like other forms of bigotry based on religion, the perpetrators may exist people from other religions – often the bulk religions – as much as secular institutions. Hostility against Christians manifests itself in attacks against places of worship, verbal corruption and, particularly in countries where Christians are a minority, restrictions on building and sometimes preserving churches or monasteries.
Particularly worrying is the ascension in attacks against Christians in the Middle Due east. A recommendation of the Parliamentary Assembly on this matter calls, amongst other things, for the need to "raise awareness about the need to combat all forms of religious fundamentalism and the manipulation of religious beliefs for political reasons, which are so oft the crusade of nowadays day terrorism. Education and dialogue are 2 important tools that could contribute towards the prevention of such evils"^viii.

Question: Accept you e'er experienced whatever bias towards you because of your religion or belief? How did you react?

Antisemitism

Antisemitism – hostility towards Jews equally a religious or minority group often accompanied by social, economic, and political discrimination – is an example of the combination of racism and religious discrimination. Fifty-fifty though the straight targets of antisemitism are Jewish people, the motivation for discrimination and violence is non necessarily based on Judaism as a religion but on Jews as a people.
Reports from human being rights organisations regularly state an alarming rise in the number of antisemitic attacks accompanied, in some countries, by the rising of openly antisemitic spoken communication in the political arena. Events include attacks against Jewish schools, "while Jewish pupils were assaulted, harassed, and injured in growing numbers on their way to and from schoolhouse or in the classroom, including by their classmates. Educators written report that the term "Jew" has become a popular swearword amidst youngsters."⁹ Rather than beingness confined to extremist circles, Antisemitism is thus increasingly being mainstreamed.
In its Recommendation No. 9 on the fight against Antisemitism, adopted in 2004, the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance recommends, amongst others, fellow member states to ensure that criminal constabulary penalises antisemitic acts such equally:
public incitement to violence, hatred, bigotry, public insults, defamation and threats aimed at a person or a grouping of persons on the grounds of their actual or presumed Jewish identity or origin
the public expression, with an antisemitic aim, of an ideology which depreciates or denigrates a grouping of persons on the grounds of their Jewish identity or origin
the public deprival, trivialisation, justification or condoning, of the Shoah and of crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes committed against persons on the grounds of their Jewish identity or origin
the desecration and profanation, with an antisemitic aim, of Jewish property and monuments
the creation or the leadership of a group which promotes Antisemitism.

Religious intolerance and bigotry is non express to Antisemitism, Christianophobia or Islamophobia. Among the many forms of bigotry is the non-recognition of some religions and the divergence of treatment between them. Religions and systems of belief can thus be banned, persecuted or closely controlled because of their declared "sectarian" nature or their irrelevance on the grounds of being "insignificant".
It is important to recall that liberty of faith and belief includes the right to change religion and the right non to adhere to, or declare, a religion.

Question: What happens if y'all decide to adopt a religion different from your family unit and community?

Despite the growing and widespread manifestations of religious intolerance, it is important to bear in mind that religion and man rights are perfectly uniform and that simply a man rights framework can secure freedom of religion and belief for all.
The history of Europe is, indeed, full of examples of violence and barbarity in the proper name of organized religion. These acts take been and are existence committed by men and women, not commanded past religious precepts, merely by people.
Fortunately, the history and the reality of our world is also a living bear witness of the optimism of religious diversity: no single society is mono-religious and no single system of thought has ever prevailed, even nether the most farthermost forms of totalitarianism. Furthermore, the examples of people accepting each other despite religious deviation, and often united in variety, are many more than those of intolerance.

The work of the Council of Europe

The Quango of Europe, White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue "Living Together as Equals in Dignity" (2008) recognises that a range of religious and secular conceptions of life have enriched the cultural heritage of Europe and notes the importance of inter-religious, intra-religious and other dialogue for the promotion of understanding betwixt dissimilar cultures. Information technology besides emphasises that the Council of Europe "would remain neutral towards the various religions whilst defending the freedom of thought, conscience and organized religion, the rights and duties of all citizens, and the corresponding autonomy of state and religions".¹⁰
Promoting religious tolerance and inter-faith dialogue is as well one of the priorities of the Council of Europe's youth policy. A number of events organised under the All Dissimilar – All Equal entrada in 2007-2008 developed recommendations and action plans for promoting inter-religious dialogue in European youth work, including the Istanbul Youth Declaration on Inter-Religious and Intercultural Dialogue in Youth Work¹², and the Kazan Activeness Plan¹³. All of these documents stress the crucial role of immature people and youth organisations in contributing to the change towards religious tolerance.

The sphere of education may be a platform for tensions of human being rights related to religion and belief, as in cases where the educational content has been criticised as limiting the liberty of faith and conventionalities, or in cases where religious symbols used by schools or past students take resulted in conflicts. At the same time, education is also one of the well-nigh important spheres of life where stereotypes and prejudices can be counteracted. In this spirit, ODIHR, the Quango of Europe and UNESCO published the Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination confronting Muslims.^fourteen This document is intended to support teachers, instructor trainers, education policy experts every bit well equally non-governmental organisations active in the field of non-formal teaching in their work against Islamophobia.

Religion and belief at the European Courtroom of Human being Rights

Folgerø and others five. Norway (2007)

Parents successfully appealed to the court in Strasbourg to avoid mandatory religious classes of one particular denomination of Christianity. The court constitute that the land was in violation of Commodity 2 of Protocol no. 1, which reads, "No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to pedagogy and to teaching, the Land shall respect the right of parents to ensure such instruction and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions".

Lautsi five. Italy (2011)
Ms Lautsi's children attended a land schoolhouse where all the classrooms had a crucifix on the wall, which she considered contrary to the principle of secularism by which she wished to bring upwards her children. She complained before the Court that this was in alienation of Commodity 9 (freedom of idea, conscience and organized religion) and of Commodity 2 of Protocol No. 1 (right to education).
The Courtroom found no violation; information technology held in particular that the question of religious symbols in classrooms was, in principle, a matter falling inside the margin of appreciation of the state, provided that decisions in that surface area did not lead to a form of indoctrination and at that place was cypher to suggest that the authorities were intolerant of pupils who believed in other religions, were non-believers or who held non-religious philosophical convictions.

Ercep v. Turkey (2011)
This instance concerned the refusal past the applicant, a Jehovah'due south Witness and careful objector, to perform military service for reasons of conscience and his successive convictions for that reason.
The Court found a violation of Commodity 9 and a violation of Article 6 (right to a fair trial). It
invited Turkey to enact legislation concerning conscientious objectors and to innovate an alternative course of service.

The Framework Convention on the Protection of National Minorities likewise protects organized religion as an element of the identity of minorities, "The Parties undertake to promote the weather condition necessary for persons belonging to national minorities to maintain and develop their civilization, and to preserve the essential elements of their identity, namely their religion, language, traditions and cultural heritage" (Article 5) and prohibits forced assimilation.

Youth work and religion and belief

Religion is an consequence that many young people deal with in their daily lives at home, in public, at piece of work or at school. Youth piece of work can help to make religious differences a cistron of cultural enrichment for immature people instead of being a source of confrontation, especially through the lenses of mutual understanding, tolerance and credence of difference.

Whether working at a local, regional or international level, youth workers need to be enlightened of the potential role and influence of organized religion and belief on the process of any given action, too equally on the planned objectives of the activity. Accepting variety is a adept starting indicate; building on multifariousness as a source of strength is an fantabulous way to continue. A growing number of youth organisations are actively working in the field of inter-religious dialogue, promoting a dialogue betwixt equals, and being cocky-disquisitional of their ain religious traditions, with the aim of increasing agreement.

Taking into consideration differences of conventionalities and exercise within the grouping, before and during the activeness, can contribute to a better temper in the group from the start. Knowing most some of the rituals and practices of different religions tin be very useful and important for the good functioning and success of youth events. Consideration of dietary laws, places and times for prayer, the religious calendar and daily practices of different religious groups (eastward.thousand. the Sabbath, Friday prayers, Ramadan, Sunday celebrations, holidays) might help the organisers of youth activities provide a respectful and peaceful atmosphere every bit well as avoid problems of travel and of timing and efficiency of activities. The particularities of the place of the activeness and the expectations of the hosting environment are equally important, in order to show respect for the needs of the group participants.
A degree of sensitivity towards religious multifariousness within the group would create a certain positive and motivating attitude and curiosity towards the religious practices and beliefs of others. This might besides aid to promote mutual respect and understanding, while helping to overcome any strong prejudices related to religious beliefs and practices.

Question: What importance does religious tolerance accept in your work with young people?

There is a large corporeality of youth piece of work that is organized religion-based, and there are many religion-based youth organisations. The Council of Europe'due south youth sector works closely with a variety of international youth organisations that are faith-based and encourages co-operation among them. Study sessions and training activities at the European Youth Centre regularly include organisations such every bit:

• Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe
• European Alliance of YMCAs
• European Baha'i Youth Council
• European Fellowship of Christian Youth
• Eu of Jewish Students
• Forum of European Muslim Youth and Pupil Organisations
• International Federation of Catholic Youth Organisations
• International Motion of Cosmic Agricultural and Rural Youth Europe
• International Immature Catholic Students – International Move of Cosmic Students
• Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Co-operation
• Pax Christi Youth Forum
• Syndesmos – World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth
• Syriac Universal Alliance
• The European Young Women'due south Christian Association
• Earth Educatee Christian Federation

Some of these organisations got together within the framework of the European Youth Forum and constituted the Organized religion-Based Group of youth organisations in order to larn about each other, promote multifariousness and fight discrimination and hatred. Integrated by the European Peer Training Organisation, the European Union of Jewish Students, the Ecumenical Youth Council in Europe, the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations, the International Federation of Cosmic Youth Organisations, the International Move of Catholic Students, Pax Christi International and the Earth Student Christian Federation, the Practiced Group produced, in 2008, a Tool Kit on inter-religious dialogue in youth work – Living Faiths Together. The Tool Kit, published by the European Youth Forum, provides information about monotheistic religions and proposes several methodologies and activities to understand and de-construct prejudices and stereotypes related to religion and to promote inter-religious dialogue. The tool kit may exist downloaded from the Internet site of the European Youth Forum (www.youthforum.org) or from the site of the co-operating organisations.

Endnotes

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion (accessed on 9 July 2012)
2  Faith (2007) Encyclopædia Britannica at: www.britannica.com/eb/article-9063138
3 LindaWoodhead, with Rebecca Catto: "Religion or belief": Identifying problems and priorities. Equality and Man Rights Commission, 2009, p. three: www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/research_report_48__religion_or_belief.pdf
4 Major Religions of the Earth Ranked past Number of Adherents: www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
5 General Comment 22 of the United nations Human Rights Committee on Article 18 of the ICCPR
6 OSCE/ODIHR, Council of Europe, UNESCO, Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, 2011
7 FAIR (Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism), available at: www.fairuk.org/introduction.htm
8 Recommendation 1957 (2011)  of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Quango of Europe "Violence against Christians in the Middle East"
9 OSCE-ODIHR and Yad Vashem, Addressing Anti-Semitism: Why and How? A Guide for Educators, 2007
10 Council of Europe, White Newspaper on Intercultural Dialogue "Living together every bit equals in nobility", Launched by the Council of Europe Ministers of Foreign Affairs at their 118th Ministerial Session (Strasbourg, 7 May 2008), p. 23, bachelor at: www.coe.int/t/dg4/intercultural/Source/Pub_White_Paper/White%20Paper_final_revised_EN.pdf See also San Marino Proclamation of 2007
11 www.coe.int/t/dg4/instruction/edc/Source/Pdf/Coordinators/2006_14_CDED_ReligiousDiversity.pdf
12 "Istanbul Youth Declaration on Inter-Religious and Intercultural Dialogue in Youth Work", Symposium Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue in Youth Work, Istanbul, Turkey, 27-31 March 2007: world wide web.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resources/Documents/2008_Istanbul_Declaration_en.pdf
13 "Kazan Action Programme", International Youth Forum "Intercultural Dialogue and its Religious Dimension", Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, Russian Federation, 30 November  – 4 Dec 2008: world wide web.coe.int/t/dg4/youth/Source/Resource/Documents/2008_Kazan_Action_Plan_en.pdf
14 Guidelines for Educators on Countering Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims, OSCE/ODIHR, Council of Europe, UNESCO, 2011: www.coe.int/t/dg4/didactics/edc/resource

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