Symposium topic:

Societies have been inculcated by religions since time immemorial. Both the past and present show that they are harbingers of both war and peace. Religions provide moral frameworks and allow thousands of practitioners and non-practitioners to live together amicably, as long as freedom of conscience and freedom to worship are respected. Unfortunately, this is not always the case as attested by many cases from all around the world.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.’

Nevertheless, religious practices need to be examined to see how these can generate tension and violence. Although religious education is normally a peacemaker, certain sects exploiting religious doctrines reject freedom of thought and different forms of lifestyle to those they practise.
 

Considering the heterogeneous nature of religions and the relations maintained between humans (believer, practising, atheist, agnostic, Muslim (Sunni or Shiite), Christian (Catholic, Protestant, Evangelist), Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Animist, etc.), we should show how freedom of opinion and expression are the foundation for harmonious co-existence. In other words, the universal nature of human rights and peace needs to be reasserted.

This event in Toulouse will highlight the role of secularism and defence of the rule of law in this quest for peace.
 

This seminar on ‘Religions, human rights and peace through secularism and defence of the rule of law’ has been organised by the Federative Research Institute of Toulouse 1 Capitole University, the Institute of Human Rights and Peace of Dakar, the Grenoble Peace Centre and the West African Catholic University.