Multicultural society as a challenge for coexistence in europe

Abstract

The aim of this article is to show that the intercultural way of education, which includes the interreligious dimension, is a fundamental way to create and maintain conditions for coexistence in a multicultural society. The background of this claim is represented in the belief that the starting point of every encounter with the other and the different should be the human being and its experience of humanity, not an intellectual polemic about doctrines and ideologies. Schools are particularly suitable for such a more personal manner of dialogue. The topic is discussed primarily in a philosophical way from a Christian (Catholic) perspective. The context of reflection is the European society marked by Christianity, secularization and, increasingly, Islam. Croatia is also mentioned, as the issue of multiculturality is becoming increasingly topical there. The context of cultural pluralism is presented first. Then, the necessity of dialogue based on the experience of everyday life is highlighted. The next section is focused on the analysis of the multicultural society’s need for values that are acceptable for all members of society in order to maintain social peace and mutual respect and cooperation. The following chapter deals with the difficulties and challenges of dialogue. Then, the section after that presents an analysis of the fundamental European documents that provide crucial guidelines for understanding religious and cultural pluralism and the role of religions in a multicultural and multireligious society as values on which society should be built. Finally, the place and role of religious education is discussed as a vital and unavoidable factor in co-creating the preconditions for appropriate coexistence in a multicultural society.