The event, featuring the participation of the Italian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Emanuela Claudia Del Re, will bring together the most prominent religious leaders from the Florence region, notable diplomats and academic experts in the field to discuss the role of religious institutions in a changing modern and transnational society.

The debate will revolve around the role of religion in an increasingly secularised Europe, where religion is often seen as a perturbing factor rather than a solution. This is due to a variety of reasons, including: the growing exposure and biased perception of Islam in Europe; the widening gap between believers and non-believers; and the clash between secularised civil values and rights and Christian values. In line with this distrust towards religion, Europe observes a general tendency to shrink religious freedom; simultaneously, religious communities call for more space to contribute to the public good. The session’s distinguished speakers will share their views on what builds religious identities, the extent to which religious institutions should intervene in political issues, what is considered as ‘problematic’ and explore possible solutions from a multi-faith perspective.

The event, hosted by the European University Institute and the Florence School of Advanced Studies for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue in cooperation with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute for International Political Studies) is part of the Towards MED series. These are preparatory meetings aimed at broadening and deepening the debate on the topics that will be on the agenda of the fourth Rome MED dialogues. MED – Mediterranean Dialogues promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI, represents one of the most important fora in the world for reflection and dialogue on the future of the wider Mediterranean.

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