Annual Report 2019

Education Exchange Research
Promoting the peaceful
potential of religions
In Switzerland, religions tend to be seen as catalysts that fuel conflicts. Our
educational work conveys experiences and helps people to understand
how religions can contribute to peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society –
and our activities also motivate the participants to act in solidarity.
We live and work in a globally interconnected
world. In its educational work, Mission 21
responds to this reality by addressing issues
such as globalisation and society, intercultural
spirituality, religion and development. These
topics give substance to our vision of a fair,
peaceful and inclusive society. At the same time,
Mission 21 maintains a focus on solidarity and
exchange with people in the global South. The
programmes we offer also convey the perspectives
of our partners in Asia, Africa and Latin
America. One very important question is this:
what potential does religion harbour for a society’s
development? We are aware that large
sections of the public view religions as catalysts
of conflict rather than effective instruments of
interfaith peace work. But many of our partner
churches in the global South have a different
perception: they view peaceful coexistence
among different religions as a fundamental prerequisite
for sustainable development. In these
parts of the world, religious communities enjoy
the trust of the people – unlike government institutions.
Being anchored in a religion gives
believers a resilience that enables them not to
abandon hope of a better future, no matter how
adverse current circumstances might be. However,
this requires the resolute rejection of any
attempts to instrumentalise religion as a means
of legitimising violence.
Encouraging people to act in solidarity
In our educational work, we juxtapose our partners’
contexts with issues and questions that
are relevant and of current interest to us. We
focus on the struggle for peaceful coexistence in
a pluralistic society. We initiate discussions on
whether religion should be allowed to display
itself in public and – if so – how. And we address
the issue of global interconnectedness which –
especially in times of crisis – leads to excessive
demands. Topics such as these create the need
to open up different perspectives and address
the issues in depth. We provide opportunities
During the North-South
dialogue, Ángel Román
and Urs Baur – a.k.a.
Black Tiger – discussed
the changing role of
men in today's society.
The packed auditorium
proved that gender equity
is an issue of great
public interest.
Photograph: Mara
Wirthlin/Mission 21
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