MARIBOR INITIATIVE

Project Maribor Initiative
Contribution of Religious Communities to Reconciliation, Respect of Diversity, Democracy, Human Rights, Protection of Minorities, Co-operation and Stability in South Eastern Europe

Coordination of the Project:
The project Maribor Initiative was carried out in the framework of the ISCOMET Network for Democracy, Human Rights and Protection of Persons Belonging to Ethnic and Religious Minorities in South Eastern Europe. The Project is co-ordinated by a broad International Programme Council, which is supported by the Consultative Committee of Experts. The members of both bodies are outstanding personalities and experts from the SEE countries and from other parts of Europe as well.

Basic objectives and targets:
The Maribor Initiative aimed at finding ways and means for enhancing the contribution of Churches and Religious communities in SEE to the realisation of the goals of the Stability Pact in the fields related to the contents of the Initiative. This basic aim will be realised by gathering within the Project activities of all people of “good will”, believers and non-believers – religious dignitaries, members of religious communities, of civil society organisations and institutions, academics, researchers, civil servants and governmental functionaries, representatives of international governmental and non-governmental organisations etc.

The basic objectives of the Maribor Initiative were:
– contributing to reconciliation, tolerance, and co-operation between peoples;
– spreading the culture of dialogue and of respect of diversity;
– improving the civic education programmes and the religious teaching as well, aimed at spreading ideas and goals of the Initiative;
– affirming respect of the principle of political, religious, cultural, and ethnic plurality;
– affirming and implementing, both on macro and micro levels, the notion of multicultural and multi-religious society;
– spreading the internationally accepted norms and provisions on religious liberties and rights;
– enhancing the spreading of ideas and goals of the Initiative in religious mass media;
– enlarging the knowledge of interested international political factors about the circumstances in the region concerning issues the Initiative relates to;
– enlarging and strengthening the activities of the ISCOMET Network as an important civil society structure in the region.

Activities:
Round tables and others discussion organised within the ISCOMET Network.
– Meeting of representatives of Churches and Religious communities from ex-Yugoslav republics, 1-2 December, 1994, Pohorje, Slovenia
– Contribution of Religious Communities to peace and to Removal of the Consequences of Wars on the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia, Rogaška Slatina, Slovenia, 19-21 September 1997
– Contribution of Religious Communities to Reconciliation, Respect of Diversity, Democracy, Human Rights, Protection of Minorities, Co-operation and Stability in FR Yugoslavia, Belgrade, 14-15 December 2001
– Democracy and Religion – The Romanian Experience, Timişoara, Romania, 31 May-1 June 2002
– The Legal Position of Churches and Religious Communities in South-Eastern Europe – Achievements and Problems, Maribor, Slovenia, 23-24 May 2003
– Promoting Inter-Religious Dialogue as a Means for Reconciliation, Conflict Resolution and Improving Democratic Stability in South – Eastern Europe: the Case of Moldova, Chisinau, Moldova, 4-5 June 2004
All meetings were held under the auspices of Mr. Walter Schwimmer, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The Project in Moldova was sponsored by Council of Europe CBM Programme.