Religion, conflict and education

Preface to the special issue: Religion, Conflict and Education

Intercultural Mediation Addressed to Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Italy

Starting from a preliminary definition of the concept of mediation and its possible applications, this article aims to deepen the concept and practice of intercultural mediation. After an analysis of the reality of multicultural society in Italy and of the phenomenon of the arrival of refugees and asylum seekers from Africa, we will move on to presenting the principles and good practices of intercultural mediation implemented in the reception and integration services. Finally, the results of a research carried out within the services of the city of Reggio Emilia, in particular through group discussions with young men seeking asylum, guests of some residential structures, will be presente

Intergenerational differences and conflicts during the pandemic crisis in Italy = Diferencias y conflictos intergeneracionales durante la crisis pandémica en Italia

Introduction. The health, economic and social crisis caused by the Covid 19 pandemic in Italy has produced a wide range of consequences and reactions. It has favoured the re-emergence of intergenerational conflicts that had long been latent. The present article focuses on this phenomenon in depth and analyses the most salient results of a study conducted in the Emilia Romagna region. In this study, different generational groups were interviewed, from adolescents to adults and the elderly. Methodology. The study was performed in November 2020, in the days immediately after measures to contain the epidemic were introduced via governmental decree. Strict limitations to individual behaviour, school attendance and the possibility of exercising certain professions were announced. The opinions of young people, adults and the elderly were collected regarding: the Italian government’s decisions; the concept of health; social life; and behaviours relating to the respect or not of the restrictions. Based on the gathered data, the present work sought to highlight the generational specificities, commonalities and, above all, the elements of intergenerational conflict. Results. A picture emerged in which, alongside the shared admission that health – understood in its broadest sense of physical and psychological well-being – must be protected and defended, each generational group also considered its own demands as a priority. These demands were linked to the enjoyment of social life, to work needs and to their own specific health requirements. They also presented themselves as victims of rules and behaviours that were not very protective and that favoured, above all, other age groups. An excess of self-referentiality, which cut across all age groups, led to closing in on themselves and implosions, arousing conflicting positions. Discussion and conclusions. The reported opinions testify to the re-emergence of a hitherto underlying intergenerational conflict, stemming from the new generations’ difficulties regarding social mobility, but also from a culture of selfish hedonism. Until the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, this hedonism had been manifesting itself as a consequence of an ultraliberalism that puts the dimensions of «having» before that of «being», and the «individual» before the «community».Introducción. La crisis sanitaria, económica y social provocada por la pandemia de Covid 19 en Italia ha producido un amplio abanico de consecuencias y reacciones, favoreciendo la reaparición de conflictos intergeneracionales que han estado latentes desde hace mucho tiempo. Este artículo pretende ofrecer un estudio en profundidad de este fenómeno, presentando un análisis de los resultados más destacados de una investigación realizada en la región de Emilia Romagna, mediante entrevistas a una muestra de personas pertenecientes a diferentes grupos generacionales, desde adolescentes hasta personas adultas y ancianas. Metodología. La investigación se llevó a cabo en noviembre de 2020, en los días inmediatamente posteriores a la emisión de un decreto gubernamental que introdujo medidas para contener la epidemia entre las que figuraban severas limitaciones relativas al comportamiento individual, la asistencia a centros educativos y la posibilidad de ejercer algunas profesiones. Mediante el análisis de las opiniones de personas jóvenes, adultas y ancianas sobre las decisiones del gobierno italiano, el concepto de salud, la vida social y el comportamiento de las personas en relación con el respeto o no de las restricciones, el artículo tiene como objetivo resaltar las especificidades de cada generación, los aspectos en común y, sobre todo, los elementos de conflicto entre generaciones. Resultados. Surge un cuadro en el que, junto a la aceptación compartida de que la salud, entendida en su sentido más amplio de bienestar físico y psicológico, debe ser protegida y defendida, cada grupo generacional considera también como una prioridad sus propias demandas vinculadas al disfrute de la vida social, a las necesidades laborales y a las especificidades del estado de salud de cada grupo, presentándose como víctima de normas y comportamientos poco protectores, dirigidos sobre todo a favorecer a personas de otros grupos de edad. El exceso de autorreferencialidad, transversal a todos los grupos de edad, conduce a cierres e implosiones, favoreciendo la aparición de posiciones conflictivas. Discusión y conclusiones. Las opiniones recogidas atestiguan el resurgimiento de un conflicto intergeneracional que antes permanecía sumergido e implícito, y que tiene sus raíces en las dificultades de movilidad social que enfrentan las nuevas generaciones, pero también en una cultura de hedonismo egoísta que, hasta la propagación de la epidemia de Covid 19, se estaba manifestando como consecuencia de un ultraliberalismo que antepone las dimensiones del «tener» a las del «ser» y el «individuo» a la «comunidad»

Problemy integratsii religioznykh men'shinstv: keysy Evropeyskogo Soyuza i Rossiyskoy Federatsii = The challenges of the integration of religious minorities: case studies in the EU and Russian Federation

This article provides a critical examination and comparison of the contemporary position of three religious minorities: the Muslims in Glasgow; the Sikhs in Novellara and the Kryashens in Tatarstan. This is initially accomplished through an overview of the socio-economic, cultural and political impact of the religious minorities as three important case studies and through their relationship with the dominant form of religion and religious identity. The article will then analyse this information and these relationships using two lenses. First, we will use the four types of claims for recognition proposed by Koenig (2015): (1) claims for recognition of difference (2); claims for more autonomy in public spheres (3); claims for tolerance and (4) call for greater recognition for equal participation in organization of the state. Second, we will use the four acculturation strategies proposed by Berry (1997): (1) integration; (2) assimilation; (3) separation; and (4) marginalisation. The article will conclude with some final comments on gender and youth

Education in a world of conflict and division

This specialedition is focussed on the challenges that face education in situations of conflict and division in the contemporary world. Armed conflict has caused devastation in the past year in Ukraine and, over a longer period of time, in other parts of the world, notably Afghanistan, Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These armed conflicts have had a profound effect on the lives of children and young people and their school education. In some instances, schools have been damaged or destroyed or been appropriated for military purposes. Large numbers of children have been internally or externally displaced and, as a result,their schooling is limited or disrupted. There are serious challenges for the inclusion of externally displaced children in educational systems in terms of accommodatingthe language, culture and, in some cases,thereligion of the children. There are other forms of political, sectarian, ethnic or cultural division that can impact on school education.Schooling can be divided on ethnic or religious grounds, children separated from the otherbecause of historical conflictsor as a result of discriminatory political engineering. In some parts of the world children can be excluded from mainstream schools, taughtin non-integrated classrooms or be assigned to special schools that are under resourced. This can be discerned, for example,in the treatment of Roma children in parts of EasternEurope

The Reggiane Factory and New Immigrants: Memory and Local History to Strengthen Integration

The knowledge of the local history can be a important tool to promote a deeper understanding and to strengthen the sense of belonging to the place where immigrants live. The link to the past events allows to find common elements and common roots, and it permit to live the present with more open-minded attitudes and hopes. Istoreco is the Historical Institute of contemporary age in the city of Reggio Emilia (Italy) and its mission is to preserve and divulgate the history of its territory in XIX and XX century, with particular attention to the second world war years. For free public use the Institute preserve many historical archives of Italian political parties, trade unions, veterans associations, public administrations, companies, private archives, war diaries and a big photographic archive. To give a sample of a operative approaches to interculturalism towards the memory heritage and the historical signs on the urban areas, we want to focus on a particular project. In the worker class slum of Santa Croce, in the city of Reggio Emilia, since 100 years ago, a big factory called Reggiane had welcomed generations of immigrants, at first from the South of Italy, later from foreigner countries. During all its existence the Reggiane had made agricultural machineries, railways material, aircrafts and dock equipments and had employed dozens of thousands of men and women. For many years the prosperity of the factory had coincided with the prosperity of the city. The factory is closed now, but Santa Croce district is still populated by many immigrants; many of them absolutely ignore the story of the district and of its factory. In 2010 Istoreco and the Municipality of Reggio Emilia prepared a project aimed to divulgate the story of the district and of the Reggiane to the actual inhabitants of Santa Croce. The project was named “Noi non vogliamo lavorare per la Guerra” (“We don’t want to work for the war”, as a 1943 antifascist strikers’ motto said) and followed three steps. At first, the Istoreco officers met the foreign communities of the city for to expose the idea; secondly, it had been a guided visit to Santa Croce and its historical places linked to Reggiane; finally, they organized a visit to the Istoreco headequarter, to learn from the historical archives of Reggio Emilia and to see and touch original papers and documents. The whole project had been documented in a film presented on May 2011 at the national festival “Filmare la storia” (“Shooting history”), and it had been awarded for its ability to explain the history of Reggio Emilia to foreign students and workers

Political Aspects of Demographic Processes in Muslim Community in Russia

open2siThis research is devoted to the specifics of the influence of demographic processes in the muslim community of Russia on political aspects. The study of the data obtained made it possible to determine the specific aspects of the impact of demographic processes on muslim community and to describe the socio-political mean of these processes for russian society. The results obtained are consistent with the conclusions of a number of researchers, expand the existing understanding of the nature of demographic processes among muslims, and determine the specific results of their impact on russian society.openSakaev, Vasil Timerjanovich; Zannoni, FedericoSakaev, Vasil Timerjanovich; Zannoni, Federic

Political Aspects of Demographic Processes in Muslim Community in Russia

This research is devoted to the specifics of the influence of demographic processes in the muslim community of Russia on political aspects. The study of the data obtained made it possible to determine the specific aspects of the impact of demographic processes on muslim community and to describe the socio-political mean of these processes for russian society. The results obtained are consistent with the conclusions of a number of researchers, expand the existing understanding of the nature of demographic processes among muslims, and determine the specific results of their impact on russian society

Dialogo, cinema e letteratura, Riccardo Mazzeo e Nina Harriet Saarinen, Lecce, Pensa Multimedia, 2022

Riccardo Mazzeo e Nina Harriet Saarinen scelgono una forma provocatoriamente romantica e brillantemente inattuale di dialogo, lo scambio epistolare, per mostrare quali apporti inestimabili cinema e letteratura possono offrire alla pratica dialogica e come, in ultima istanza, la magia della sala e l’ipnosi che le pagine più riuscite sanno provocare siano elementi che con incomparabile efficacia possono aiutare le persone non solo a conoscere e conoscersi, a stare meglio con se stessi e con gli altri, ma anche ad avvicinarsi ai tanti significati non svelabili e metamorfici insiti nell’esperienza di vivere nel modo più pieno possibile. Nel raccontare storie, persone, vite, i libri e i film sostengono e danno impulso al dipanarsi delle storie, dei caratteri e delle vite dei lettori e degli spettatori più assorti

La didattica universitaria a distanza durante e dopo la pandemia: impatto e prospettive di una misura emergenziale

La partecipazione alle lezioni online, erogate su piattaforme virtuali in sostituzione alle tradizionali attivit\ue0 didattiche in presenza, ha assunto un ruolo significativo nella quotidianit\ue0 di numerosi studenti universitari durante il periodo della quarantena imposta su scala nazionale in risposta all\u2019emergenza pandemica. Un\u2019indagine qualitativa condotta su un campione di studenti iscritti ai corsi afferenti la Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia dell\u2019Universit\ue0 di Bologna ha consentito di analizzare l\u2019impatto, gli elementi di positivit\ue0 e quelli di negativit\ue0 delle lezioni online, fornendo spunti per riflettere sui possibili sviluppi, quando tale modalit\ue0 smetter\ue0 di essere vincolante in quanto legata all\u2019emergenza, per divenire una opportunit\ue0 da integrare alle forme tradizionali in presenza.Participation in online lessons, delivered on virtual platforms to replace traditional face-to-face activities, took on a significant role in the daily life of numerous university students during the quarantine imposed on a national scale in response to the pandemic emergency. A qualitative survey conducted on a sample of students enrolled in the School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Bologna allowed to analyse the impact and the factors of positivity and negativity of online lessons, providing elements to reflect on possible developments, when this method will cease to be bound to the emergency, to become an opportunity to be integrated with traditional face-to-face learning