30. September 2024

Federal Congress of the Councils of Religions Dresden

How can we remain capable of speaking and engaging in dialogue in the face of social tensions, divisions and radicalisation? This question was the main topic of the 7th conference of the Federal Congress of Councils of Religions on 22-23 September in Dresden.
Around 69 representatives of interfaith dialogue initiatives from 31 cities and districts took part in the Federal Congress of Councils of Religions in Dresden.

Remain open to dialogue

how to deal with division and radicalisation?

In his welcoming address, Jörn Thießen, Head of Department for Homeland and Social Participation at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, emphasised how important the work of the Federal Congress is for society as a whole in order not to leave the field to extremism and to work together for a diverse and secure society.
Based on the upheavals of 7 October 2023, many members were concerned with how new uncertainties, lost trust and broken lines of conflict can lead to a new, empathetic way of talking to each other.

Prof. Dr. Martina Kraml from the University of Innsbruck gave practical suggestions in her lecture ‘Dialogue in the crisis – how do we remain capable of speaking?’ with the model of ‘Theme-Centred Interaction’ (TCI), which were further explored in several working groups. During the course of the year, several working groups will continue to work on topics such as cooperation with civil society organisations, joint commemoration of religions and the question of the relationship between religion and politics.

Peace concert

Joie de vivre and connectedness

How understanding and reconciliation work on a completely different level was impressively illustrated on Sunday evening by the peace concert ‘First man – united in music’ organised by the Dresdner Bündnis InterReligiöses Deutschland e.V. (BIRD), which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year.
The contributions of numerous artists from different cultures and religions showed, on the one hand, the biographical wounds of the participants. However, it also became clear how the musical interplay of different traditions gives rise to a new shared joie de vivre and human connection.

Since its foundation in 2018, the Federal Congress of Councils of Religions has been committed to the communal dialogue of religious communities. It promotes understanding, tolerance and respect on the basis of the free constitutional order. The congress network currently includes 73 cities and districts from 14 federal states.
The Global Ethic Foundation has been participating in the Federal Congress of Councils of Religions in an advisory capacity since 2018. This year, Büşra Çebi reported in Dresden on the developments of the ‘Local Councils of Religions’ project in Baden-Württemberg. An important impetus for the foundation's work is the need for protected spaces for dialogue on global wars and the need for interreligious and intercultural alliances.
The Offenbach district and the crescent town of Dietzenbach in Hesse were awarded the contract to host the congress next year. The delegates will meet there from 14-15 September 2025 for the 8th Federal Congress. The delegates from Stuttgart, supported by the Global Ethic Foundation, have expressed great interest in organising the 2026 congress.