Holy See addresses Meeting on minority education rights

(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Representative of the Holy See to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Msgr. Janusz S. Urbańczyk, addressed the Organization's High Level Meeting on the 20th Anniversary of the Hague Recommendations on the Education Rights of National Minorities, taking place Wednesday and Thursday of this week in Geneva.

Below, please find the official English version of his prepared remarks

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Mr. Chairman,

The  Holy  See  takes  this  opportunity  to  reiterate  its  gratitude  to  the OSCE  High  Commissioner  on  National  Minorities  for  her  role  in  providing early warnings  and, as appropriate, early action  in  relation  to tensions involving national minority issues that have conflict potential within the OSCE area.

We are gathered here today to reflect on the Hague Recommendations which  were  not  intended  to  be  comprehensive  but  to  serve  as  a  general framework whose goal was to “assist States in the process of minority education policy development”.

At this point in human history, when various negative forces threaten the legitimate aspirations for peaceful co-existence that exist in many regions of the world, my  Delegation  would  like  to  use  this  opportunity  to  explore  the responsibility shared by all participating States, as well as  by  civil society, in doing everything possible to educate  their  people, especially the young,  so that they  become  peace-makers  and  promoters  of  true  tolerance  and  nondiscrimination.

The  Holy  See  wishes  to  underline  the  importance  of  the  religious identity of national minorities. It  has a  distinctive duty to insist on the role of religion, not  for  purely  partisan reasons  nor  because it  is  uninterested in other aspects  of the issue, but because  it feels that  religion  has left, and  continues to leave,  a mark in  the history, identity, culture and social life of our societies and communities.

Education, especially at school, plays a great role in  the  promotion  of religious tolerance and non-discrimination because it addresses  the roots of the phenomenon. Mingling with students who belong to different religions is in itself a great help to understand the unity of mankind. Moreover, it is  important that schools  teach about different religions and  allow  each student to manifest and  express plainly and openly  her or his belief. Knowledge about  the  other’s religion can reduce harmful misunderstandings and stereotypes.

Educational programmes should be developed and strengthened in order to promote a better understanding and respect for different cultures, ethnicities and religions. These programmes should also hand on some  paramount  values like  the dignity of every person and the solidarity amon g peoples. Education in respect  for  human rights and fundamental freedoms is no less important, both for students at all levels,  as well as for  students  attending military, police and public service schools.

According  to  the  indivisibility,  interdependence  and  interrelation  of human  dimension  commitments,  in  developing  and  implementing  these programmes,  participating States should always respect the right of parents to ensure  the  religious  and  moral  education  of  their  children  in  conformity with their own convictions, a right that is enshrined in both the International Covenants on Human Rights as well as in the OSCE commitments.

In this regard,  it should be noted that such parental right s  do not imply only  the  right  of  parents  to  choose  their  children’s  schools,  other  than  those established  by  public  authorities,  or  the  rights  to  establish  and  manage alternative  educational  institutions;  it  also  requires  States  to  ensure  that instruction  in  public  schools  does  not  pursue  an  aim  of  indoctrination  and  to ensure that  children  are not  forced to attend  lessons  that are  inconsistent with the convictions of their parents.

Many States, in fact, provide –  or intend to provide  –  in public schools, compulsory  classes  on  ethical  or  religious  subjects.  Such  instruction  is appreciated but it should be  borne  in mind that States cannot pursue an aim of indoctrination and that children shouldn’t be forced to participate in courses that are  not  consistent  with  the  convictions  of  their  parents.  Therefore, it is preferable  that  such  teachings  be  facultative,  and,  when  they  are  compulsory, participating States should provide non-punitive and non-discriminatory opt-out possibilities.

In  the  Catholic  Church’s  view,  all  people  of  whatever  race,  nation, religion,  sex  or  age,  in  virtue  of  their  dignity  as  human  persons,  have  an inalienable right to education. This education should be suitable to the particular destiny of the individual person, and should be conducive to fraternal relations within  diverse  societies  in  order  to  build  stable  multi-ethnic  societies  and promote true unity and peace between the countries of the OSCE region.

Children and young people who are molded by an education oriented towards respect  for  national and religious minorities today, will be the building blocks  on  which  the  society of tomorrow  can  be  constructed.  But  in  order  to reach  that  goal, there is a long way to go, since building a  just  and  peaceful society: “requires  a  wholehearted  commitment  to  eliminate  not  only  evident discrimination  but  also  all  barriers  that  divide  groups…The increased awareness… regarding the situation of minority groups constitutes for our own times  a  hopeful  sign  for  the  coming  generations  and  for  the  aspirations  of minority  groups  themselves...  respect  for  minorities  is  to  be  considered  the touchstone of social harmony and the index of the civic maturity attained by a country and its institutions”.

Finally, my Delegation is confident that, through the commitments of the OSCE and the efforts of its High Commissioner on National Minorities, participating States will make progress in ensuring that national minorities enjoy a quality education that will be a helpful tool in preventing conflicts, by inculcating values of tolerance, pluralism, respect and international and intercommunal harmony, capable of preserving regional peace and security.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.