Background
The end of Communism marked a changing role of religion in the countries of Central Eastern, South Eastern and East Eastern Europe1. In contrast to their atheist nature during Communism, these countries have largely embraced a stronger focus on religious affiliation, though mainly in the framework of pronouncedly secular systems of state-religion relations. Recently, the role of religion in the region has become even more significant, be it through its instrumentalization to achieve EU-accession goals or as an ideological tool to consolidate political power internally. In the complex reality of rising nationalism bordering on xenophobia – and attacks on vulnerable religious minorities in some of these countries – governing religion and religious diversity has become an important task on the political agenda. To further complicate things, parallel processes of radicalisation, some of them violent, have marked the post-Communist reality in some of these states. Policy and public debates around counter-terrorism measures and security-led responses to the perceived threat of violent radicalisation risk amplifying diversity challenges, including ethno-religious ones. Such dynamics raise important questions.
Workshop Focus
What is the relationship between religion and the management of religion on the one hand, and processes of radicalisation and violent extremism on the other?
And how can policies aimed at countering violent extremism in the region avoid exacerbating problems related to diversity management?
Languages: English & Bulgarian (audio translation service provided)