On November the 30th, the first monitoring committee of the INTER-RELIGIO project met in the prestigious Fustel de Coulanges room of the Palais Universitaire de Strasbourg.
Twenty participants attended this monitoring committee, they were responsible for representing: religious communities, associations, large cities, the cross-border cooperation network and the public and political administrations of the three partner countries. Academics from the project consortium were also present.
The President of the University of Strasbourg, Michel Deneken, opened the session by welcoming the work accomplished in the assessment of the first year of this inter-university project, specifying to what extent the coexistence of religions is a subject of concern at the present time.
After a presentation of the background and objectives of the INTER-RELIGIO network by Professor Francis Messner, the floor was given to Clémence Kelche. The manager reviewed the administrative organization of this Interreg project, which is supported by the European Union (ERDF funds).
The objective of this monitoring committee being to clarify social demands in terms of interreligious issues, the afternoon was then devoted to a round table where participants made remarks, comments, and suggestions for the development of the research and training offer carried out by INTER-RELIGIO. Most of the feedback concerned the University Diploma which will very soon open in Strasbourg as well as the tri-national dimension of the project.
The next edition will take place in 2018 with, as the project team hopes, an even more diversified panel.