TEACHING AND LEARNING ABOUT INTERRELIGIOUS COMPETENCE

VALUES ARE ONE: REFLECTING ON ONE’S OWN ORIGINS

Values are One (“V are 1”) is a project of the Global Ethic Foundation, funded by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), which teaches interreligious skills to people in Germany with different religious and cultural backgrounds. Likewise, it trains them to become ambassadors. With our “V are 1” ambassadors, we aim to offer workshops and events to interested institutions.

The objective is to get to explore our individual religious and cultural stories and to communicate in a way that others can understand. This way, we can focus on common values and consciously counteract prejudices.

Values are One („V are 1“) ist ein vom Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) gefördertes Projekt der Stiftung Weltethos, das Menschen mit unterschiedlichem religiösem und kulturellem Hintergrund in Deutschland interreligiöse Kompetenzen vermittelt und sie zu Botschafter*innen ausbildet. Mit unseren „V are 1“-Botschafter*innen wollen wir Workshops und Veranstaltungen für interessierte Einrichtungen anbieten.

Bei den Angeboten geht es darum, unseren individuellen religiösen und kulturellen Geschichten auf den Grund zu gehen und sie für andere verständlich zu erzählen. So können wir gemeinsame Werte in den Vordergrund stellen und bewusst Vorurteilen entgegenwirken.

THE INTERCULTURAL PROJECT “V ARE 1”

Modern technology makes it much easier to get in touch with our fellow humans. However, dealing with religious or cultural differences after initial contact often leads to the fact that an actual exchange of ideas and thoughts concerning these topics never actually comes about. How can we, if we do not really exchange ideas with each other, show one other that we share common ground in our diversity, that we are all part of the same society and that we all want the best for our environment? This is what we focus on with Values Are One.

“V ARE 1” INTERFAITH AMBASSADORS

As part of this project, we coach “V are 1” ambassadors. They are taught basic theoretical and practical knowledge of world religions through a variety of modules and learn skills such as, self-presentation and storytelling. Our ambassadors learn how to answer complex questions concerning religion and religious affiliation as well as how to deal with criticism or even insults. Likewise, they practise telling their individual stories in such a way that people from other religious or cultural communities can also relate to and understand them. After completing the training, the ambassadors are able to plan and hold interreligious and intercultural workshops, events and actions together and independently in order to pass on their knowledge to others.

The two training rounds will be completed in December 2021 and autumn 2022. Values Are One ambassadors can be requested for workshops and lectures as of now.

THE GOAL OF THE INTERRELIGIOUS PROJECT

As of January 2022, our “V are 1” ambassadors will offer workshops and events to interested institutions. The aim is to enable the participants to better understand religion and to use their networking skills to help the social cohesion of diverse societies. People from different religious and cultural backgrounds are all viewed as fellow human beings in Values are One. The focus is on shared values and their promotion in order to counteract prejudices and build up trust.