Languages
Intercultural program
Cultures, religions and institutional texts each transmit universal human values, according to their respective vocation. We develop programmes, organise debates and conferences, hold workshops, respectively for children, teens and adults, create encounters and suggest relevant books. We hope to produce publications which illustrate these values in a spirit of openness.
Our programmes and meetings encourage young and less young people from different cultures to meet, to become interested in cross-cultural human values (cultural, religious and institutional) and to devlop activities which encourage them to appreciate each other.
Would you like to come to one of our meetings in Geneva or Lausanne or to receive information about one of our future peace circles or conferences? Please contact us.
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Should we be interested in cultures and religions?
The greater the emphasis on human values within different cultures or religions, the more they are open and inspiring for the others. And the more they are likely to bring about peace. If these cultures and religions focus on their differences and their outside appearances, they inspire mistrust in each other and lead to war.
Religions and cultures attach the greatest importance to human values. See our page of peace proverbs on the golden rule of reciprocity between different religions and cultures.
Institutional texts (laws, constitutions and so on) reflect these values, promote them and provides the framework for them to be practised.
What are these human values?
- Are they the same for each religion or culture?
- Are there one or two values which are considered more important than others?
- Is this ranking in importance different depending on the religion or the culture?
Are published texts concerned with human rights?
- Is there a relationship between these and human values in our cultures?
- Are they the same as those promoted by religions?
- What is the difference between human values and human rights?
Going beyond the sources of cross-cultural tension
People of one religion are sometimes mistrustful of other religions, or even have disdain for them. This can also be the case within a religion itself. With people who have no religious belief, this mistrust or scorn can become even stronger. In the same way, people not strongly attached to a religion sometimes mistrust or even disparage those who believe and practise their faith. This can result in friction, conflict or worse, violence. When this happens, those concerned can find themselves in contradiction with their own values. And yet, if people who think themselves very different either culturally or by their faith are nevertheless able to overcome their mistrust and to share their human values, they will discover to what extent people, however different, can live up to their common values together.
Programmes et Activités - domaine interculturel
Graines de Paix développe les programmes et activités suivantes :
Conférences et débats sur des thèmes touchant à la fois la société, les cultures et les religions
Ateliers de sensibilisation interculturelle
Outils pour développer des compétences interculturelles
Guide des valeurs humaines dans les religions, les cultures et les textes publics, avec, en plus, un Panorama sur le site web.
Vision: Cultures, religions et valeurs humaines
Plus une culture ou une religion relie par ses valeurs humaines, plus elles est ouverte et inspirante pour les autres. Et plus elle assure ainsi la paix. Si les cultures et les religions ne relient que par leurs différences et leurs signes extérieurs, elles inspirent la méfiance réciproque et elles mènent ainsi à la guerre.