Vatican City (AsiaNews) – Religions, including the youth activities promoted by the Catholic Church, can play an important role in building cooperation between culture and ethnic groups as long as none of them are victims of discrimination based on stereotypes and distortions, this according to the Holy See in its representative's intervention in the annual human rights meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). In his address, the Vatican representative Mgr Ettore Balestrero called on the 56 member states to pay more attention to the fight against "prejudice, intolerance and discrimination against Christians and members of other religions."

Mgr Balestrero said in today's world "besides attempts to provoke a clash of civilisations, at times there seems to be also an on-going clash about civilisation, which is about the elements that should constitute a civilisation."

In such a situation, religions can play an important role in intercultural, inter-faith and inter-ethnic cooperation. But "today, religions are all too often manipulated or even misunderstood as part of the problem, when, in fact, they are and should be considered part of the solution to problems that exist between different cultures and civilisations."

For that goal to be achieved, the slate must be swept clean of "stereotypes" and distortions" and real "mutual knowledge" must be promoted.

"Creating a partnership requires dialogue," and "no partnership among cultures, religions and ethnic identities can be established without mutual knowledge".

From that stems what the Holy See believes is the international organisation's responsibility to promote the correct attitude towards religions, including not considering mockery of the sacred as a right.

Similarly, quoting Benedict XVI's Regensburg lecture, Mgr Balestrero said a "reason which [. . .] relegates religion to the realm of subcultures is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures".

A special place in the promotion of dialogue between cultures, religions and ethnic groups is reserved for educating the new generations and organising group activities.

"The Catholic Church [is] deeply involved in implementing formal and informal educational projects to combat intolerance and discrimination as a way of preventing violence."

This is especially necessary today when "[s]entiments of hatred and vengeance have been inculcated in numerous young people in those parts of the world marked by conflicts, in ideological contexts where the seeds of ancient resentments are cultivated and their souls prepared for future violence."