Suchergebnisse

AbstractThe issues related to the role of religion in the public education system have been a public topic for a long time, and related debates have been cyclically revived by specific events. In this contribution, we explore the reasons why Italian grassroots actors do not tend to size up the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) jurisprudence and the plurality of juridical regimes dealing with religion and education as windows of opportunity. First, we analyze the intertwinement of different juridical regimes dealing with religion and education, and the national case law on the topic. Then, drawing on original semi-structured interviews, we analyze the indirect effects of the ECtHR case law on the mobilizations and advocacy strategies at the grassroots level around religion and education. Finally, we discuss the research outcomes, outlining how the non-interference of the Court in state-religions regimes may result in the limited impact and effectiveness of the Court's protection of religious freedoms.

In this contribution, we address the everlasting debate on the definition of religion from a multiscalar perspective. Supranational courts – and, especially, the European Court of Human Rights – gained a major legitimising role in this respect. One may thus expect that religious minorities with uncertain status look at supranational courts as attractive and favourable venues. The 'local' must be taken into account, too, in the complex government of religious diversity: decentralised policies and dif- ferent religious profiles make room for adapting the treatment of religious minorities at the local level, especially in situations char- acterised by the absence of a legal national framework. Grounded on an analysis of national and international case law, and on interviews addressing the representatives of religious minorities, our contribution explores the multiscalar repertories of action of religious minorities in pursuing the official recognition and the protection of their religious rights.