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Helping migrant religious leaders lead the way

5 March 2008

Another challenge ahead for Emeritus Professor Gary Bouma who continues to work at an international level. This time, he will work with migrant religious leaders to assist their followers in settling in to new environments.

A pilot program run by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will explore ways to better help migrant religious leaders assist their congregations settle in to a new country.

Emeritus Professor, Gary Bouma and Monash researcher Anna Halafoff have been selected as consultants for the project which will involve representatives from the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology/University of Latvia (Latvia), Institute for German-Turkish Integration Studies and Inter-religious Work (Germany), St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace (UK) and the Department of Philosophy of Education (Denmark).

The transnational project will test the usefulness of civic education for migrant religious leaders as a tool for the integration of migrants.

Emeritus Professor Bouma, UNESCO Chair in Interreligious and Intercultural Relations - Asia Pacfic said religious leaders had an important role to play in helping their followers integrate into their host countries.

"We aim to explore how civic education can help religious leaders gain a greater understanding of the freedoms, responsibilities and values of an open, democratic society based on core European values as well as the laws, culture, history and multicultural nature of their host societies," Professor Bouma said.

The main activities of the project will be the development of a training curriculum and pilot training seminars in each country.

A final international conference will serve to share and disseminate information.