Cooperation between local authorities and religious actors as a key factor in preventing conflict. The case of Hindu and Sikh communities in the italian cities of Novellara and Reggio Emilia

Religious actors are often called to take an active part in initiatives promoted by European Institutions and local governments because of their potential to prevent conflict and ease social tensions that can arise among people of different religions (Griera, M., Giorda, M., Fabretti V., 2018). The Council of Europe encourages Member States to support «a sustained, open and transparent dialogue with the different religions and philosophical communities as an instrument of peace and social cohesion in Europe and at its borders [...]» (2003). With the joint signing of the Volga Forum Declaration (2006), the Committee of Ministers and different European religious organizations affirm that intercultural and interreligious dialogue and cooperation are the main ways to respond to the challenges proposed by the various perpetrators of conflicts in the world. The role of local authorities is crucial in this process; virtuous cases are the Italian municipalities of Novellara and Reggio Emilia, which, in recent decades, have seen the settlements of migrants from mostly Indian Punjab and Sri Lanka, mostly Sikhs and Hindus, grow in their lowlands. The ability of these municipalities to value the presence of these communities and their contribution to the economic and social development of the area led to the publication of a Handbook for Local Authorities, titled “Valuing religious communities as key actors of social cohesion” (2021), edited with the patronage of the Council of Europe: an example of how local best practices can influence European principles from the bottom up. The paper aims to explore in detail the ways in which these religious communities and local governments collaborate and cooperate, such as the enhancement of places of worship, the promotion of interfaith dialogue and the shared participation in religious festivities.