Throughout history, religions have been on the one hand a force of civilization, vectors of humanity, ethical principles and social cohesion; on the other, misled, manipulated and radicalized, they have lent themselves to becoming causes and instruments of war. In societies rich in multiple cultural references, such as those of the Member States of the European Union, the different religions and other cultures can fully assume their role, in harmony with the EU order. Already in France, followed in this experience by Belgium and the Netherlands, representatives of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and lay people bearing different cultures, in their diversity, have manifested the vocation to establish a program of interreligious and intercultural dialogue, in partnership with prestigious universities such as Sciences Po, the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), giving life to the association Emouna (a word of Semitic origin that, similarly to the corresponding Amen and Amana, born from the same root common to different spiritual traditions, means faith, fidelity, spirituality), conceived as an invitation to seek new structures or spiritual foundations on which a society can support itself, evoking a common spiritual source from which humanity can draw and drink.

In accordance with the aforementioned experiences, the Luiss Institute for European Analysis and Policy (LEAP) intends to create an Observatory on Europe: Religions and Other Cultures (EURECA), with the aim of developing scientific research activities on political, economic-legal, institutional relations at the Italian and European level between society, religious confessions and other cultures, promoting excellent mutual knowledge of the different religions and their intellectual and ritual traditions, deepening the links between Italian and European culture with the different religions and with other cultures that permeate the modern society of the EU Member States. Within the research activity, the EURECA Observatory intends to provide from now on a high-level scientific program, called Emuna Italia, which integrates people from different cultures, professors and ministers of worship (already in practice or in preparation), as well as other subjects with adequate skills and interest in the research project in question. The research seminars are entrusted to professors of proven excellence in the various scientific fields of reference: they aim to build a base of fundamental skills necessary for in-depth analysis in analytical processing, for the exercise of responsibility in the field of higher education and training by the religious communities themselves, to allow the enrichment of the knowledge of each participant from a multidisciplinary point of view and to develop a network of knowledge and interactions useful for interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

In particular, this research activity is aimed at the presentation of individual and collective research projects and products by the participants in the Emuna Italia program, based on innovative and scientifically proven methods, on critical thinking, on team working, on the comparison with interlocutors from different horizons, on the conversation with great witnesses.

As regards the organization and programming of research cycles, during the Academic Year 2024-2025 the first cycle of the above programs will begin, the objective of which is the production of individual and collective research contributions, which will lead to the release of a certificate to participants. For the first cycle, divided into 15 seminars between October 2024 and June 2025, a number of participants of 20 is assumed, who will be selected and indicated by the various members of the College of Founders, both religious and non-religious.

The Observatory will also take care of valorizing and disseminating the papers on the topics indicated above, through collaborations with the press and through social media, following an explicit editorial plan of constant communications that raise their profile and visibility. The publication of working papers, articles and books is planned, for the dissemination of scientific analyses, developed within Emuna Italia and the Observatory.

emunaitalia@luiss.it