[11/06-SOLD OUT. 18/06-STILL PLACES LEFT ON THE GUIDED TOUR] This June, come and celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Office of Religious Affairs
Barcelona City Council is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Office of Religious Affairs (OAR in Catalan), a pioneering municipal service that promotes and guarantees religious freedom and manages religious and spiritual pluralism in the city.
[SOLD OUT FOR JUNE 11TH!!!]
To celebrate two decades (2005-2025) of hard work and commitment to religious and spiritual communities and interculturality, the Office of Religious Affairs (OAR) would like to invite you to attend two events. On Wednesday 11 June, three round tables will bring together memory, institutional activity and the voices of local communities. On Wednesday 18 June, there will be a tour of the Ciutat Vella district entitled ‘Religious Pluralism, Memory and Urban Transformation’, organised in collaboration with Espai Avinyó.
The activities are free of charge, but places are limited (see detailed information at the end of the article).
CHECK OUT THE PROGRAMME HERE (Catalan)!
THE OAR: 20 YEARS OF WORKING TO ENSURE THE RIGHT TO RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE
The OAR’s history dates back to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, with the construction of the Abraham Centre and the Fourth Parliament of the World’s Religions (2004), as part of the Fòrum de les Cultures. These milestones led to the creation of the Interreligious Centre of Barcelona (CIB) in 2005, with the aim of supporting and advising religious communities and municipal staff, ensuring respect for the right to religious freedom and promoting an intercultural perspective.
In 2008, the service adopted its present name, ‘OAR’, which more accurately reflects its day-to-day work, and in 2014 moved to the Ciutat Vella district. In 2013 it was created the role of Commissioner for Religious Affairs.
Since 2019, the OAR has been part of the Department of Interculturality and Religious Pluralism, consolidating its work within the framework of the Barcelona Interculturality Plan 2021-2030. Thanks to this track record, the OAR has established itself as a local, national and international benchmark, inspiring other administrations to incorporate considerations of religious pluralism into public policy.
RELIGIOUS PLURALISM, AN ESSENTIAL ASSET FOR BARCELONA
The OAR always has and always will contribute to a dynamic, diverse, rich and plural Barcelona that is a source of pride for everyone who lives here. The scenario has changed over the last two decades, but the OAR has remained committed to communities and local people, adapting to new contexts and challenges.
The OAR has built solid foundations, and continues to face new realities, making the organisation a key point of reference. This anniversary also provides an opportunity to recognise diversity – more specifically religious and spiritual plurality – as an essential asset in building a fairer and more cohesive city (#20OAR).
#20OAR CELEBRATING TWO DECADES AS A BENCHMARK FOR GOOD PRACTICE
Two activities, both open to the public, will be taking place on 11 and 18 June, to celebrate two decades of work with Barcelona’s religious and spiritual communities. These activities aim to highlight the OAR’s trajectory, raise the profile of the projects the organisation has promoted since its creation in 2005, and generate a space for collective dialogue on the present and future challenges facing religious pluralism in Barcelona.
Led by Clara Fons i Duocastella, sociologist and specialist in religious diversity, the Saló de Cròniques at Barcelona City Council will be hosting a welcome ceremony followed by three round tables [SOLD OUT FOR JUNE 11TH!!!]:
- ‘The Past, Present and Future of the OAR’ with Ignasi Garcia Clavel (commissioner 2013-2015), Lola López (commissioner 2015-2019) and Cristina Monteys Homar (OAR coordinator 2008-2017). At this round table, there will be a discussion about the organisation’s evolution over the last twenty years, highlighting the lines of action that have shaped its trajectory and its importance in the management of religious diversity. The session will take a retrospective look at key moments in its history, its principal achievements and projects, and the challenges that lie ahead.
- ‘The Management of Religious Pluralism by Public Administrations’ will include representatives from the Pluralism and Coexistence Foundation, the Generalitat de Catalunya’s Directorate-General for Religious Affairs, Sabadell City Council and the Ciutat Vella district. Participants will reflect on the role of local government in the management of religious pluralism, ensuring rights, and to what extent the OAR serves as a point of reference. A range of strategies and tools for continuing to work on the management of religious pluralism will be presented, addressing the complexities involved for the various public bodies.
- ‘The 20-year Relationship Between the OAR and Barcelona’s Religious Communities’ with representatives of Barcelona communities that have collaborated with the OAR over the last two decades: ISKCON Barcelona, the Evangelical Council of Catalonia (CEC), the Arquebisbat de Barcelona and the Estable de Religions (GTER) Working Group. A space for dialogue aimed at assessing the shared journey in managing religious pluralism, collecting feedback on the work of the OAR, identifying needs and opportunities for improvement, and enhancing involvement in public policy. It will allow experiences to be shared, progress to be acknowledged, and actions to be proposed with a view to ensuring a more effective and inclusive relationship between the administration and religious communities, and will consider the challenges still to be addressed if true rights to religious freedom are to be guaranteed.
PRIOR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THE WELCOME CEREMONY AND ROUND TABLES, PLEASE CLICK HERE! [SOLD OUT FOR JUNE 11TH!!!]
The anniversary celebrations will continue on Wednesday 18 June with ‘Religious Pluralism, Memory and Urban Transformation’, a guided walking tour around the Ciutat Vella district led by sociologist Víctor Albert-Blanco from the Sociology of Religion Research Group (ISOR). The itinerary will highlight the cultural and spiritual legacy of the different faiths that are part of the city’s identity, and how these are reflected in urban transformation over time. It will also look at religious pluralism today, especially in terms of access to public space and the challenges still to be faced in order to fully guarantee rights to freedom of worship. The tour is being jointly organised by the OAR and Espai Avinyó. MORE INFORMATION HERE!
INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION:
Capacity is limited for both activities, and prior registration is required.
- WELCOME CEREMONY AND ROUND TABLES:
- DAY: Wednesday 11 June
- TIME: From 10 am to 6 pm
- VENUE: Saló de Cròniques at the Barcelona City Council building (Plaça Sant Jaume, 1)
- REGISTRATION: Limited places. PRIOR BOOKING REQUIRED CLICK HERE! [SOLD OUT FOR JUNE 11TH!!!]
**** People with accessibility requirements should let us know when registering, by emailing activitatsoar@bcn.cat or calling +34 679 710 445 before 10 June 2025.
- GUIDED TOUR ‘Religious Pluralism, Memory and Urban Transformation’:
- DAY: Wednesday 18 June
- TIME: From 6 pm to 8 pm
- REGISTRATION: please email espaiavinyo@bcn.cat. The meeting point for the start of the tour will be provided on registration.