Now we have many cases that cannot be defined in this way. They include value conflicts arising from different world views and value scales. For a semantic location of different definitions of the concept we need a model built on a four field.

With help of this field with four parts we can describe the different propositions and connections of the definitions of the concept "terrorist". As the first case we can see the definition of the President of Tunisia Ben Ali in the ISESCO conference in Tunis on 12.-13.11.2001. He told that the Intifada cannot be understood as terrorism, because it can be interpreted as battle for independence. This goal is again widely accepted in one form or another. In this case the goal sanctifies the means, although the means are terror attacks or suicide bombings. The place of this case is in the high right field (Place 1 ).

Secondly we can see that President Jasser Arafat naturally considers the goals of the Intifada (the Independence of Palestine) as extremely important, but sees that the means do not lead to the desired goal and is critical to the violence and terror attacks by suicide bombers. In the current political situation it is difficult to see how much this attitude has arisen from political calculation. Is it to be understood as a sign of new strategic thinking, which takes distance from many forms of Intifada? Should we interpret his enterprises to arrest the most violent Hamas leaders as sign of it? Or is

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it an expression of an inner power struggle between the old Fatah leader Arafat with his companions in other terrorist movements? In any case, his art to react to the terror attacks reveals another concept of terrorism. The goals of Hamas, Hizbollah and Jihad are right but the means are wrong from his point ofview. The goals do not sanctify ali means. The most violent attacks are condemd by Arafat. The in the semantic space the place of this concept of terrorism is in the lower right field (Place 2).

Thirdly, we can discern the case in which the goals are accepted without reservations but the means are strictly condemd. One example is Kofi Annan in his speech on the Palestine -Israel conflict in the UN in Autum 2001. The demands of Israel for security and the endeavour for independency of Palestina were accepted in the UN meeting, but the means of both sides were condemd. This case of defining the concept of terrorism in an indirect way can be placed to the lower right field (Place 3).

Violence that is strictly condemned by means and goals is the fourth case. Many states also in the islamic world condemn the attack against the WTC and Pentagon on 11 Semtember 2001 and held this kind of violence as terrorism. Aiso some states, which earlier have had many reservations against the USA, sent their regrets. The leading ideology of the great league in war against terrorism was that there cannot be any such goal, which would justify this kind of violence against civilians. This kind of definition could be found in the speech of the Prime Minister of Malaysia still in Spring 2002. He stated that ali kinds of violence against civilians must be condemned as terrorism. The place in the semantic space of this definition is in the lower left field in the farthest corner (Place 4).

Despite this large consensus, two concepts of President Bush evoked objections. The concept of "crusade" was anacronistic and its ideological perspective was the western Christian world. Later he avoided this concept in order not to evoke disagreement. But also the concept "war" is problematic, because you cannot wage war if the enemy cannot be defined concretely. In this case the counterpart is not only the network of terrorists but also their ideology. How the ideological aspect is changing the picture of the enemy must later be studied.

As the fifth case we can define the content of the concept, which is to be derived from the critical discourse on the anti-terror campaign between American, European and Islamic political speekers. Islamic and European speakers note that the Americans and international troops in Afganistan have not succeeded in avoiding the same methods that the terrorists use namely to destroy civilian targets. The very strong word "terrorist" is not used to describe the troops of the anti-terror campaign, but the use of the heavy military power is condemned. The cover of the German magazine Der Spiegel showed in early 2002 President Bush and the Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld as Rambos with machine guns and swords in hand, which hurt many Americans. In the magazine Time a response was

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to be read in which the writer attacked the European passiveness and suggested that they would do something positive from their side to overcome the global problems.

"Europeans are rich. Their history has taught them to be suspicious of armed force, and there's nothing wrong with that. But they now have two options. They can devote their energies to criticism of those loudmouthed, big-shouldered, gun-toting Americans, or they can seek to ameliorate suffering around the world. The choice should be easy."16 Although this is not a definite description, the use of the concept by Europeans shows the relationship between the means and goals. It can namely be derived out of their critics of the anti-terror campaign. Its semantic place can be found in the lower right field above place 3 as Place 5.

As the sixth case in the current discourse we can take the definition of the extremist Muslim groups in Pakistan. In their rhetoric the USA is a great terrorist organisation in the world. Both its goals to destroy the Talibans and the means to do it are wrong. It represents the power of evil or it can be interpreted as "the great Satan". Here we have an ideological way to define what terrorism is. The value basis is in the fundamentalist interpretation of Islam. It means that the contents of the concept cannot be changed without changing the fundamentalist way of thinking. From this point of view dialogue among religions and cultures is an important precondition for peaceful decisions. The way in which the religious concepts are interpreted affects the ideological discourse and political decisions. To say it in a simple way: No world peace without peace among religions.

Idealagisatian af the Cancept

Let's study how the ideologisation of the concept "terrorist" affects the political picture of the enemy. How the abstraction level of the concept contributes to the definition, who will be included to the group of international terrorists. How should we know when we are dealing with terrorism that can be repelled with means of police forces? Or are we dealing with terrorism that can be destroyed only through annihilating its infrastructure, its connections to civilians and contacts to political power? Or are we dealing with terrorism that seems to justify attacks against entire states? If we understand terrorism in a very concrete way, its damages are directed against material objects and its activities can be compared with criminal acts, we evaluate terrorism from the so called "having" values after the Maslow/Allardt taxonomy. To the group of terrorists belong then a small number of criminals.

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The situation turns more complicated when the borderlines between civil disobedience and terrorism begin to be obscure. The Intifada began as a rebellion of weaponless youth who threw stones but it escalated to suicide bombings and planned ambushes.

How to find the criteria in a civil crisis to discern the borderline between street violence and terrorism. Both must be repelled but what are the right means to it so that they will not provoke more violence?

More difficult is to define whether those who directly or indirectly support terrorists must be understood as terrorists. Is it reasonable to widen the concept to those who pian the atrocities? Is it right to include the group of terrorists also their families with children?

As a very dangerous widening of the concept should be held the opinion of one representative of the alliance, who said that also homes and the families ought to be included in the concept of "'terrorist". If we accept this, we have entered far from human rights definitions and also from the western tradition of law. Social and psychological networks would widen the area of the concept to a non-transparent jungle. The borderlines of these concepts would be drawn with socially binding values, with "Ioving" values. It means that the concept consists a network of various solidarity encouraging bindings. The area of the concept is very large and it would devide the civil society to those, who support and to those who combat terrorism. The borderlines then lay invisible inside society. It is very difficult to think that in this situation it would be possible to handle society as a single unity.

The relatians between values and the area af the concept can be illustrated as follows:

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If common values are to be found in society, bringing citizens together, the problem of the widening of the concept can be avoided. The following example is taken from a time when homogenous Lutheran world view was prevalent. In his well-know poem "The Governor" J. L. Runeberg is describing the occupation of Finland by Russian troops, which was the result of the "Finnish War" 1808-1809. The central person in this poem is the governor, who can be identified as Olavi Wibelius. He had also served 27 years as a lawyer in Finland. In 1803 he became the govemor of Kuopio. The supreme commander of the Russian troops was Count Buxhövden. With his brave negotiations with Buxhövden the governor prevented the revenge of Russian troops against the families of rebelling Finnish soldiers.

Essential to our theme is what the Russian general says: "but he who still rebels against his master and emperor must know that his family out of house, out of his land will be chased " The entire family with children was included in this theatre to the concept "rebel". In the earnest moment the governor Wibelius took the book of civillaw in his hand and said:
...."he who breaks the law must carry the consequences. He alone is guilty,
not his wife or child.....the wife is not responsible for his husband....solders you can punish but wives -let them go...."

The burden of a rebel should not be laid on the shoulders of wives, families or children. The governor signs with eloquency the borderline between soldiers and civilians. The common value basis was found in the law that pointed out this difference between these groups. The educated general Buxhövden respected the courage and arguments. He respected the governor and the law of a defeated country. The poem says:..." escaped was anger from his face, his glance was mildered; the hand of governor he earnest shaked, bowed down and went."

The poem lets the reader understand that there was something high and sacred that could not be broken. The law was more than a collection of paragraphs or consensus of opinions of citizens. Perhaps it is possible to say that the ethos of Wibelius, his moral commitment to the spirituallife order made the decisive impression to the general.

We can now ask how much the internationallaw gives such kind of value basis that supports one's own personai conviction, ethos. The established and ratified laws concerning human rights have little oppotunity to be realized if they cannot be justified also with religious ethical concepts. The will to obey the norms grows from an inner conviction that is based on religious and moral values. Their unity can be called the values memory of cultures. Is it possible to commit oneself to these ethical values that could reveal the borderline between the genuine worship of religion and its political instrumentalisation? If we could succeed in this, it would be possible to separate terrorism from the support of large masses motivated by religion.

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If the concept "terrorism'. is symbolized at a very high abstract level, this widens the area of the group of terrorists. In this interpretation negative spiritual attributes, which belong to the "Being" values are added to the concept. This happens when President Bush calls Irak, North Korea and Iran as the ..axis of evil'.. They are no longer only supporters of terrorists but bad in a spiritual sense. These states and their citizens might now belong to the category. Abstract ethical and moral values turn the concept to a negative spiritual phenomenon. One result of this change is that also the anti-terror war widens and acquires more sophisticated and unpredictable forms.

In civilian crisis management this means that it is possible to envision the coming concrete strategies if we notice the level of the interpretation of the concept. We notice that it is for instance very difficult to motivate a military action against a very far away state without this kind of demonisation at high abstraction level. The appeal on existential, spiritual Being-values makes it possible to widen the group of terrorists, so that nations and states can be concerned as well.

But the politicians who use these kind of political concepts risk making very profound mistakes. One example that comes to mind is including Iran in the "axis of evil" just after its efforts in the UN to establish "the Dialogue of Cultures", the year 2001 then having this special theme.17 The goal of this project is to create co-operation and mutual understanding among cultures.

Also because of the various effects that religious and cultural concepts have on the growth of civilian crises and their overcoming, it is necessary to create "values memory". We need it for the analysis and understanding of the reasons that often lay underneath the surface.

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PART C

The year 2001 was the UN year of "dialogue among civilizations" (UN 1998). This proposal, suggested by the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and applauded by many nations, was aimed to challenge international politics and, especially, education at its various levels: schools, teacher training institutes, universities and non-government organizations (NGOs). It was thought that if the world community takes the proclamation seriously, and not just as a sign of the cultural changing process in central Asia, the proclamation questions many everyday concepts used in the international diplomatic language. What is dialogue? What kind of communication - economic, diplomatic, cultural -can be understood as dialogue? Which are the criteria for the level of communication or information achieving the status of dialogue?

If we accept the ancient tradition established by Plato, dialogue is a learning process in which the partners take into consideration differing opinions and reflect upon them with arguments and counter -arguments. The precondition of dialogue is that the partners understand the basic concepts and values of each other's communication.

What is Communication

"Connecting people" is the slogan of Finland's most successful communication company, Nokia. Indeed, electronic communication has developed into a distinguishing feature of the globalization process and the new liberal market economy. Promptly mediated messages from one side of the globe to another are changing economical realities. They may prompt stock markets crashes or make people very rich.

Economic values decide what is important in the flow of information transmitted through these channels. These values select or point out the most important details and decide what is worth transmitting. The criteria can be very trivial. Globalization means, in many cases, the transportation of western market economic values to foreign" cultures and societies.

The technical instruments of electronic transmission are value neutral; however, their over -estimation can lead to under -estimation of the importance of other values, which are transmitted implicitly or explicitly within the message. Humanistic, ethical reflection is needed when. We ask what the communication is, in its totality, and what are its likely effects.

Karl Jaspers, the Swiss philasopher, has interpreted the phenamenan of communicatian as a philasophical concept. It became the central issue of

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his philosophy. Jaspers' contention is that only human beings have higher -level communication with each other and can reciprocally or mutually understand experiences (Gemeinschaft gegenseitigen bewussten Verständlichwerdens). Mutual understanding is the very essence of communication and takes place on diverse levels.

Jaspers divides the levels of communication into two principal groups. In the first group communication means a connection between people on the objective, particularistic level of aims. These levels can be transformed to the second, higher, level of existential communication only through a leap ( Sprung), to the Unknown Situation. The tension between self and participating devotion for the other is characteristic of this second level. Its presupposition is the ability to be alone, which will develop into oneness in duality (Zweiheit). Existential communication is a process concerning the totality of two authentic/individual personalities, in which they reciprocally create each other and themselves.

I will examine the concept of communication aiming on the first level at particular goals, because it is especially important in preliminarily defining the preconditions for intercultural communication. Jaspers defines three levels. He speaks about communication on the level of existence (Kommunikation des Daseins), which is based on vital sympathies and common interests. Second, he defines communication on the level of consciousness (Kommunikation des Bewusstseins), which is based on the rationality of man. The third level is the communication of spirit (Kommunikation des Geistes). It means finding consensus on the idea of wholeness. The communication of spirit means being aware of the connecting matter between ali people. When we explore the possibilities of being aware of global unity through a global ethic, this level is very important. It is still within the goals to be reached through education .

The second main level, existential communication cannot be taught. It can only be reached through personai growth, when you are ready to risk the leap Sprung) to responsible openness. In this perspective, existential communication is possible. This kind of communication can be understood through the religious philosophy of e Jewish Scholar Martin Buber, who developed the concept of dialogue from the Hassidic Jewish mystical tradition. It proposes a dialogue/relationship between man and God, heaven and earth. Although in everyday discussions ali these levels are often understood as dialogue," for educational purposes it is important to be aware of the kind of dialogue we mean.

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Concept of Global Ethic

What does the term "global ethic" mean? This concept has appeared in 1990s discussions, primarily with three meanings. The globally recognized Catholic theologian, Hans Kung, has contributed to awareness of the concept. In the book Projekt Weltethos (1990) he discusses the necessity of creating a global ethic as counterweight to the increasing negative effects of some globalization processes and the misuse of religion in political conflict (Küng 1991 ).

Weltethos, global ethic, impiies, first of ali, a new moral awareness. This holistic approach does not mean a strict new moral system, but developing criteria for a new global moral awareness and a description of the process to achieve it. The 1993 Declaration Toward a Global Ethic, adopted by the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago (USA), is based upon this concept. Hans Ki.ing, together with an international and inter-religious working group, prepared the first draft of the Chicago Declaration. Finland was represented in the working group and since then I have been active (along with others) in the process of realizing the global ethic concept (Ki.ing & Kuschel, 1994). Formulation ofthe Declaration's wording .IToward a Global Ethic" is worth noting. The imprecise article points out that the text is only one step forward; but not a final result. Secondly, the text is using the word ethic and not ethics. The difference is that ethic (corresponding to the German term Ethos) means moral attitude and mood and not a strict ethical system. Moral awareness is more important than legally understood moral codes.

The third proposed definition of global ethic appears in the 1997 UNESCO project "universal ethics" (UNESCO 2000). The roots of this declaration can be found in philosophical and religious traditions and discussion on moral issues. It notes a difference between minimalistic and maximalistic global ethics (note UNESCO is using the word "ethics"). In Jaspers' terms, minimalistic ethics could mean communication at the level of existence / survival and its realisation. The maximalistic mode, supported by Hans KQng and documented in the Chicago Declaration, is based on a pre - existing religious and cultural consensus concerning central ethical norms and principles. The maximalistic mode corresponds to Jaspers concept of "communication of consciousness" and "communication of spirit" and is important for intercultural understanding because it allows us to discover unity in cultural diversity, without mixing them together. The maximalistic mode appreciates cultural diversity.

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What Are the Main Principles of the Global Ethic?

The crucial concept within global ethic is reciprocity. In the Christian tradition it is expressed in the Golden Rule: "Always treat others as you would like them to treat you (Gospel According to Matthew, 1971 translation). This principle is to be found in the traditions of every great religion. It is the basic principle of the 1993 Chicago Declaration, the InterAction Council's 1997 Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities (InterAction Council 1997) and UNESCO's recent "universal ethics" draft (UNESCO 2000).

In the Chicago Declaration, the other principles, based on religious traditions, note respect for life, the dignity of man and the righteousness of economic decisions. The second tablet of the Ten Commandments (Book of Exodus, 1971 Translation) is formulated positively within the Declaration, noting the necessity to commit oneself to solving problems without violence, building partnership among family members and living within a culture of truthfulness.

It is not difficult to gain acceptance of these global ethic principles by appealing to people's rationality and to the common good. The appeal functions in this case at the level of .Iconscious" communication in Jaspers' terms. The very problem lies in the symbolic interpretation of these ethical ideals. Are they interpreted so that we hear the challenge to personai commitment? Or is its symbolic level so narrow, that it is easy to say: "Yes, we already fulfil these norms," and we remain the same as before. Or, do we feel that these noble principles are distant from our realities? Are they interpreted so that their fulfilment seems impossible? Where is the level of interpretation for these principles that can be used as a common basis for learning effective intercultural communication?

Levels af Symbalizing and the Passibility af Dialague

The theoretical reflection here is based on the religious and psychological studies of James Fowler and Peter Biehl. The American religious psychologist James Fowler develops his "stages of faith" from the studies of Jean Piaget and Lawrence Kohlberg on the ethical development of children (Fowler 1982). Piaget comes to his conclusions by observing his own children. Kohlberg uses tasks for problem solving. The German religious pedagogue Peter Biehl has as his starting point the analysis of religious language and its symbolic functions. He has also developed an important approach to religious education called symbol didactics" from these studies (Biehl 1989).

On the first -Magic-numenic -level the warld af symbals (abstacles, wards, gestures) is perceived as reality. Usually this level is experienced

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In our culture before the school age. This level correspond to the communication of existence / survival in the taxonomy of Jaspers. The picture of a thing is taken as seriously as the object itself. When we are reacting on this level, the picture of the Ayatollah Khomeini, to some, symbolises Islamic revolution. For many people the cross symbolises death. Many taboos are based on this level (See figure below).

On the second - fundamentalist one - dimensional level the text and words are understood word by word in the general accepted meaning. In a non-religious society "heaven" loses its religious, multi.-dimensional, meaning and can be understood only as space. When Yuri Gagarin, the first Soviet cosmonaut, return home, he was asked if he saw God in heaven. On the religious side, the creatonist's attempt to harmonize the Genesis creation text with knowledge of natural sciense belongs to the same level of symbolizing.

On the third, trivial symbolic level, religious symbol are interpreted in traditional way, depending upon the cultural heritage in guestion. Within

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the Christian culture, "the way" has a different meaning than in Taoism or Buddhism. The symbol itself is more important than the object to which it refers. That is why it is unrealistic to expect multi -dimensional new interpretations of any concept. Fundamental and trivial symbolic levels correspond to the communication of consciousness in Jaspers' taxonomy.

On the fourth, symbol-critical, level the symbol itself is not as important as the concept to which it refers. Its representative character is diminished. At this level it is possible to understand that the religious symbols have much in common. The difficulties at this level are constrained by the very general way of seeing religious cultures. Thus the differences are no longer clear. There is a threat in seeing the world of religion in a synchronous / unifying manner.

On the fifth -post-critical, multi-dimensional -level, both the common and differing features of the symbol are realized. These two types of features connect and separate one from the other. At this level, a genuine dialogue is possible. It is based on mutual understanding about what is common and what is different. The awareness of common and connecting features of symbols (e.g. IIway," IIwater," IIhand," and IIheaven") is necessary. In everyday life, the test for communication at this level is the ability to be pleased not only with what is common between two religions or cultures, but also what is different and brings new interpretations of reality. This level corresponds to the communication of spirit in Jaspers' taxonomy. From this level it is possible to develop the idea of complementarity of religions and cultures. On this level one can understand the world religions and cultures as reciprocal, enriching actors, the diversity in unity.

The German Islamic scholar Anne-Marie Shimmel has discussed the dialogical power of mystical experiences. She has noticed that those who have a deep and intense commitment to their religion are often open minded about the conviction of others. Such experiences are not universally common. This open-mindedness corresponds to existential communication in Jaspers' terms. In the development of stages of faith in Fowler's taxonomy, it is the sixth -universal / mystical -way to understand religions and cultures.

How could we understand the leap ( Sprung) necessary at this existential level? From the perspective of religious and cultural symbols, it means the absence of claiming to know absolute truth. It is also means openness to the risk of experiencing uncertainty about one's own identity. This identify will change its shape through the dialogical process into a new form, to a oneness in duality, (Zweiheit).

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The New Need tor a Responsible Consciousness

Within various fields of science, culture and politics there are challenges, existing prior to our generation, that now have a compelling urgency. We can state, for instance, that the concepts of IIbrotherhood" or IIsolidarity" have been repeated in political programs since the French Revolution, but they are now a pre -condition for the earth's survival. Albert Einstein stated that the development of nuclear power had changed everything in this world except for one thing -our thinking. This must also change if the planet is to survive. Einstein challenged the ethical responsibility of scientists, not only as citizens, but also in their own fields of research. Following Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we have made huge steps in scientific research, but have we cultivated our moral responsibility to the same degree?

In the field of genetic research every development raises new ethical problems, which lead us to the basic question: what is permitted and what is forbidden in human research? We can now say -like Einstein -genetic research has changed everything in biological science except for one thing -our thinking. This must also change if humanity is to survive.

In politics it is wise to remember the warning of Winston Churchill: "Those who keep politics and morality apart, understand neither the one nor the other" (Schmiegelow 2000). Taking this warning seriously as a challenge for a new global culture, we see that the old concept of a "global village" must be re-developed. Although there is decentralized decision making, responsibility must be shared. It means that we ought to take as the ideal a global IIpolis" in its Greek meaning (Schmiegelow 2000). The Greek educational pre-condition (paideia) towards the democratic "polis" was not only IIrhetoric" in its positive meaning but communication in a broader sense, with its finest form of dialogue. We are now ali in the situation where we need intercultural communication skills and dialogue to create a new coherence within the world community.

Modes of Communication and International Political Theory

The German scholar Schmiegelow defines three primary types of international political paradigms since the Westphalia Peace Treaty of 1648: realistic, idealistic and transnational paradigms. The Westphalian principle, described by Thomas Hobbes, supposed that peace and harmony are possible only under control of a powerful state. This principle was derived from a very pessimistic view of mankind, then predominant in the world: homo homini lupus, the law of the jungle. Communication within this system corresponds to the level of existence / survival (Dasein) in Jaspers' theory.

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The idealistic system of international politics created by John Locke and Immanuel Kant, followed by Thomas Jefferson in the USA's Constitutional debates, requires the second communication level, based upon the rationality of man and common interests. Kant proposes an ideal political system with its democratic elected legislators (see figure 1 ). This democratic state would guarantee peaceful development without war. In fact, this ..theory of democratic peace" is the only methodologically clear model for international relationships (Schmiegelow 2000).

In the USA these two models, represented by Thomas Jefferson's idealistic and Alexander Hamilton's realistic positions, and corresponding to Hobbesian tradition, collided during the Constitutional debate over domestic and foreign policy. In Europe, the realistic tradition prevailed until the conclusion of World War II. During the 1948 Nuremberg trials, IInaturallaw" concepts from The Middle Ages were revived as the new basis of international norms.

The outcome of the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation in 1975 demonstrates how central the concepts of unfettered communication and free movement are within international politics. Helsinki's so-called "third basket" demanded these rights for citizens in ali European countries. The political consequences of this Conference led to a new era of openness and stability and contributed to the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. This development challenges us to reflect upon the role of various modes of communication in intercultural cooperation. The new consciousness of the unity of the world community was reflected in a 1980 report of German Chancellor, Willy Brandt. It stressed the necessity to overcome the ..North-South" divide and to integrate the Third World within the world community. In place of nation states came transnational and multilateral ways of thinking (Schmiegelow 2000). Following the end of the Cold War, the globalization process re-established this transnational paradigm and emphasized its economic dimensions.

Western democracies, with the help of modern information technology, dominate world trade on the basis of requiring a liberal market economy. The major problem today is how the West can convince the Third World of the advantages of democratic Systems, if the globalization process it champions increases the gap between rich and poor. This is why globalization needs a global ethic, and a global ethic needs a new emphasis on intercultural communication and its theoretical and practical elaboration. In Karl Jaspers' terms, globalization needs a "communication of spirit," characterised by the ability to care for the earthts essential unity / "oneness" in ali forms of thought and communication.

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Global Coherence and the Complementarity of Cultures

Among the most inspiring aspects of European medieval Gothic cathedrals are their painted and stained glass windows. The intensity of their colour changes during the day. This is especially true in Chartre, France, in different light circumstances. Every small piece of glass, each with its own colour, appears different depending on the moment of the day. These small pieces of large stained and painted windows can be taken as metaphors for different religions and cultures. Their beauty and value depend on the ability to retain their true colour, separate from the other pieces and colours. Each piece fulfils its function as part of the picture. Every small piece complements each other and plays its part in creating a harmonious wholeness -just by reflecting the same light of the day and being itself. In order to understand the complementary role of religions and cultures, we need a new awakening of consciousness. Its secret is that ethical awareness opens our eyes to see hard realities in other, surprising, ways.

In the Jewish tradition there is a story about a Rabbi and his disciples. The Rabbi said: "You have been my disciples for a long time. Let me now ask a simple question in order to see what you have leamed. How you discern the difference between day and night when morning is coming? In which situation can you say that day is overcoming night and light is overcoming darkness?" One of the disciples answered: "It is the moment when the shepherd on the mountain can discern whether the animal in the valley is a lamb or a dog." The Rabbi was not satisfied and another disciple answered. "It is the moment when you can discern whether the trees in the valley are olives or lemons." Once again the Rabbi was not satisfied, and answered himself. "The moment when day is overcoming night and light overcomes darkness is when you are looking around and you begin to discern in the faces of those people around you the faces of your sisters and brothers."


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References

Biehl, P. (1989). Einfuhrung in die Symboldidaktik an Hand der Symbole Hand, Haus und Weg. Symbole geben zu lernen. Neukirchener: Neukirchen Vluyn.

Exodus, Chapter 20, v 13-17. The New English Bible (1971 Translation). New York: Cambridge: University Press.

Fawler J. (1982). Stages af Faith: The Psychalagy af Human Develapment and the Ouest af Meaning. San Fransisca: Harper.

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Hanafi, H. (1997). Uskontojen on oltava yhteistyössä. Teoksessa: Vastuun aika. Puheenvuoroja eettisestä maailmanjärjestyksestä. Toim Hans Küng. Suomeksi toim. Reijo E. Heinonen. Jyväskylä: Pohjoinen.

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Heinonen, R.E. (2001). Towards Complementarity of Religions and Cultures: The Role of a Global Ethic in intercultural Communication. Interspectives. A Journal on Transcultural Education 18, 2000/20011 20-24.

Huntington, S.P. (1998) Kampf der Kulturen. Die Neugestaltung der Weltpolitik im 21. Jahrhundert. Munchen: Europa Verlag.

InterActian Cauncil (1997). A Universal De ciaratian af Human Respansibilities, Prapased by the InterActian Cauncil. Takya: 1 September.

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Küng H. & Kuschel, K. J. (Eds.) (1994). Elämää säilyttävät arvot. Hämeenlinna.

Matthew, Chapter 7, v 12. The New English Bible (1971 Translation). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Schmiegelow M. (2000). Religionen und Werte: Kennzeichen des internationalen Systems. Internationale Politik, Vol.2, pp 20 - 26.

UNESCO (Ed.) (2000). Our Creative Diversity: World Commission on Culture and Development. Newsletter (section on Philosophy), 9 April.

United Nations General Assembly, (1998). Resolution: United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civilisations. Reported: 2 November, Mission of Finland. See also: Khatami, S. M. (1998). Keine eligion ist im Besit:r der absoluten Wahrheit. Frankfurter Allgemeine, 26 September.

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