"Religion continues to be an essential element for the constitution of social ties". This was pointed out by Professor Montserrat Herrero during the presentation in Vigo of the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS). About 80 people attended the event, which was held at the Afundación Social Center.

The expert explained that the project that she directs at the ICS, 'Religion and Civil Society', tries to demonstrate that the thesis that progress entails a progressive secularization is false. Thus, she alluded to a report conducted by the Gallup consultancy in 2012, according to which less than 10% of Europeans declare themselves atheists.

"In many countries - such as Finland, Holland and some nations of the former USSR - the religious internship is growing," he pointed out. However," he added, "there is the opposite feeling because of the normative level, which is where public institutions operate. In other words, liberal democracy maintains that religion must be removed from the public sphere if we want to live in peace".

Participation of all social actors

Professor Herrero recalled that Mary Ann Glendon, professor at Harvard University and ICS collaborator, warns that this approach is beginning to endanger religious freedom in the U.S. "And we cannot forget that many people have fought to achieve it and have even given their lives for it," she stressed.

In response to this, Montserrat Herrero defended the model in which her team is working: "In it, we claim the different spheres of authority in society: politics, the churches, the family, the school, the university, the business... The participation of all social actors must be encouraged, and they must be heard by political representatives".

Jaime García del Barrio, director general of the ICS, also spoke at presentation . He explained the keys to high school, in which fifty specialists of 17 nationalities are researching. He referred to the eight lines of research of the ICS, which are grouped into four areas: Contemporary art; Family, Education and society; Globalization, human rights and interculturality; and Poverty and development.

Tomás Gómez-Acebo, Vice President Alumni of the University of Navarra, explained that the ICS extends to the field of Humanities the model of research excellence of IESE. IESEthe Clinicthe CEITand the CIMA.