la macroregione adriatico-ionica: passato e presente – eventi, problematiche e testimonianze, per costruire un futuro migliore (the adriatic-ionian macro-region, past and present, events, problems and witness for the construction of a better future)

he Adriatic-Ionian region (EUSAIR) covers an outstanding area of maritime countries, of which four are member states of the European Union (Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and Greece) and four non-members (Albania, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina). It is a crossroad meeting place of peoples, religions and cultures that are often at loggerheads, sometimes on speaking terms. Religion has contributed to widening the division. However, in the last decades progress has been made towards an inter-religious dialogue. The lessons of the remote past and recent times have brought home the need to strengthen relations, to extend friendship, to prepare to defend the common values of liberty, peace and justice. The problems in the Balkans, but also those world-wide, need a positive and coherent approach. Prosperity, security and harmony of the various ethnic- religious components in the macro-region must develop peacefully. Unfortunately, the threat of war and hatred are destabilizing many parts of the world and every religion is called upon to defend peace. It is time for the individual illuminated voices to be supported by the body of the people of God, that is, God, the common father of all men who has given humanity the great gift of choosing between Good and Evil.