The relationship to the Other (Introduction)

This Introduction explores one of the most interesting aspects of the interreligious and intercultural dialogue: the search for the significance of the Other. The authoress introduces two contribution: "the other: notes along a journey in South Africa" and "Empathie". The article analyzes that every culture and every religion defines what are the ways, the contexts, the way of standing in front of the Other, the Other we and the Other they and only a clear awareness of what this refers to, may be an introduction to the dimension of dialogue and confrontation. The authoress sustains that the encounter does not always lead to acceptance, sometimes even estrangement, separation, incomprehension may occur, due to the non recognising,or to other aspects of the profound that orientate our way of thinking,hearing and behaving ourselves in relation to people. This introduction is an important reflexion about the relation with the Other and about a true meaning of empathy and it is really useful today because fear of the other combines well with and spreads in the economic crises of the globalisation, of the migratory dynamics that are accompanying the last decennials of the human history. It spurs to find new answers for environmental sustainability as shared responsibility of al living creatures, because there is a clear awareness that the post modern and the technology do not solve ‘in a magical’ and a natural way the problems of living together of people and groups.