La convivance · Robert Lanquar

“Convivance” is a recent term in French, and a new one in English (“convivence”). Its roots come from the Spanish term “convivencia”, which emerged in the 12th century. In 2004, the Académie française included it in its Dictionary to designate a situation in which different communities and human groups live together, coexist, maintaining neighbourliness and peaceful exchanges.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 16 May of each year the International Day of Living Together in Peace, “as a means of mobilizing the efforts of the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity”.

This book explores the main ethical issues and needs of convivence. Our world is fragmented in the face of increasingly numerous crises: climate change, migration, growing inequalities, geopolitical confrontations, the rise of nationalism, identity conflicts and racism.

Convivence can be a driving force for resolving conflicts and serving as a form of mediation.