Bucharest Romania - October 20-21, 2014.

A major Religious Freedom Symposium was held in Bucharest, Romania by one of the IRLA partner associations as observed by the number of experts and the Government officials who attended. It does not mean that the symposiums organized by the AIDLR and held in Madrid, then in Geneva at the UN during the Human Rights Council and the one held in Birmingham organized by the British Religious Liberty team were minor events. Not at all! But with more than 60 experts coming from universities of Europe, USA and Romania, with the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Education and Research and two Secretaries of State plus religious leaders, it was the event we could not miss!  It was hosted in the Palace of Parliament, located in the center of Bucharest.            

The event was organized by the Department of Religious Liberty of the Romanian Union, under the leadership of its director, Dr. Nelu Burcea, who gave the IRLA a significant part in the program. The Minister of Foreign Affairs opened the first session; I opened the Symposium on Tuesday night and began the second Session.  Dr. Ganoune Diop followed and the Minister of Education and Research closed the Symposium.  Dr. Burcea and his team did a great job. Early the next morning, we left Bucharest for Targoviste, the capital city of the region of Vallahia.

At the University of Targoviste we were welcomed by the Rector, the university President and the Minister of Education and Research who came from Bucharest. Dr. Diop and I were then both awarded the honorary degree of Doctorate Honoris Causa in a beautiful ceremony.  Those who introduced us, the Rector of the university and three other speakers including the Minister, were very generous when speaking of us. In his acceptance speech Dr. Diop underlined the philosophical and theological foundation of religious freedom and I gave an update about its current state in the world and what could we do to assist in defending it.

A number of university Rectors, Presidents and many students attended the ceremony. It is not common for a state university to honor religious defenders in such a way but it shows that in a world where religious fanaticism is spreading there is a positive response. The University of Targoviste, in honoring us, wanted to encourage all those who believe that religious freedom is part of our human dignity and that we have to defend and promote it with determination and courage.

--John Graz, Secretary General, International Religious Liberty Association