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2015

Meeting of Experts in Florence, Italy

Posted September 8, 2014

On August 19 to 21, 2014, the 16th IRLA Meeting of Experts convened at the beautiful Italian college, Villa Aurora, in Florence, Italy.

Religious Freedom 2014: The Year in Review

Posted January 15, 2015

In many respects, one could argue that advancing technology has enabled lifestyle improvements that would suggest we must be living in the best of times. Unfortunately, however, those of us who spend our professional lives monitoring religious freedom developments -- and fighting to protect those freedoms -- see the other side of the coin. Just using the last 12 months as an example, from a religious liberty standpoint, one could say we are living through the worst of times.

If a Tree Falls… Does Bloodshed Matter When It’s Not Reported?

Posted January 8, 2015

It’s an old philosophical question: “If a tree falls in the forest, but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Historical Religious Liberty Festival in Curaçao

Posted January 20, 2015

A mixed crowd of Christians represented by denominations like the Methodists, Roman Catholics and Seventh-day Adventists, together with a group of Hindus, Jews and Muslims, totaling approximately 1,000 people shouted: “Thank you God, for Religious Liberty. Thank you Curaçao, for Religious Liberty! We love it. We want to keep it.”

The First Religious Liberty Dinner In Curaçao

Posted January 26, 2015

Thursday, January 15th 2015, the Curaçao Religious Liberty Foundation celebrated its first Religious Liberty Dinner.

Association Formed To Protect Religious Freedom

Posted January 27, 2015

The Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) church in Jamaica has launched the country's first ever National Religious Liberty Association to defend the rights of employees, students and every other Jamaican whose religious liberty is under threat.

Celebrating Religious Freedom In Jamaica - Thousands Trek to National Arena For Festival

Posted January 27, 2015

At 10:30 a.m. yesterday, it was standing room only inside the National Arena, and the thousands gathered were not there for a political rally, a reggae concert or a sporting event.

California Tour

Posted February 19, 2015

This was my last Californian Tour. What I call the Californian Tour was not limited to California. It was expanded to Nevada and Arizona. It has become a tradition since the first one in 1998 when Attorney Alan Reinach invited me to give a lecture at Pacific Union College.

Ambassador David Saperstein Swearing In Ceremony

Posted February 23, 2015

Mr. Secretary, I am so deeply honored by the confidence that you and President Obama have placed in me to serve our nation advancing the right of freedom of religion around the globe.

Religious Liberty Symposium in the Italian Senate

Posted February 25, 2015

Dedicated to the memory of Gianni Long, jurist and former FCEI president, the conference was attended by Italian and international experts on a topic of increasing relevance in a country progressively pluralistic in professions of faith.

Abercrombie & Fitch, The Supreme Court and You

Posted March 12, 2015

I've heard it said that the key to successful communication -- to persuasion -- is answering a central question for the audience: "What's in it for me?" This makes sense. As adults, most of us are pretty set in our ways, with a fairly well-defined outlook on the world. To persuade you to care enough to support my position, it stands to reason that I should be able to describe for you why you would benefit by agreeing with me.

Religious Freedom in Siberia

Posted March 18, 2015

From March 2-5, 2015, there were meetings and trainings on the work of PARL and ACM Departments in East Russian Union Mission (ERUM). ERUM leaders, Pastors Jan Taranyuk, Andrew Kalachin and Alexey Novoseltsev, together with the Director of EAD Department, pastor Oleg Goncharov visited the Head of the Department for Religious and National Organizations Affairs in the Novosibirsk region, Administrator Anna Lopareva.

Medellin, Colombia: Wilson Champions Religious Liberty

Posted March 25, 2015

The second IRLA Inter-American Religious Liberty Congress was held in Medellin March 18 -19, 2015, in the Four Points, Sheraton Hotel. The theme was: “Church – State Relations, Why Are They Important and How to Improve Them?”

New York: Historic Meeting with the UN Secretary General

Posted April 21, 2015

Mr. Ted Wilson, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, accompanied by Dr. John Graz, Secretary General of IRLA and Dr. Ganoune Diop, official representative of IRLA to the United Nations, were received by His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations.

Troubling Times for Religious Liberty

Posted May 5, 2015

Religious freedom can’t be taken for granted. That was the blunt message delivered by Senator Orrin Hatch, senior Republican senator in the United States senate, to a group of religious liberty advocates, ambassadors and congressional representatives gathered April 29 for the 13th annual Religious Liberty Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Senator Orrin Hatch Remarks at Religious Liberty Dinner

Posted May 20, 2015

Religious freedom can’t be taken for granted. That was the blunt message delivered by Senator Orrin Hatch, senior Republican senator in the United States senate, to a group of religious liberty advocates, ambassadors and congressional representatives gathered April 29 for the 13th annual Religious Liberty Dinner in Washington, D.C.

In the Amazon, Thousands Celebrate Religious Freedom

Posted May 26, 2015

More than 7,000 people gathered in Manaus, Brazil—the largest city in the Amazon—to express thanks to the government for protecting religious liberty. The event, held Saturday, May 23, was the third religious liberty festival to be held in Brazil, and was organized by the South American chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA).

International ‘voice for liberty’ honored in Brazil

Posted June 1, 2015

Dr. John Graz, Secretary General of the IRLA, was honored May 25 at the 2015 International Religious Liberty Symposium held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Graz was one of two Medal of Honor receipts, and he was praised for his more than twenty years of tireless work defending and promoting religious freedom around the world.

International Religious Liberty Association at President Hotel, Moscow

Posted June 1, 2015

It’s been 25 years since Russia introduced its landmark laws "Concerning Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations" and "Concerning Freedom of Religion."

IRLA Leader Receives Congressional Medal From Peru’s Government

Posted June 3, 2015

The issue of religious freedom took center stage May 28 in Peru’s national parliament, the Congreso de la Republica. The government of Peru honored Dr. John Graz, Secretary General of the International Religious Liberty Association, for his international work promoting the right of all people to worship according to the dictates of their conscience.

Experts Explore Religious Conflict and Peacemaking

Posted August 10, 2015

The 17th annual IRLA Meeting of Experts begins August 10 at Pepperdine University School of Law in Malibu, California.

Inter-faith Dialogue and the Future of the African Continent: A Major Conference Explores New Paths to Peace and Prosperity

Posted August 31, 2015

A landmark pan-African symposium held recently in Cotonou, Benin, has released a document calling for a renewed emphasis on interfaith and intercultural dialogue as a means to combat social conflict and violent extremism, and to build a strong, peaceful and prosperous African continent.

“The World is One Family”: Visiting Indian Diplomat Calls for Tolerance and Inclusiveness

Posted September 15, 2015

One of India’s most experienced diplomats, retired Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan, was honored September 8 at a lunch hosted by the International Religious Liberty Association.

An Unlikely Alliance of Global Lawmakers Call to End Religious Persecution

Posted September 22, 2015

An extraordinarily diverse group of lawmakers from around the world met in New York City last week to call for greater global efforts to end religious persecution and repression. The “International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religious or Belief” produced an unlikely alliance of political leaders.

Religious Freedom Takes Center Stage in Madagascar at IRLA-Sponsored Festival

Posted September 29, 2015

More than 17 thousand people rallied last week in a sports arena in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar, to pledge their support for religious liberty. The day-long “Festival of Religious Freedom,” held September 26, was the first such event to be held in the Indian Ocean island nation of Madagascar.

UN Update: IRLA reports from the 70th General Assembly in New York

Posted September 30, 2015

More than 150 world leaders gathered in New York City last week for the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. This year, the stakes are high on issues as diverse as climate change, global development goals, peacekeeping, geopolitical conflicts, and extremism.

UN Update: Two Global Initiatives to Watch

Posted October 7, 2015

Last week, the eyes of the world were on New York City as some 150 world leaders converged for the first few days of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. This week, the work begins. The IRLA was there.

Major Portuguese Conference Explores Religious Freedom and the Media

Posted October 22, 2015

Recent trends in religious freedom, and how these are portrayed within the mainstream media, were the focus of the 4th Conscience and Liberty Conference held this week in Lisbon, Portugal.

UN Update: Religious Freedom and the Rights of Children and Parents

Posted October 27, 2015

On Thursday, October 22, Heiner Bielefeldt, UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief, gave a brief statement to the General Assembly’s Third Committee presenting his latest interim report. This report’s thematic focus is “on the rights of the child and his or her parents in the area of freedom of religion and belief.”

Moscow Conference Highlights Upswing in Religious Extremism

Posted November 9, 2015

Participants at a high-level religious freedom conference in Moscow have pledged to fight the growing “perversion of religion” around the world by those who use the language of faith to justify violence and terrorisms.

In Spain, Students Explore the Challenges of Europe’s Religious Diversity

Posted November 10, 2015

IRLA Secretary General Ganoune Diop was a key presenter in a unique three-day academic event last month on the campus of the European Academy of Yuste Foundation, located in the Royal Monastery of Yuste, Spain.

UN Update: Religious Minorities in Iran and Untold Stories of Suffering

Posted December 1, 2015

José I. Ortiz, IRLA’s assistant UN liaison, has filed another report from the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This time he reports on a recent panel discussion on religious freedom in Iran, a country still largely closed off from the international community.

UN Update: A Beginner’s Roadmap to the United Nations

Posted December 2, 2015

Have you ever wanted a behind-the-scenes tour of the United Nations, one of the world’s most fascinating—and complex—institutions? José I. Ortiz, the IRLA’s assistant UN Liaison, provides an insider’s perspective on this organizational behemoth.

Romania’s Palace of the Parliament Hosts Third International Religious Liberty Event

Posted December 3, 2015

Romanian politicians and thought leaders, along with academics and religious liberty advocates from around the world, gathered recently in central Bucharest for a major conference focused on law, ethics, and religious liberty.

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