International Women & Youth to speak truth to power at World Ministerial Summit on Religious Freedom – an invitation to listen!
In July, the 2022 global Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Ministerial Summit will be held in London. The event will bring together ministers from thirty-five countries of the International Religious Freedom of Religion of Belief Alliance, which is currently chaired by Fiona Bruce MP, the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, along with senior government officials, international organisations, academics, and civil society, including diaspora, refugee, faith-based and interfaith groups.
This year’s summit, the first to be hosted in the UK, will focus on Prevention (of discrimination and violence), Protection (of victims), and Promotion (of rights and freedoms). Another important theme will be the role of women, children, and youth in interfaith peacebuilding efforts around the world.
To support this aim, a coalition of organisations (including the APPG for Prevention of Genocide, Aegis Trust, Search for Common Ground and Tearfund), with funding from the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints, is bringing delegations of interfaith youth and women from Bosnia, Central African Republic, Israel-Palestine, Iraq, Nigeria and Sri Lanka, to testify at the ministerial and hold a series of public events.
The youth and women, who all lead peace initiatives in their communities, will share their experiences and learning with academics, faith leaders, diaspora and refugee groups, charities and interested members of the public at special events in Manchester on Sunday 3rd July, Birmingham on Monday 4th July, and London on Wednesday 6th July. They will have opportunities to ‘speak to truth to power’ as presenters on panels within the official ministerial meeting, and at parliamentary lunch for MPs and Peers on Tuesday 5th July. They will also participate in an intercultural arts for peace event on the evening of 5th July. Together, these events will include witness testimony of religious-identity-based violence against children, youth and women, but also inspiring examples of the role they can play in bringing peace to divided communities.
Many of the world’s most protracted and deadly violent conflicts are between religious-based identity groups. This can take the form of civil war, or interstate conflict, but also in contexts where power is concentrated in a single group, extremist political and religious ideologies are often used to justify persecution, human rights abuse and the violation of freedoms of religion or belief of minorities, including Uyghur in China, Rohingya in Myanmar, Yazidi in Iraq, Hazara in Afghanistan, and Christians, Muslims and Sikhs in parts of India. Furthermore, in some contexts where extreme interpretations of religion are violently enforced, such as Afghanistan and Iran, even members of the majority group are subject to violations of human rights and freedoms.
Gender is an inseparable aspect of religious-based conflict and persecution, which this initiative hopes to give greater prominence. This is because: firstly, violations of freedom of religion of belief affect women, children, and men differently, in gender specific ways, which are not always well understood; secondly, religious discourse around gender, particularly masculinity, can be a driver of violent beliefs and practices that harm women, children, and men, so faith-based initiatives to develop more positive masculinity and teach men to respect the rights of women should be nurtured; and thirdly, evidence shows that women, as well as children and youth, play an essential role in interfaith peacebuilding efforts aimed at changing hearts, minds, and behaviours, and caring for people in need, but they are too often overlooked and under-resourced.
The organisers of these events are keen to link with interested civil society groups, researchers, and faith leaders. For more information please contact: DrSamRushworth@gmail.com
Sam Rushworth with women leadership of the Central African Interfaith Peacebuilding Platform Marie-Therese, Aicha Baba, and Clarisse Manehou.
Dr Sam Rushworth is FoRB advisor to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He co-directs the APPG for the Prevention of Genocide, and he is Chair of Bishop Auckland Constituency Labour Party.
Twitter: @SamJRushworth
