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religious freedom
Interfaith Initiatives
Freedom of religion and belief is a topic that
intersects closely with interfaith work. Why? Because if one learns
about and respects the views of those of different belief systems,
then rights to these freedoms are more likely to be guaranteed. Hence,
organisations in these fields tend to work quite closely together.
The network of international interfaith organisations is one example of this collaboration.
Another example of collaborative work was an event sponsored in February 2003 by the Ramakrishna Mission in India. The Mission, a member group of IARF (see below), celebrated a year of Interfaith and Religious Freedom Activities. Besides a rally that attracted thousands of people, the Mission regularly sponsors interfaith study circles and educational programmes for children. When one hears media reports about the many religious tensions that divide India, it is refreshing to see that there are activities bringing so many diverse traditions together.
Despite the obvious links with interfaith work, there are also several international non-governmental organisations that deal more specifically with the topic of freedom of religion or belief. These include:
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The International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)is an international organisation, which has the aim of working for freedom of religion and belief at a global level. Encouraging interfaith dialogue and tolerance is part of this agenda and IARF has over 90 affiliated member groups in approximately 25 countries from a wide range of faith traditions. With member organisations, regional co-ordinators, and national chapters around the world, the IARF is well placed to promote religious freedom concerns globally.
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The Oslo Coalition on Freedom of Religion or Beliefis an international network of representatives from faith communities, NGOs, international organizations and academia, with the aim of promoting freedom of religion or belief and strengthening interfaith co-operation worldwide.
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A Brussels-based site called Human Rights without Frontiers has produced country by country reports since 1997 on freedom of conscience and religion. News on religious intolerance and discrimination in the world is filed both by country and chronologically.
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The People's Decade for Human Rights, a non-profit organisation based in New York, has a very good document explaining the right to freedom of religion and belief and the guarantees of this right in international instruments.
Additionally, some governments and international organisations offer good research on the topic of religious freedom. Check out the following links:
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The UN website for freedom of religion From this page go to "Religious Intolerance.”
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A very good site sponsored by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) offers information about legal instruments around the world dealing with freedom of religion at www.unesco.org
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The US Commission on Religious Freedom is a US-based independent monitoring body, which has good research reports on the freedom of religion and belief in different countries.
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The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has a site specifically devoted to freedom of religion and belief on the European continent.
Contents / Introduction / Persecution Types / Immunity / Global Case Studies / United Nations / Right&Responsibilities / Hard Questions / Interfaith Initiatives / Summary / Inspiration / Resources
| © International
interfaith organisations network 2003 |