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International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF)

 

 

"Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18)

Statement of Purpose

The purpose of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) is to work for freedom of religion and belief because it is a precious human right that potentially enables the best within our religious lives, or our search for truth or enlightenment, to flourish.

It requires work on three aspects, any of which may constitute the core objective for the IARF membership in a country or region:

• Freedom from oppressive interference or discrimination by the state, government or society’s institutions on the grounds of religion or belief;
• Mutual understanding, respect and the promotion of harmony, or at least “tolerance”, between communities or individuals of different religions or beliefs;
• An essential accountability by religious communities to ensure that their own practices uphold the fundamental dignity and human rights of their members and others.

Thus, IARF works with and for:

• Groups from different religious traditions or beliefs (normally those which share its values);
• Communities suffering from religious persecution or discrimination.

Our Programme Focus

IARF’s International Council has approved a Strategic Plan for 2001-2007 to focus on the following priority activities to advance religious freedom:

1. Supporting Affected Communities: Identifying communities that have recently suffered from the denial of religious freedom and working with regional co-ordinators and member organisations to develop practical programmes of support;
2. Non-Formal Diplomacy: Communicating with decision makers on the basis of non-formal diplomacy, and through U.N. channels, to raise concerns about religious persecution;
3. Young Adult Programmes: Creating a global network of young adults who are committed to addressing religious freedom issues and to promoting interfaith harmony and understanding;
4. Religious Freedom and Responsibility: Working with member organisations to help evolve necessary guidelines for responsible conduct by religious or belief communities;
5. Preventive Strategies: Identifying vulnerable areas before acts of religious intolerance recur, or occur, and developing programmes focused on prevention, including an emphasis on the role of education.

The IARF Congress

Approximately 450-650 individuals from various faith traditions and backgrounds attend the IARF Congress which is held every 3-4 years in a different part of the world. These international convocations involve IARF’s membership in interfaith dialogue, discussions about issues facing religious communities, cultural exchanges, and worship. Recent Congresses have been held in Canada, Korea, India, Germany, Japan and Hungary.

Links with the U.N.

The members of the IARF family fully support the principles laid out in the U.N.’s Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (1981) which advocates “freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief.” Within the framework of these rights, the Declaration also encourages the concept of responsibility in the field of religion or belief -- a cornerstone of IARF’s work.

IARF is one of 131 organisations in General Consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. This status entitles IARF representatives at the U.N. in Geneva to regularly make interventions on behalf of religious minorities. IARF representatives in New York also work closely with many other non-governmental organisations in support of religious freedom.

IARF at UN in New York / IARF at UN in Geneva
Orlanda Brugnola / John Taylor
521 Fifth Ave, Suite 1730 / L'Echappee
New York, NY 10175 / 1264 St. Cergue
USA / SWITZERLAND
Tel: 1-212-582-2537 / Tel: 41-22-360-1722
Fax: 1-212-582-9127 / Fax:41-22-360-1722

OBrugnola@aol.com / echappee@bluewin.ch

The Global/Local Perspective

With regional co-ordinators and national chapters, as well as member organisations around the world, IARF is well placed to obtain local perspectives on religious freedom concerns and issues. An International Council of 21 members, representing numerous faith groups, guides the work of the organisation. Meanwhile, the Secretariat plays an international co-ordinating role from the centre of Oxford.

Our History

The IARF, founded in 1900, was one of the first international, inter-religious organisations in the world. While primarily founded by Unitarians and “liberal Christian thinkers” over 100 years ago, the organisation has since grown to include major religious groups of many traditions, including Buddhist, Shinto, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and Jewish participants. We have over 90 affiliated member groups in approximately 25 countries who share a commitment to religious harmony and freedom of worship. They are all of the conviction that a diversity of religions and beliefs exist which have a positive and constructive contribution to make to human society.

* * *

“Religion and belief are motivating forces which guide our existence and make it meaningful. We should listen carefully to theform(s) that the faith and beliefs of others take while accepting our own human limitations to know the truth absolutely. What we can rightly demand is religious freedom, and what we correspondingly must supply are the highest ethical standards of responsible conduct. IARF is a committed fellowship of those who are engaged in both tasks.”
Andrew C Clark, General Secretary, IAR

* * *

Andrew Clark with Win Burton, Soul for Europe, and Alison Van Dyk, Temple of Understanding, at Oxford network meeting 2003

IARF European and Middle East Coordinator:
Rev Ilona Szent-Ivanyi Orbok
H-1122 Budapest, Varosmajor u. 13. f.1., Hungary
Tel: 36-1-225-3235; Fax: 36-1-225-3236
email: ilona.orbok@iarf-europe.com

IARF in Southeast Asia:
Angelina Grapa
Silliman University, Mahogany Cottage, Dumaguete, Negros Oriental - VII, 6200 Philippines
Tel: 63-35-422-6002, Mobile: 63-919-6998-351,
Fax:63-35-422-6002, email: acgrapa@yahoo.com

IARF in South Asia:
Zulfikhar Akram
84/1, KGN Compound, Near Mamatha School,
V.V.Nagar, R.T.Nagar Post, Bangalore 560 032 India
Tel: 91-80-343-2960; Fax: 91-80-343-2960
email: iarf@bgl.vsnl.net.in

Japanese Liaison Committee:
Rev Masamichi Kamiya
Rissho Kosei-kai, 2-11-1 Wada, Suginami-ku,
Tokyo 166-8537, Japan
tel:81-3-3380-5185, fax:81-3-3381-9792
email: masamichi.kamiya@kosei-kai.or.jp

IARF in North America:
Rev Richard A Kellaway
5 Dover Street #303, New Bedford
MA 02740 USA
Tel: 1-508-991-5870, email: ishmael@empire.net

CHAPTERS:
Bangladesh, K Narul Islam
Britain, Rev Geoffrey Usher
Canada, Christine Johnston
Germany, Wolfgang Jantz
India, M Subramaniam
Ireland, Sandra Gilpin
Japan, Rev F Katayama
Nepal, Sushma Pant
Netherlands, Rev P Boddaert
Philippines, S Wale
Sri Lanka, M S Sellasamy
Thailand, Ven Samoneri
USA, Rev D Hunter
USA, Natalie Gulbrandsen

INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL:
Shlomo Alon, Israel
Azam Bayburdi, Hungary
Rev Johanna Boeke, Britain
Bhiksuni Chuehmen, Rep of China
Homi Dhalla, India
Angelina Grapa, Philippines
Rev Abhi Janamanchi, USA
Gurnam Kaur, India
Mumtaz Ali Khan, India
Alexei Krindatch, Russia
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling, USA
Thomas Mathew, India
Rev Yoshinobu Miyake, Japan
Ranjit Mukherji, India
Horst Prem, Germany
Rev William Sinkford, USA
Rev David Steers, N Ireland
Guji Yukiyasu Yamamoto, Japan

President: Eimert van Herwijnen
Vice President: Ellen Campbell
Treasurer: Rev Katsunori Yamanoi
General Secretary: Andrew C Clark

International Secretariat
2 Market Street, Oxford OX1 3EF, UK
tel. 44-1865-202-744, fax 44-1865-202-746
http://www.iarf.net/
email: hq@iarf.net

 

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© International interfaith organisations network 2003