U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy: Assessing the Results
Monday, April 21, 2008
This symposium is a part of a three part series entitled: Religious Freedom and US Foreign Policy: Taking Stock and Looking Forward
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Agenda:
Coffee and Bagels: 8:30-9:00am
Panel 1: 9:00am-10:45am
U.S. Foreign Policy Practitioners: The State Department, the Commission, Congress, and the White House.
Robert A. Seiple, President of the Council for America’s First Freedom and former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom
Tad Stahnke, Director of the Fighting Discrimination Program at Human Rights First and former senior staffer at U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
David Killion, senior staff of House Committee on Foreign Affairs and former senior staffer on human rights issues for the late Rep. Tom Lantos William Inboden, Senior Vice-President of the Legatum Institute and former senior staff at National Security Council
Chris Seiple, Council of Faith & International Affairs (moderator)
Panel 2: 11:00am-12:30pm
U.S. Foreign Policy Scholars: International Religious Freedom Policy, American Ideals, and American National Interests
Ruth Wedgwood, Director of International Law and Organizations Program, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Philip Gordon, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Brookings Institution
Joshua Muravchik, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
Walter Russell Mead, Senior Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations
Thomas Farr, Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (moderator)
Lunch: 12:30-1:30
Panel 3: 1:30pm-3:00pm
U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy: The Critique from the Muslim World
Abdolkarim Soroush, Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Asma Afsaruddin, Associate Professor of Classics, University of Notre Dame
Radwan Masmoudi, Founder and President, Center of the Study of Islam & Democracy
Thomas Farr, Senior Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs (moderator)
Light breakfast and lunch served; RSVP required.
You may attend one, two, or all sessions.
RSVP: Berkleycenter@georgetown.edu
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Coming on October 10, 2008:
Final symposium in the series, entitled “The Future of U.S. International Religious Freedom Policy: Recommendations for a New Administration”
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ABOUT THE SERIES:
In October 1998 Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA). The IRFA mandated the promotion of religious liberty around the world as a central element of American foreign policy. In 2008 three symposia at Georgetown examine the origins (February 25), performance (April 21) and promise (October 10) of IRF policy. Experts from across the spectrum of American public life—scholars, policymakers, experts and journalists—as well as informed officials and observers from around the globe, will analyze policy. The October symposium, building on the earlier two, presents recommendations for the new administration.
This series is hosted by Georgetown University and co-organized by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University and the Council on Faith & International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement. Co-sponsors include:
International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University
Council for America’s First Freedom, Richmond, Virginia
Ethics and Public Policy Center, Washington DC
Religious Liberties Practice Group of The Federalist Society, Washington DC
Leonard Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life, Hartford, Connecticut
Council on Foreign Relations, New York, NY.
The series is also made possible in part through the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation / Georgetown School of Foreign Service Program on Religion and International Affairs.