September 24-25, 2024
Latin American Parliament
Panama City, Panamá


Join us for an unforgettable event where we will learn from each other
and exchange good practices to further protect this right.

The Faith & Freedom Summit is an initiative that gathers high-level thought-leaders to highlight the importance of freedom of religion or belief, to assess areas that need to be improved as regards of its protection worldwide, and to develop a force of proposal to outline policies toward a greater respect of religious diversity.

September 24-25, 2024
Latin American Parliament,
Panama City, Panamá

ONLINE REGISTRATION

FREE OF CHARGE

General Objective

To gather high-level thought-leaders and worldwide committed stakeholders, to highlight the importance of freedom of religion or belief and to further take joint actions to make FoRB a reality in every region.

Specific Objectives

01

To create a space where to exchange good practices to further protect FoRB for all.

02

To highlight the importance of States respecting, protecting, defending, and promoting FoRB to fight inequality and thus help the construction of stable and strong democracies.

03

To create awareness of FoRB violations and discrimination based on religious beliefs around the world.

04

To assess areas that need to be improved in regards of religious freedom protection worldwide.

05

To develop a force of proposal to outline policies toward a greater respect of religious diversity.

06

To further promote and engage participants with the motto of the Summit “Practicing what we preach.”

Speakers

Dr. Nazila Ghanea

Special Rapporteur on FoRB
United Nations

Mrs. Maricarmen Plata

Secretary for Access
to Rights and Equity
Organization of American States

Mrs. Maureen Ferguson

Commissioner
USCIRF

Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher

Co-President
Religions for Peace

Mrs. Preeta Bansal

Global Council Chairperson
United Religions Initiative

Mr. Greg Mitchell

Founder and Chair
IRF Secretariat

Rev. Dr. Scott Stearman

Vice Chair
Parliament of World Religions

Dr. Jan Figel

Founder
European Institute
of Innovation & Technology

Father Manuel Corral

Private Secretary
Mexican Catholic Cardinal Carlos Aguiar for Institutional Relations

Dra. Maritza Cedeño

President

National Bar Association of Panama

Mrs. Lorena Rios

Senator
Republic of Colombia

Mr. David Trimble

Interim President
Religious Freedom Institute

Mr. Pedro Mena

Head of Religious Affairs
State of Mexico

Mr. Gustavo Guillerme

President
World Congress of Intercultural
and Interreligious Dialogue

Dr. Carmen Dominguez

President
Latin America Consortium
of Religious Freedom

Prof. Francisco Blanco

Rector
Santa María La Antigua Catholic University, Panama

Prof. Willy Fautre

Founder and Director
Human Rights Without Frontiers

Dr. Dennis Petri

International Director
International Institute
for Religious Freedom

Rev. Olivia McDuff

Public Affairs and Interreligious Officer
Church of Scientology International

Amy Andrus

Associate Director
International Center for Law
and Religion Studies, BYU

Mr. Simran Stuelpnagel

Global Affairs Advisor
Sikh Dharma International

Dr. Cristian Badillo

General Director
Fundación Conciencia Nacion

Bhairavananda Saraswati Swami

President
Shiva Forum Europe

Rabbi Yosef Garmon

President
Humanitarian Coalition of Israel

Mr. Guillermo Smythe

Personal Public Relations Officer
for L. Ron Hubbard

Prof. Rafael Candanedo

Philologist and Journalist
Panamanian Academy of Language

Mr. Fabricio Alvarado

Congressman
Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica

Prof. Lautaro Roig Lanzillota

Director
Joint Master Red Global Consortium (Erasmus Mundus International)

Prof. Massimo Introvigne

Sociologist and Director of
Center for Studies on New Religions

Eric Roux

Co-chair
FoRB Roundtable Brussels-EU

Prof. Alfonso Illueca

Associate Professor
Santa María La Antigua University

Dr. Marco Ventura

Professor of Law and Religion
University of Siena

Dr. Andrea De Vita

Director, Religious Freedom,
Beliefs and Worship Chair
Universidad del Salvador

Imam Beytullah Colak

Director of Institutional Outreach
Respect Graduate School

Mr. Jonathan Ammons

International Public Affairs Director
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints

Mr. Felipe Gomez

Coordinator
COMPAS Central America

Mr. Matthias Boehning

Secretary General
International Society
for Human Rights

Ms. Angela Redding

Executive Director
Radiant Foundation

Mr. Iván Arjona-Pelado

President
Scientology representative to the European Union and the United Nations

Mr. Juan González Bedoya

Journalist
El País

Bishop Tito Ysabel

President
Concilio de Iglesias de Dios Unidas
of Dominican Republic

Dott. AbdAllah Massimo Cozzolino

President of EuroIslam &

General Secretary of the Italian Islamic Confederation

Prof. Dr. Christine Schirrmacher

Professor of Islamic Studies
University of Bonn

Mrs. Karen Rodas

Communications Director
for Central America
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints

Dr. Ganoune Diop

Director of Public Affairs
and Religious Liberty
Worldwide Seventh-day
Adventist Church

Mrs. Giselle Lima

Co-Chair
IRF Roundtable in Panama


AGENDA

septembEr

24

8:00 am

10:00 am

Registration

10:00 am

10:30 am

Summit Opening

10:30 am

12:00 pm

Panel

Mechanisms to promote and protect FoRB within nations and regions

12:00 pm

1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm

3:00 pm

Panel

The role of academia in the defense of religious freedom

3:00 pm

3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm

5:00 pm

Panel

Religions and interfaith work to protect the freedom of others – Part 1

septembEr

25

9:00 am

10:30 am

Panel

Religions and interfaith work to protect the freedom of others – Part 2

10:30 am

11:00 am

Break

11:00 am

12:00 pm

Panel

Importance of Civil Society participation on FoRB advocacy

12:00 pm

1:30 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm

3:00 pm

Panel

Media responsibility on the promotion and respect of FoRB

3:00 pm

3:30 pm

Break

3:30 pm

4:30 pm

Panel

Achieving FoRB for all through Diplomacy

4:30 pm

5:00 pm

Summit Closing Session

September 24-25, 2024
Latin American Parliament,
Panama City, Panamá

ONLINE REGISTRATION

FREE OF CHARGE

Meals are not provided by the organizer, however you may pre order food to be delivered at lunch time below.
A room in Parliament has been converted into a dining room, for your convenience.
A variety of snacks, coffee and beverages will be available for purchase at all times during the event.

If you need a HOTEL:

The closest one to the Latin American Parliament facilities is the RADISSON PANAMA CANAL.