Faith and Freedom Summit IV
Practicing What We Preach
Bringing together high-level scholars, human rights advocates, religious leaders and politicians from all over the world to fight discrimination and to promote the importance of defending FoRB for everyone, leaving no one behind.
✓ 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
Tuesday
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
Wednesday
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.