The Faith and Freedom Summit is not an organization; it is a campaign initiated and directed by a large coalition of faith-based and secular NGOs, supported first by many EU stakeholders and now adopted internationally. It launched on June 28, 2018, with a nonpartisan conference of that brought together high-level thought leaders to bring attention to areas where religious freedom is threatened in the European Union, to assess areas where the protection of freedom of religion or belief, needs improvement and to propose and outline policies to ensure greater respect for religious diversity in Europe.
Original Mission
When we launched the summit, we believed (as we still do) that the time has come to address Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) as an important topic to be tackled in the EU.
We, as others, are committed to FoRB and believe that the world’s decision makers must have greater involvement on this issue within their borders, not only in their its external relations, as is the case today. The focus of the EU Special Envoy for Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief is outside European Union borders. If we wish to l influence freedom of religion outside the EU , we must be beyond reproach within our borders. Unfortunately, that is not the case today.
We strongly believe that EU citizens must enjoy real freedom of religion or belief at every level, and that EU institutions and EU instruments, fail to grant this fundamental right the importance t needs or for the protection of this freedom for EU citizens.
It is for this reason that our mission and initiatives seek to put Freedom of Religion or Belief in Europe in the spotlight. A great many committed stakeholders including scholars, human rights activists, religious leaders and legislators have joined this campaign for a better Europe—a Europe that cares about freedom.
International Extension
The need to advance Freedom of Religion or Belief, not only in Europe but everywhere else, and find supranational entities to work on this has become of utmost importance. That is why the Faith and Freedom Summit is now extending its reach to other continents.