PRESS RELEASE - Inaugural IPPFoRB Academy in Latin America hosts G20 Interfaith Forum SESSION with Parliamentarians in Rio
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – December 11, 2023
Organized by the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), the IPPFoRB Academy will be held from Tuesday, 12 December 2023 to Friday, 15 December 2023, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This year's Academy is part of a series that took place in Oxford in 2018, 2019 and 2022. An online Academy was held online in 2020, due to Covid-19. The 5th Academy will bring together parliamentarians from across Latin America. It will be opened by Abid Raja, a parliamentarian from Norway and Chair of the IPPFoRB Steering Group.
The IPPFoRB Academy aims to equip and deepen parliamentarians’ knowledge about the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief. This three-day intensive training program is designed to delve into the core principles of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, highlighting its intersection with other human rights in today's most pressing discussions. This year's Academy offers parliamentarians from across Latin America an in-depth exploration of the State's role in ensuring freedom of religion and belief, particularly in the context of indigenous peoples' rights.
The program will culminate in a strategic session dedicated to developing an actionable plan for moving forward. The IPPFoRB Academy fosters robust relationships among key regional stakeholders, offering a dynamic space for exchanging experiences and essential tools. This initiative is instrumental in kick-starting the development of comprehensive strategies and action plans for the freedom of religion or belief at the domestic, regional, and global levels.
Rodrigo Vitorino, one of the Academy speakers, elaborates on the relevance of parliamentarians from Latin America in discussing freedom of religion or belief intersection with indigenous rights:
“Deepening and widening the knowledge base of parliamentarians and developing their capacity regarding the protection of freedom of religion or belief is essential to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and in accordance with their human dignity. That is particularly important for indigenous people in Latin America, who have been violated in their most essential rights for a long time, despite possessing valuable ancestral cultures.”
“Parliamentarians have a crucial role in promoting their right to freedom of religion or belief and protecting individuals and communities against coercion, assimilation, oppression, and persecution.”
An exciting development for the Academy is a collaborative day featuring the joint workshop session “Justice, Sustainable Development, and Religious Engagement: Inter-religious Contributions to the G20” with the G20 Interfaith Forum (IF20) and the Brazilian Center for Studies in Law and Religion - CEDIRE. In addition to welcoming parliamentarians, the Academy's workshop day will feature a diverse group of public servants and justice system professionals from across Brazil.
Among the Academy speakers is Professor Cole Durham, President of the G20 Interfaith Forum, who will be facilitating the session on “Religion and State Relationship.” The timing of this Academy is particularly opportune, as Brazil will host the G20 Summit in July 2024. The Summit will advance critical discussions on freedom of religion or belief, finance, sustainable infrastructure, climate change, and other pivotal topics.
“Based on years of experience working in the G20 process, we are particularly conscious that religious voices deserve a place at the policy formation table, and parliamentarians are among the key officials that can make sure that this, along with other forms of synergistic interaction between the religious and public sectors occurs. A key leverage point in assuring optimal impact is protecting freedom of religion or belief, which frees up the social capital generated by religious communities to further countless other social goods," explains Professor Durham.
Academy speakers will include:
Abid Raja - Chair of the IPPFoRB and parliamentarian, Norway
Cole Durham - President of G20 Interfaith Forum
Fernanda San Martin Carrasco – IPPFoRB Director
Isabella Sargsyan - Human Rights and Justice Programme Director at Eurasia Partnership Foundation.
Dr. Thiago Alves Pinto - Director of Studies in Religion and Theology - University of Oxford.
Rodrigo Vitorino - Professor of Constitutional Law and Human Rights, Federal University of Uberlândia / The Brazilian Center of Studies in Law and Religion
Rodrigo Zogbi - Senior Consultant in Leadership, Strategy, and Management, 3EFFI International
About IPPFoRB
The International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB) is a global network of former and sitting parliamentarians acting in their individual capacity to promote and advance freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for everyone, everywhere. IPPFoRB comprises an extensive network of over 300 parliamentarians representing 90 countries from North and South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
IPPFoRB anchors its work in Article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). IPPFoRB is overseen by a Steering Group comprising former and sitting parliamentarians and is supported by an international Secretariat hosted by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
About Workshop IF20
For more information, please contact:
Sara Machado, IPPFoRB Communications and Advocacy Adviser
sm@nhc.no / +47 453 80 822
