This week (5 and 6 July) the UK Government hosts a major International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). Aiming to “strengthen international efforts to ensure FoRB for all” the conference is convening events with international government ministers, faith leaders and civil society groups, including IDS and its partners in the Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID).
Freedom of Religion or Belief is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and as such often incorporated as a right in national constitutions. But evidence from CREID’s work in countries including Pakistan, India, Nigeria, Iraq and Egypt shows that religious inequalities are rife, especially towards those from non-majority faiths or those of non-faith at all. Religious inequalities can be experienced as stigma, systematic, discrimination, economic marginalisation, hate speech and violence targeted at individuals, communities and their heritage.
CREID’s research finds that religious inequalities also entrench poverty and marginalisation by denying or limiting access to health, to education, to justice, to decent jobs and even the ability to vote. And religious inequalities intersect with other inequalities – those affecting women, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities and those of lower castes. However, addressing religious inequalities remains glaringly absent from development and humanitarian policy and programming.
The conference is an opportunity to connect those working to address religious inequalities with those working in development and humanitarian action.
Professor Mariz Tadros, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies and Director, Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID), said:
“My hopes are that this Summit takes a significant step beyond interfaith and diplomatic glad-handing and aligns itself more concretely with Sustainable Development Goal aspirations to “leave no one behind”. Now more than ever, especially after the devastating and ongoing impact of Covid-19, we need to focus on those most marginalised and afflicted by entrenched religious inequalities.”
CREID events at the International Ministerial Conference on FoRB
CREID will be sharing its research findings at a number of events and exhibition spaces taking place during the International Ministerial Conference in central London.
Parliamentary events – Tuesday 5 July
Held at Portcullis House these two events are free and accessible to anyone who registers to attend.
- Interfaith approaches to building communities 15:30 – 16:30 – Al Khoei Foundation will be sharing experiences from Iraq, Pakistan and the UK
- Hate speech and freedom of religion or belief – 16:45 – 17:45 – Minority Rights Group will be launching its new CREID toolkit on countering hate speech levelled at religious communities
Civil Society Fringe events – Tuesday 5 July and Wednesday 6 July
- Dealing with the blind spots: why are religious dynamics glaringly absent from global development practice? – 09:30 – 10:00, Tuesday 5 JulySpeakers include Professor Mariz Tadros (CREID/Institute of Development Studies), Dr Jo Howard (Institute of Development Studies), Dr Rebecca Shah (Religion and Economic Empowerment Project (REEP) and Dr Judd Birdsall (Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy (TPNRD)/Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs)
- An uncomfortable truth? Religious diversity in humanitarian settings – 10:30 – 11:00, Wednesday 6 JulySpeakers include Professor Mariz Tadros (CREID/Institute of Development Studies), Dr Jennifer Philippa Eggert (Joint Learning Initiative Faith & Local Communities / Centre for Religion and Public Life, University of Leeds), Maryam Kanwer (CREID/Al Khoei Foundation) and Jeremy Barker (Religious Freedom Institute)
These events are open to registered Conference and Civil Society delegates. For those not attending the conference a recording of the events will be shared online. Please ensure you are subscribed to the CREID newsletter to receive a copy of the event recordings.
Main conference programme
- Leaving no one behind: tackling discrimination, 15:30 on 5 July
CREID partner, Syed Ali Abbas, from Hive Pakistan, is speaking on tackling discrimination in contexts of religious inequalities.
- ‘Protecting cultural and religious heritage’, 14:00 on 6 July
CREID Director, Professor Mariz Tadros is speaking on Protecting Religious and Cultural Heritage at session 4 of the main conference programme.
The Conference will be livestreamed from 09:00, 5 July. You need to register to follow the Conference live online.
Why Does Gender Matter conference, part of the Preventing Violence, Promoting FoRB event programme – Wednesday 6th July
CREID will be hosting a stall at this Conference where you can collect copies of CREID’s latest research papers.
CREID partner, His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, will be speaking in the final plenary on “What can the international community do”? Please register here.
Breaking the hate chain interactive installation
CREID partner, Minority Rights Group, will be creating an installation consisting of three to five depictions of chains of processes/events, beginning with a thought in someone’s head and ending in real work hostility, violence or discrimination against a religious (normally minority) community (including those of no faith). The chains will originate in contexts where hate speech is prevalent and may be drawn by an artist/activist from that context. Where that is not possible, the ideas from that context will be converted into a chain depiction by our team.
For further information on CREID and to read its latest research publications visit www.creid.ac or follow @CREID_Dev on Twitter.
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