33rd Annual International Law and Religion Symposium

Freedom of religion and belief does not exist in isolation. Robust protections of this right have been shown to improve the economic, social, and political life of a country, but freedom of religion or belief itself is also dependent on social goods and state protection of other rights. This year’s Symposium will explore how countries and cultures can build an infrastructure that bolsters religious freedom through promoting rule of law and democracy, respect for human rights and dignity, and interreligious understanding, among other values.

Keynote speakers include former Ambassador Preeti Saran, former member of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Mairead McGuinness, EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) outside the European Union; and Eugenia Relaño Pastor, Professor of Law at Complutense University and Co-operation Partner, Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology.

The Symposium brings together approximately 100 government, religious, and academic leaders from about 50 countries. In a quiet place in the mountains, these key stakeholders on religious freedom worldwide will have unparalleled opportunities to engage with each other and discuss these crucial issues.

Conference Schedule

Sunday, Oct 4

7 – 8:15 PM

• OPENING SESSION

  Room 303

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium

  Welcomes:
  C. Shane Reese, President, Brigham Young University

  David H. Moore, Dean, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Chaloka Beyani, U.N. Special Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide

  Keynote Speakers:
  Eugenia Relaño Pastor, Permanent Professor, Complutense University of Madrid

  Preeti Saran, IFS (retired); Chair, UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Vice Chair, UN Treaty Bodies, United Nations, Geneva

8:15 – 9:30 PM

• RECEPTION
  Fritz B. Burns Memorial Lounge and Law Library

Monday, Oct 5

9 – 10:30 AM

• FIRST PLENARY SESSION

  – The Infrastructure of the Rule of Law and Accountable Political Systems
  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Hannah Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Panelists:
  Jean-Christophe Jasmin, Québec Director, The Cardus Institute

  Michael Matheson Miller, Chief of Strategic Initiatives and Senior Research Fellow, the Acton Institute

  Eunseok Paik, Professor of Law, Handong International Law School

  Ani Sarkissian, Associate Professor, Michigan State University

10:30 – 10:45 AM

• Break

10:45 – 11:45 AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Interfaith Respect for Religious Pluralism

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Neil Lindberg, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Mohamed Bahr, Head of Strategic Planning, Muslim Council of Elders

  Nigel Coke, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director, Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Jamaica

  Suvra Dev Kar, Human Rights Activist, Bangladesh

• Political Perspectives from Latin America

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Denise Lindberg, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Maria Inés Brogin, Undersecretary for Religious Affairs, Government of Argentina

  Iván Emilio Ogando Lora, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Dominican Republic to UN

  Agustín Romero, Diputado, Chamber of Deputies of Chile

• Middle East

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Mark Choate, Associate Professor of History, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Freddy Elbaiady, Member of Parliament, Egypt

  Yusuf Khaled, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Washington D.C.

  John Luckie-Downe, Head, Cemetery Working Group, Bahrain

  Mohamad Radwan Al Omar, Lawyer, Al Omar Law Firm

• Religious Minorities in India: Experiences and Perspectives

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  W. Cole Durham, Jr., Founding Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Syed Salman Chishty, Chairman, Chishty Foundation

  Archbishop Felix Machado, Archbishop, Diocese of Vasai

  Pericho Peter Prabhu Rangaraj, PRO, All Karnataka United Christian Forum for Human Rights

• Religion and Community Impact

  Room 206

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Steven Fox, Instructor and Director of Campus Relations, Ballard Center for Social Impact, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Mzwandile Molo, General Secretary, South African Council of Churches

  Mohamed Sirajudin Salman, Vice President, Jamiyah Singapore

12 Noon – 1:15 PM

• LUNCH FOR CONFERENCE DELEGATES AND INVITED GUESTS
  Wilkinson Student Center, Room 3220/22/24

1:30 – 2:00 PM

• GROUP PHOTO FOR DELEGATES
  West Lawn, BYU Law School
  Inclement Weather: Wilkinson Student Center, Garden Court

2:00 – 3:45 PM

• SECOND PLENARY SESSION

  Room 303

  Watch in English

  Keynote Address:
  Mairead McGuinness, Special Envoy for the promotion of freedom of religion or belief outside the EU, European Commission

  – The Infrastructure of Interreligious Understanding and Respect for Human Dignity

  Moderator:
  Paul Kerry, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Father Andreas Minic, Ecumenical Officer for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain; Advisor to the President of the Conference of European Churches

  Bernardo Pantin, Secretary General, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

  Rev. Swami Parmatmananda Saraswati, Secretary General, Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha

3:45 – 4 PM

• Break

4 – 5 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Conscientious Objection

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  W. Cole Durham, Jr., International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Yaron Catane, Lecturer and Researcher in the field of Religion and Law, Bar-Ilan University

  Petr Muzny, Professor of Law / Attorney at Law, University of Geneva (FTI)

  Dmytro Vovk, Visiting Professor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law—Yeshiva University

• Community Building in Latin America

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Cynthia Lange, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Luis Roig, Public Affairs Advisor, Senate of Puerto Rico

  David Rafael Velázquez Seiferheld, Professor, National University of Villarrica del Espíritu Santo

• Perspectives from Orthodox Christianity

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Peter Petkoff, Tutorial Fellow in Law and Director of the Centre for Law and Religion, University of Oxford

  Speakers:
  Nikos Maghioros, Vice Rector, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

  Aja Y. Martinez, Associate Professor, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

  Paris Asanakis, Lawyer/Legal Counsel, Ecumenical Patriarchate

  Robert Smith, Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs, Lutheran School of Divinity at Chicago

• Indonesia

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  Hannah Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Darwin Darmawan, General Secretary, Council of Churches in Indonesia

  Gusti Suwardani, Head, Human Resources Development Agency for Law, Ministry of Law of the Republic of Indonesia

  Rusprita Putri Utami, Head, Center for Character Building, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia

• Interfaith Cooperation in Africa

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  Spencer James, Professor, School of Family Life; Coordinator, Africana Studies, David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Cyril Gershon Kwao Fayose, General Secretary, Christian Council of Ghana

  Linus Nthigai, Executive Director, Inter-Religious Council of Kenya

Tuesday, Oct 6

9 – 10:30 AM

• THIRD PLENARY SESSION

  – The Infrastructure of Protection of Human Rights: Discussion
  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Betsy Bennion, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies

  Speakers:
  Maria Amifaith S. Fider-Reyes, Commissioner, Commission of Human Rights of the Philippines

  Castro Wesamba, Political Affairs Officer, Office of the Special Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide, United Nations

  Michael Wiener, Human Rights Officer, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

10:30 – 10:40 AM

• Break

10:40 – 11:40 AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Interreligious Understanding and Peacemaking

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Andrew Reed, Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding and Professor of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Renz Christian Argao, Coordinator, International Youth Committee, Religions for Peace International

  Matius Ho, Executive Director, Leimena Institute

  Sahlim Charles, Founder and Executive Director, Re-Imagining New Communities

• Freedom of Religion and Belief in Brazil

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Anna-Lisa Halling, Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  André Fagundes, Professor, Evangelical University of Goiás

  Ivo Silva, University professor, Federal University of Pará

• Central Asia and Pakistan

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium

  Speakers:
  Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Minorities Affairs, The Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Department, Government of Punjab, Pakistan

  Akhadjon Khakimov, Deputy Dean and Head of Research Center, Tashkent State University of Law, Uzbekistan

  Beimbet Kasymbekovich Manetov, Head of the Department of Law Enforcement Practice in the Field of Religious Activities, Committee on Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan

• Religious Organizations and Societal Cohesion

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  Marc Yamada, Professor, Department of Comparative Arts and Letters, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Fumio Shishino, Executive Managing Director, Japanese Association of Religious Organizations

  Kunihiko Terasawa, Associate Professor, Wartburg College

• Religion, Economics, and Government in Africa

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  Hannah Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Judith Kazaire, Head of Civil Society Organisations and Political Organisations Department, Rwanda Governance Board

11:40 – 11:50 AM

• Break

11:50 AM – 12:50 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Religion and the State

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Chae Young Kim, Professor, Sogang University

  Jorge Botelho Moniz, Associate Professor, Lusófona University

  Jean Marques Regina, Vice President, Brazilian Institute of Law and Religion

• Legal Perspectives from Latin America

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Gary Doxey, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Ana Patrícia Dantas, Esquire Attorney, Ana Patrícia Dantas Leao Law Firm

  Patricia Gamez, President of the Professional Association of Lawyers and Notaries of Guatemala, Guatemalan Bar Association

  Viviana Osorio Perez, Senior Fellow for Economic and Social Equity, London School of Economics

• Europe

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Jordan Pendergrass, Headlines Lead, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Juan Jose Garcia Carreño, Policy Officer – Human Rights, European External Action Service

  Jörg Michael Wohlrab, Policy Advisor to the Federal President, Office of the Federal President

• National Human Rights Commissions and Religious Freedom

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  Morgan Farnsworth, Adjunct Professor of Law, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Nandintsetseg Bayansuuri, Officer, Secretariat of the Human Rights Commission of Mongolia

  Melissa Derby, Race Relations Commissioner, New Zealand Human Rights Commission

• India

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  David Dollahite, Professor, School of Family Life, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Alok Bansal, Executive Vice President, India Foundation

  Prafulla Ketkar, Editor, Organiser Weekly

  Blessy Prasad, Independent Journalist

1:00 – 2:15 PM

• LUNCH FOR CONFERENCE DELEGATES AND INVITED GUESTS
  Wilkinson Student Center, Room 3220/22/24

2:30 – 3:30 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Religious Hatred

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  W. Cole Durham, Jr., Founding Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Montserrat Gas-Aixendri, Professor of Law, International University of Catalonia

  Jagbir Jhutti-Johal, Professor of Sikh Studies, University of Birmingham

  Jeroen Daniël Temperman, Professor of International Law, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam

• Religion in the Public Square

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Scott E. Isaacson, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Oscar Díaz Muñoz, Professor, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru; Judicial Advisor, Constitutional Court of Peru

  Fabio Nascimento, PhD Researcher, Complutense University of Madrid

• Vietnam

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  Hannah Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Huu Thien Nguyen, Deputy Director of Homeland Security Bureau, Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam

• Mozambique

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  G. E. Kawika Allen, Associate Professor, Department of Counseling Psychology & Special Education, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Saide Habibe, National Director of Religious Affairs, Government National Level Mozambique

3:30 – 3:45 PM

• Break

3:45 – 4:45 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• AI, Religion, and the Law

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Joseph David, Professor of Law and Religion, Sapir Academic College

  Erik Longo, Professor, University of Florence

  Shokhrukhbek Tillaboev, Senior researcher, Tashkent state university of law

  Yuriy Tykhovlis, Independent Expert

• Mexico

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Dennis Lange, Executive Director, FIDELA, United States

  Speakers:
  Pedro Antonio Mena Alarcon, Head of the Religious Affairs Unit, Government of the State of Mexico, Mexico

  Archbishop Oscar Perez, Archbishop, Old Catholic Church, Mexico

• Georgia and Turkey

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Celeste Beesley, Associate Professor of Political Science, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Giorgi Dgebuadze, Deputy Minister of Justice, Government of the Republic of Georgia

  Cem Murat Sofuoğlu, Lawyer, Sofuoğlu Law Office

• Mongolia

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium

  Speakers:
  Batchuluun Batsukh, Research Fellow Institute of Philosophy, Mongolian Academy of Science

  Batyrbyek Khadys, Association of Muslim Communities of Mongolia, Director

• Samoa and Papua New Guinea

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  Elizabeth A. Cutrer-Párraga, Associate Professor, Counseling, Psychology, & Special Education, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  George Akia, Solicitor General of Papua New Guinea, Office of the Solicitor General, Department of Justice & Attorney General of Papua New Guinea

  Fesolai Apulu Tusiupu Tuigamala, Minister of Justice and Courts Administration, Government of Samoa

4:45 – 5:00 PM

• Break

5:00 – 5:45 PM

• FIFTH PLENARY SESSION

  – Conference Summation and Concluding Reflections on Conference Themes
  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Amy Andrus, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Reflections from Selected Delegates

  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium