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The World Affairs Symposium Series: Bridging Religious Divides Around the World, held recently, featured an impressive lineup of guest speakers who spoke on bridging the religious divide around the world. The event, organized by Utah Global Diplomacy, brought together leading experts, academics, policymakers, researchers, authors, and activists to explore critical questions about what religious freedom means in Utah, the nation, and around the world.
The symposium aimed to deconstruct the term “Religious Freedom” on a global scale, prevent religious threats that lead to extremism in the United States, and build bridges across faiths by understanding and respecting difference. The speakers, who included Gulalai Ismail, Founder of Aware Girls, Jannah Scott, Founder and Executive Director of the American Center for Religious Freedom, and Elizabeth Clark, Associate Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University, shared their insights and experiences on the topic.
Gulalai Ismail, Founder of Aware Girls, highlighted the importance of empowering women and girls in the fight against religious extremism. She emphasized that women and girls are often the most vulnerable to the harmful effects of extremism and that empowering them can help prevent religious threats that lead to violence. She also shared her experiences in working with young people to promote peace and tolerance.
Jannah Scott, Founder and Executive Director of the American Center for Religious Freedom, spoke about the need to protect religious freedom in the United States. She discussed the challenges faced by individuals and communities who have been marginalized due to their religious beliefs and stressed the importance of promoting religious diversity and understanding.
Elizabeth Clark, Associate Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University, discussed the role of law in protecting religious freedom. She highlighted the need for legal frameworks that protect religious minorities and promote religious diversity. She also emphasized the importance of interfaith dialogue and understanding in building bridges across faiths.
The symposium provided attendees with an opportunity to expand their knowledge of the subject, obtain new tools, resources, and best practices, and meet and network with those working in or interested in this field. The event also provided immediate call-to-actions that funnelled attendees' passion into action.
In conclusion, the World Affairs Symposium Series: Bridging Religious Divides Around the World provided a platform for leading experts to share their insights and experiences on bridging the religious divide around the world. The symposium highlighted the importance of empowering women and girls, protecting religious freedom, promoting religious diversity and understanding, and building bridges across faiths.
About Utah Global Diplomacy:
Utah Global Diplomacy is dedicated to promoting mutual respect and understanding between the people of Utah and other nations, guided by the concept of Citizen Diplomacy - the belief that every individual has the right and responsibility to shape US foreign relations, one handshake at a time.
The organization is committed to fostering a culture of respect for all people and diverse perspectives, while encouraging personal and social responsibility. At the heart of their work is the belief that the people of the world are interconnected and that open, respectful dialogue is essential for building bridges across cultures. For over fifty years, Utah Global Diplomacy has been leading Utah's civil sector in shaping foreign relations by fostering people-to-people connections.
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