High-Level International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance Conference

Registration

Opening Remarks

Invocation

Tibetan Buddhist Invocation

Tribute to Dalai Lama

Tribute to the Dalai Lama as Religious Leader of Tibetan Buddhism

Cultural Performance

Tibetan Folklore Performance

Coffee Break

Religion as a Source of Resilience in Ukraine

Celebration of the 5-Year Anniversary of IRFBA

IRFBA Annual Award Ceremony

Closing Remarks

Lunch

Registration

Musical Performance

Welcome

Opening Remarks

Invocation

Panel 1: Striving for FoRB as a Source of Resilience and Religious Engagement

As the opening session of the Ministerial Conference, this panel will ground the day’s discussions in the central theme: the transformative potential of FoRB as both a fundamental right and a source of resilience. In a world marked by conflict, division, and crisis, FoRB offers faith communities and broader society a framework for healing, inclusion, and religious engagement. The panelists will explore how FoRB-based approaches contribute to strengthening democratic culture, empowering religious actors in fragile contexts, and creating space for interfaith cooperation. The session will also examine how emerging technologies, particularly AI, can be leveraged to protect and promote FoRB—namely through monitoring violations, supporting advocacy, and fostering inclusive dialogue—while addressing the ethical challenges AI presents to religious freedom and expression. This session will set the stage for deeper dialogue about the conference’s key themes—from climate change and digital ethics to atrocity prevention.

Coffee Break

Invocation

Parallel Panel 2a: Intercultural and Interfaith Dialogue – Reclaiming Social Cohesion + Social Media

Rising polarization is threatening democratic resilience across the globe. This panel explores how FoRB and interfaith initiatives can foster social cohesion, reduce inequalities, and serve as a foundation for mutual trust. It will also highlight the role of international development assistance in addressing structural injustice and supporting faith-based and civil society organizations in fragile contexts.

Parallel Panel 2b: FoRB, Gender Technology and Resilience

The panel will focus on the gender dimension of FoRB violations, particularly the coerced consent of minority women and girls through deception—a severe form of gender-based violence with lasting intergenerational impacts. It will highlight evidence of ideologically motivated sexual grooming and explore strategies to build resilience, strengthen national responses, and raise awareness within the Alliance framework.

Lunch

Invocation

Parallel Panel 3a: FoRB in Eurasia: Religious Freedom, Resilience in a Transforming Region

This panel brings together representatives from Moldova, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to share national perspectives on the state of religious freedom across Eurasia. Each speaker will offer insights into their country's unique historical, cultural, and national security contexts influencing religious policy and practice. Through moderated discussion, the panelists will explore how different models of engagement and resilience shape religious affairs in their countries. The session will also consider the protection and promotion of religious and cultural heritage sites as vital expressions of identity and belief—often serving as focal points for both unity and contestation. Highlighting the interplay between religious freedom and cultural preservation, the discussion will examine how safeguarding such sites can contribute to resilience, dialogue, and the broader FoRB agenda. The session will showcase both challenges and innovations, providing a nuanced view of post-communist Eurasia's evolving religious landscape and offering lessons relevant to the audience.

Parallel Panel 3b: Advocating the Role of Science in Society: Consequences of Climate Change

The climate crisis deepens global vulnerabilities, sparking displacement, resource scarcity, and health emergencies. It accentuates global and local inequalities, contributing to polarization and exacerbation of international as well as social tensions. This panel will explore how FoRB can empower religious communities to advocate for science-based solutions, respond to climate-linked disasters, and strengthen societal preparedness and solidarity.

Coffee Break

Invocation

Parallel Panel 4a: FoRB in the Middle East and North Africa – The Resilience of Minority Communities

Despite ongoing challenges, minority communities across the Middle East and North Africa continue to show remarkable resilience, creativity, and commitment to preserving their faith, identity, and traditions. This panel will highlight inspiring stories of strength and renewal among religious and belief minorities, exploring how these communities are fostering coexistence, rebuilding social cohesion, and contributing to better future. Through local initiatives, interfaith engagement, and the determination of individuals—especially women and youth—these communities are not only surviving but actively shaping a vision for greater freedom of religion or belief in the whole MENA region.

Parallel Panel 4b: Genocide Prevention – The Early Warning Role of FoRB

The panel will open by examining how the erosion of FoRB often serves as an early warning sign of mass atrocities. Panelists will explore how monitoring FoRB violations can be integrated into genocide prevention strategies, highlighting case studies where faith-based actors have played pivotal roles in conflict mitigation.

Closing Remarks including a new IRFBA statement