Religious freedom advocates at IRF Summit outline hopes for Trump’s term
Caroline MolloyTwo weeks into Donald Trump’s second presidency, religious freedom advocates are urging the new administration to prioritize the promotion of religious liberty globally in its foreign policy agenda over the next four years.
The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit kicked off Tuesday morning in Washington, D.C., with a panel discussion on how foreign aid, deterrence measures, and strong relations with foreign leaders can promote peace, security, and religious freedom throughout the world.
Several hundred people from dozens of countries who represent many religions are attending the conference to discuss ways in which faith leaders, lawmakers, and others can end religious persecution.
The conference’s speakers will include Vice President JD Vance, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, faith leaders from various religions, and religious freedom advocates.
The major faiths represented at the conference include Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism. Several smaller faiths who face persecution, including members of the Baha’i faith, the Yazidi faith, and the Falun Gong religious movement, also have a strong presence at the summit.
“[We are at] a moment of tremendous challenge and a moment of tremendous opportunity,” Annie Boyajian, the co-president of the human rights group Freedom House, said during the opening panel.
Boyajian was joined on the stage by Scott Flipse, the director of policy and media relations for the Congressional Executive Commission on China, and David Beasley, the former director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme.
Boyajian expressed cautious optimism about the new administration, saying Trump “did a tremendous job” on religious freedom during his first term as president. However, she also conveyed her concerns about the White House freezing grant programs from the Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
