Welcome and Keynote Address: Toward a New Paradigm on Religion and Modernity

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Several European countries, the EU, and Canada have recently addressed religious freedom in their foreign policies. Given that US policy is already shaped by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) passed by Congress, the potential exists for transatlantic cooperation in promoting religious freedom. However, differences among Western democracies are significant. This dialogue—the first in a year-long series on IRFA policy—aims to identify these differences and find ways to accommodate or overcome them in the urgent task of advancing international religious freedom.

This day-long event will feature many speakers from academia and the policy world, including one of the world's leading sociologists, Peter Berger of Boston University; New York Times columnist David Brooks; and David Saperstein, US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

This event is hosted by the Religious Freedom Project and is the second in a series of transatlantic dialogues sponsored by the British Council. It has been generously sponsored by: the Institute for Studies of Religion; The Review of Faith & International Affairs; Institute on Culture, Religion & World Affairs; Center for Civil and Human Rights; University of Sussex; International Center for Law and Religion Studies; and Birks Forum on the World's Religions. The dialogue is also part of a semester-long exploration of the global future of governance, under the auspices of Georgetown University's Global Futures Initiative. Read more about the event and its sponsors here.

9:00-9:15 a.m. | Welcome
Thomas Banchoff, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs
Daniel Philpott, University of Notre Dame
Thomas Farr, Religious Freedom Project

9:15-10:45 a.m. | Keynote Address: Toward a New Paradigm on Religion and Modernity
Peter Berger, Boston University (keynote speaker)
Walter Russell Mead, Hudson Institute (moderator)
David Brooks, New York Times (respondent)

10:45-11:00 a.m. | Break

11:00-12:15 p.m. | The Case for Religious Freedom Policy
Daniel Philpott, University of Notre Dame (moderator)
Mustafa Akyol, Star and Hurriyet Daily News
Allen Hertzke, University of Oklahoma
Sofia Lemmetyinen, European Commission

12:15-12:45 p.m. | Lunch

12:45-2:15 p.m. | Keynote Conversation: Overcoming Differences Between Western Democracies in Developing a Common Religious Freedom Policy
Timothy Samuel Shah, Religious Freedom Project (moderator)
Thomas Farr, Religious Freedom Project
Ahmet Kuru, San Diego State University
Anne Leahy, McGill University
Fabio Petito, University of Sussex

2:15-2:30 p.m. | Break

2:30-4:00 p.m. | How Can Western Democracies' Religious Freedom Policy Advance National and International Security?
Thomas Farr, Religious Freedom Project (moderator)
Sue Breeze, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Pasquale Ferrara, European University Institute
Nilay Saiya, SUNY Brockport
Monica Toft, Oxford University

4:00-4:15 p.m. | Break

4:15-5:15 p.m. | Keynote Address: US Religious Freedom Policy: What Lessons Should Other Western Democracies Learn from It?
David Saperstein, US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom

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