NEW BRIEFING PAPER CALLS FOR MORE ATTENTION TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION IN ACHIEVING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

NEW YORK, NY, USA, September 20, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — Speaking ahead of the Dialogue, Hon Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, a member of Parliament in South Africa and Chair of AfriPAHR and FoRBLN Board Member said: ‘’Parliamentarians and faith leaders are in unique positions to promote fundamental freedoms, including freedom of religion or belief. They hold powerful positions in society and have social influence that can bring about not only policy, legal and institutional change but also attitudinal change in society.’’“Over 50 years of Religions for Peace’s unique capacitation of multi-religious collaboration in over 100 countries, proves that freedom of thought, conscience and belief underlines any and all human freedoms and rights. Faith actors remain critical agents of change or the lack thereof.”, said Prof. Dr. Azza Karam, Secretary General, Religions for Peace.

The High-Level Dialogue is part of a series of consultations taking place this Autumn which will coincide with other briefing papers on FoRB and health (SDG 3), inclusive and equitable education (SDG 4), gender equality and empowerment (SDG 5), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), combatting climate change (SDG 13) and access to justice for all. More information can be found here.

The Leaving No One Behind series of publications and consultation has been commissioned by FoRBLN, an international consortium funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

‘’This and subsequent briefing papers will provide concrete suggestions for parliamentarians and faith leaders to address inequalities in relation to religion or belief using the SDGs framework. The aim is to bring larger, more international concepts closer to the ground, so that policies and laws are informed by context-based discussions and lived experiences’’, said Dr Charles Reed, Director of Operations FoRBLN

‘’Such publications and consultations stir an important debate that should be part of our global discourse. In exploring ways FoRB might contribute to sustainable, inclusive, and equitable social and economic development for all, we find that cross-network sharing, and peer-to-peer learning is vital for parliamentarians’’, adds Liv Kvanvig, Director, IPPFoRB (a consortium member of the FoRBLN) and Head of the Freedom of Religion or Belief Centre, Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC)

Suzanne Toma
Religions for Peace International
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