International Religious Freedom Summit took place in Washington, D.C. with Message from Sec. of State Anthony Blinken



The International Religious Freedom Summit took place in Washingto D.C. Administrator Samantha Power will spoke on Wednesday, February 1, at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit. IRF is the world’s premier annual gathering of religious freedom advocates and activists. Administrator Power is the current head of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and a former United States ambassador to the United Nations.
Other speakers this year included former US Ambassadors to the Holy See Newt and Callista Gingrich, his Beatitude Theophilos III: Patriarch of Jerusalem, Dr. Robert Destro, Professor of Law at CUA and Columbia University, Dr. Hamza Yusuf, President of Zaytuna College at Berkeley University, and more.

Former U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and former United States Commission on International 
Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Chair Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, the Summit’s co-chairs, had this to say about the announcement:
“Administrator Power is a stalwart defender of freedom of religion and belief with a vibrant record of advocacy for the rights that touch all of humanity. We’re pleased to welcome such an ally to the IRF Summit stage this year.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken gave his support and shared this important message with IRF Summit 2023. "With your continued partnership, the State Department and the entire U.S. government will continue standing strongly for the right of every person to worship and believe as they choose."
Administrator Power delivered remarks remotely (See Video Below) during IRF Summit 2021, stating:

“Central to every major religion is a yearning for connection to the divine and the sacred practices that bring us closer to it. The potential for true freedom rests upon the ability of governments to uphold universal human rights, regardless of how their people worship or to whom they pray, whether they are Coptic Christians in Egypt, Baha’is in Iran, Rohingya Muslims in Burma or Jehovah’s Witnesses in Russia.”



The IRF Summit was held from January 31 to February 1 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., and is supported by more than 70 diverse partners. It aims to bring greater attention to religious freedom violations and to create a powerful coalition of groups to advance the cause of religious freedom around the world.

International Religious Freedom Summit is a powerful, broad coalition of religious, human rights and civil society groups that advocate for religious freedom for all people, everywhere at all times.

Samuel Brownback served as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (2018-21) and is co-chair of IRF Summit.

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett is president of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and is co-chair of IRF Summit.

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