Religious Freedom and Interfaith Dialogue
Inbound, July 2019
Outbound, November 2019
Australia; Cambodia; Canada; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Laos; Malaysia; Myanmar; Philippines; Singapore; Sri Lanka; Thailand; US; Vietnam
The Leaders Lead On-Demand: Religious Freedom and Interfaith Dialogue Exchange was a two-way exchange program for religious freedom community leaders from several countries across Southeast Asia and the United States who are advocates for interfaith dialogue, tolerance among religions, and who view religion as a tool for positive community development. Participants split into three groups traveling to either Salt Lake City, Minneapolis, or Pittsburgh. One highlight for the Pittsburgh group was having a round table with the mayor of Pittsburgh, Bill Peduto. The goal of this exchange was to create a network of spiritual and community leaders prepared to use digital communication tools to promote moderation, build tolerance, and prevent conflict. In addition to the city splits, all fellows attended the Ministerial on Religious Freedom in Washington DC, and even made an appearance on the official twitter page of Secretary Pompeo. Capitalizing on the momentum of the Ministerial, World Learning organized the Tolerance and Coexistence 2.0 Forum in Bangkok, Thailand, bringing together policy makers, religious leaders, and community advocates to explore the impact of a new information space on non-profit organizations and civic organizations. The event also served as a catalyst for a third regional DCN network in Southeast Asia.