Three-quarters of the world’s population live with virtually no freedom of religion, and while the United States is not responsible for this injustice, “we could do more and must do more,” said Thomas Farr, president of Religious Freedom Institute (RFI).
With that in mind RFI and the Center on Faith & International Affairs at the Institute for Global Engagement released a list of recommendations March 20 they say the Trump administration and Congress should take seriously, according to The Christian Post.
The diplomatic measures were compiled and released not only on behalf of the people living without freedom today but also “for our own children and grandchildren, for our own national security, for our own fundamental interests,” Farr said.
The policy brief, “U.S. Foreign Policy and International Religious Freedom: Recommendations for the Trump Administration and the U.S. Congress,” laid out nine sets of recommendations, the Post reported.
1. “State clearly” to the world that religious freedom is “vital” to the U.S. and the world and back that statement with the institutional and financial resources needed to succeed.
The brief requests the president to regularly raise the issue of religious freedom when talking with other nations, even U.S. allies such as Pakistan or Saudi Arabia, where laws exist that specifically target religious minorities.
2. Appoint a task force to create a strategy for international religious freedom policy.
The brief asks for an interagency task force to be named that would create a national security strategy that would address counterterrorism, post-conflict stabilization, development and other related issues. That strategy would lead to a presidential directive on international religious freedom policy that would be incorporated into all executive agencies that have responsibilities dealing with foreign policies, the Post reported.
3. Give more authority and resources to the Office of International Religious Freedom.
The post of ambassador at-large for international religious freedom was vacant for the first 845 days of Barack Obama’s presidency, but Farr said he is hopeful President Donald Trump will make a nomination by spring or early summer. The brief also asked for various positions dealing with religious freedom to be elevated in authority and given more staff, the Post reported.
4. Make religious freedom training mandatory for diplomats.
The brief asks the State Department to implement a component of an act passed in December 2016 that requires “mandatory training on religious freedom for all Foreign Service officers.”
5. Mandate the allocation of embassy resources to engage religious actors and communities.
The brief asked for required development of a religious freedom strategy as part of the annual program planning of U.S. missions overseas. It also called for expansion and institutionalization of training initiatives begun under the previous ambassador for international religious freedom, the Post reported.
6. Refocus attention on religious freedom within democracy planning and programs.
“Increase support, via foreign aid and democracy funding, for religious and secular nongovernmental organizations around the world who seek to advance religious freedom as part of democratic development,” the brief said.
7. Engage communications and diplomacy more strategically for religious freedom.
The brief asks the State Department to provide more religious freedom training for foreign policy officials who are responsible for the nation’s strategic communications, according to the Post. It also asked for expanded religious freedom programming on Voice of America and other public media and for government officials to consult with religious leaders and scholars more regularly.
8. Engage institutions and international law related to religious freedom.
The brief calls on the Trump administration to place a senior official specializing in international religious freedom to be an adviser to the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
9. Work closely with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The brief asked the State Department to work closely with USCIRF and for the commission to “publicize the administration’s progress toward integrating international religious freedom policy into the mainstream of foreign policy,” according to the Post. (TAB)
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