Religion Plays Large Role in 'Freedom, Security, Dignity,' Say Parliamentary Delegates
Parliamentary delegates from all over the world concluded the third session of one of their largest conferences on Human Rights and Religious Freedom on Thursday.
WASHINGTON - Parliamentary delegates from all over the world concluded the third session of one of their largest conferences on Human Rights and Religious Freedom on Thursday.
"It's a tremendous success to us that this many nations have taken the investment, not just financial but political, emotional and historic investment, to participate in the conference that talks about fundamental rights," said Joseph K. Grieboski, secretary general of the conference and also founder and president of the Institute on Religion and Public Policy.
A total of 70 nations were represented at this year's meeting that took place Nov. 28-Dec. 1. Throughout discussions and panel speeches that centered around the theme "Freedom, Security and Dignity," parliamentary delegates highlighted religion playing a significant role in all issues underlying humans rights and freedom, including conflict resolution, education, law and terrorism, and international poverty and development.
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"Religion and poverty are linked," said Katherine Marshall, director and counselor to the president of World Bank, the oldest and largest multilateral development bank, on the final day of the conference. As the issue of global poverty remains on top of the international agenda, Marshall emphasized the powerful role of the religious communities to "mobilize the world's consciousness" and the "power of ethical foundations" in actually addressing the issue.
The parliamentary delegations agreed upon a concluding document assessing human rights, freedom of belief, tolerance, and the commitment of all parliaments to freedom among others points to end the session.
Speaking with reference to a holistic approach to the main issues at hand, Grieboski said, "The world is suffering from great lack of freedom, particularly freedom of religion and belief. This freedom has actually devolved rather than evolved."
He further commented on the accomplishment of the third session saying, "It is a great demonstration of the commitment of the world's elected officials to continue to advance freedom, to advance democracy, and to advance fundamental rights irrespective of the war on terror that is taking place because it's the right thing to do."
