About Us

WHO WE ARE

IRF Secretariat is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) created to:

  • Serve all faith communities, civil society organizations, parliamentarians, and governments that are working to promote, advance, and secure freedom of thought, conscience, and religion;

  • Provide effective strategic and administrative support to empower the institutionalization and sustainability of the global movement; and

  • Organize and operate exclusively for tax-exempt charitable and educational purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code.

PURPOSE

  1. To convene the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable in Washington.

  2. To lead the way to the achievement of long-term impact and better outcomes by conceptualizing and institutionalizing a new approach centered on cooperative engagement.

  • Global, regional, and national summits and conferences convene and expand the global movement. These events include training and certificate programs that equip citizens and government officials to engage each other cooperatively and constructively.

  • The events catalyze the establishment of regional secretariats that can then start and support religious freedom roundtables (at the national and local levels), bring faith/belief communities and other civil society partners and sectors into the movement, and develop and/or strengthen a builder’s mentality and structure in each region. This expanding global network serves as a sustainable infrastructure for cooperative engagement and communication across deep religious differences and a variety of multi-faith actions that not only advocate and build religious freedom but mutual respect, trust, and reliance.

  • Goal setting and strategic planning provide a coherent set of targets and objectives that enable coordination of actions across the “bottom up” of civil society sectors and the “top down” networks of governments to increase impact.

PILLARS

Multi-Faith, Inclusive, & Equal Citizenship

We provide multi-faith, inclusive, equal citizenship events, platforms, and “on ramps”—such as Roundtables in the public square—and deliver value-added leadership services that educate, equip, and empower all communities to engage each other across their deepest differences, learn from each other, and start working together.

Religious Freedom & Responsibility

We help all faith/belief communities take responsibility for each other by respecting the human dignity of each individual, including those of other faiths and beliefs, and protecting their freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; and for society by engaging governments cooperatively and constructively, in multi-faith fashion, and offering to work with them to solve social problems.

Good Citizenship & Governance

We facilitate better citizenship & governance by forging consultative relationships and strategic partnerships between all faith/belief communities (majority and minority, traditional and new) and governments; and by helping them work with each other (in practice) on a regular and ongoing basis to improve public policies.

LEARN MORE

  • Why Religious Freedom Matters

    Why is this important? Religious freedom is a key to sustainable peace and prosperity. It is a universal value, strongly affirmed in international norms and law as an issue of justice and protection of minorities.

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  • Cooperative Engagement & The Builders Approach

    IRF Secretariat helps all faith/belief communities engage each other (and their governments) cooperatively and constructively across their deepest differences in a multi-faith fashion.

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KEY CONCEPTS

Secretariat:

The administrative department or office or people responsible for the management of an organization, especially an international or political one; an office responsible for the administrative affairs of a legislative body, executive council, or international organization.

Religious Freedom:

Article 18, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which reads, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”

IRF Roundtable

A collaborative, multi-faith platform dedicated to promoting and protecting religious freedom worldwide. Established in 2010, it brings together individuals from non-governmental organizations, religious communities, civil society, and government agencies to engage in open dialogue and coordinated multi-faith advocacy efforts. Read more.

Article 18 Matters

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights declares in Article 18, “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”