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Workshops

2025 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop

2025 Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop

Event date



From Religion And Foreign Policy Workshop.

CFR’s annual Religion and Foreign Policy Workshop brings together high-level congregational and lay leaders, scholars of religion, and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country for conversations on pressing global concerns with policymakers, CFR fellows, and other experts. For information about the conference in previous years, please click here.

This event was made possible with the generous support of the Ford Foundation.

Speakers

  • Josefina Echavarría Álvarez
    Director, Peace Accords Matrix, and Professor of the Practice, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
  • Mohamed Elsanousi
    Commissioner, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; Executive Director, Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
  • Nazila Ghanea
    Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, United Nations; Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford
  • Samah Norquist
    Former Chief Advisor for International Religious Freedom to the Administrator, U.S. Agency for International Development
  • Wai Wai Nu
    Founder and Executive Director, Women Peace Network
  • Ebenezer ObadareCFR Expert
    Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow for Africa Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Shannon K. O'NeilCFR Expert
    Senior Vice President, Director of Studies, and Maurice R. Greenberg Chair, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Farah PandithCFR Expert
    Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Melissa Rogers
    Former Executive Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
  • Paul B. StaresCFR Expert
    General John W. Vessey Senior Fellow for Conflict Prevention and Director, Center for Preventive Action, Council on Foreign Relations
  • Knox Thames
    Senior Fellow, Pepperdine University; Senior Visiting Expert, United States Institute of Peace; Former Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South and Central Asia, U.S. Department of State

Presiders

  • Azza Karam
    Founding President and Chief Executive Officer, Lead Integrity
  • Peter Mandaville
    Professor of International Affairs, Schar School of Policy and Government, George Mason University; Former Director, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and Senior Advisor for Faith Engagement, U.S. Agency for International Development
  • Simran Jeet Singh
    Assistant Professor, Union Theological Seminary; Senior Advisor, Religion and Society Program, Aspen Institute
  • Burton L. Visotzky
    Appleman Professor Emeritus of Midrash and Interreligious Studies; Director, Milstein Center for Interreligious Dialogue; and Louis Stein Director, Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies, Jewish Theological Seminary