Interreligious Engagement and
Freedom of Religion or Belief (IE&FoRB)
A consultation process in the context of the 2018 Italian OSCE Chairmanship

Adama Dieng (UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide), Katherine Marshall (Georgetown University), Fabio Petito (Sussex University) – Lambeth Palace, 13 July 2018
As the third pillar of the FoRB & Foreign Policy Initiative, this project aims at co-producing innovative knowledge on interreligious engagement – dialogue and collaboration – as a policy tool to combat intolerance based on religion and advance FoRB for all. Through a multi-stakeholder consultation process run under the 2018 Italian OSCE Chairmanship in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Policy Planning Unit) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) the project aims to impact the dominant policy approach adopted by governments and international organisations in response to the global crisis of FoRB, resulting in the adoption of interreligious engagement strategies and their support and facilitation in foreign policy at both international and domestic levels.
The project is led by Dr. Fabio Petito and Dr. Stephanie Berry and is funded by the Sussex Social Science Impact Fund (SSSIF).
A summary of the project aims and objectives can be viewed here .
This project builds on previous work by Dr. Fabio Petito and Prof. Silvio Ferrari, developed in partnership with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 on combating intolerance (see the events in Rome and Trento in 2013).
Events:
6-7 March 2019 – Bologna, Italy
6 December 2018 – Milan, Italy
Report Launch at the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting – ‘Interreligious engagement strategies: A policy tool to advance Freedom of Religion or Belief’
20 September 2018 – Warsaw, Poland
Policy report presentation – ‘Interreligious engagement strategies: A policy tool to advance FoRB’
12-13 July 2018 – London, U.K.
6 March 2018 – Bologna, Italy
Output:
Stephanie Berry, Maria Mancinelli & Fabio Petito, ‘Interreligious engagement strategies: A policy tool to advance freedom of religion or belief’, Policy Report, December 2018.
Stephanie Berry & Fabio Petito, ‘Interreligious engagement and sustainable peace: The role of interreligious dialogue and collaboration in combatting intolerance and discriminations: Mapping international initiatives and best practices‘, Summary Report, Bologna, March 2018.