Next week, on January 30-31, BPSOS will play an important role at the IRF (International Religious Freedom) Summit 2024 in Washington, D.C.
The annual summit is a civil society-led event about religious freedom around the world. This year, it will feature sessions about religious freedom in the context of national security, of modern culture, and of human rights; religious freedom and intersectionality; blasphemy and apostasy laws; violations against indigenous and occupied religious communities; Chinese prisoners of conscience; corporate responsibility for international religious freedom, and so on.
Father Phêrô Nguyễn Văn Khải speaking at IRF Summit 2023.
In addition, BPSOS will also participate in some side events.
Wednesday, January 24 and Monday, January 29 are Congressional days: BPSOS and partners will be advocating for religious freedom in Vietnam at the House of Representatives and the Senate.
BPSOS will also be holding another side event; leading various panels in the Young Champions Room, on January 30-31, with speakers on religious persecution and persecution against indigenous communities in Vietnam; state-controlled religious organisations (Christianity and Cao Dai); global campaign for religious prisoners of conscience; and young FORB champions. Some sessions will be in Vietnamese and some will be in English.
Ahead of the IRF Summit, BPSOS is campaigning for Cao Dai followers to regain access to their places of worship in time to celebrate, in late 2025, the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Cao Dai religion. Over the years, the 1997 government-created sect systematically seized some 300 local Cao Dai temples, often using force and/or with the support of the public security police.
You can read and sign the joint letter here: https://vnforb.org/joint-letter-on-centennial-of-cao-dai-religion-555/
