31st International Law and Religion Symposium

“Religious Freedom as a Tool for Peacemaking”

October 6-8, 2024

International Center for Law and Religion Studies
J. Reuben Clark Law School – Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah, USA

Conference Schedule

Sunday, Oct 6

7 – 8:15 PM

• OPENING SESSION

  JRCB Room 303

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium; United States

  Welcomes:
  C. Shane Reese, President, Brigham Young University, United States

  David H. Moore, Dean, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Keynote Speakers:

  Ambassador Ismat Jahan, Ambassador, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Belgium | Bangladesh

  Elder Alexander Dushku, General Authority Seventy; General Counsel, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

  Rev. Dr. Que English, Director of the Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

8:15 – 9:30 PM

• RECEPTION

  Fritz B. Burns Memorial Lounge,
  J. Reuben Clark Law Building Second Floor

Monday, Oct 7

9 – 10:30 AM

• FIRST PLENARY SESSION

  – Understanding Religious Freedom: Why Does it Matter?
  JCRB 303

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Amy Andrus, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religious Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Panelists:
  Nicholas Aroney, Professor of Constitutional Law, The University of Queensland, Australia

  Alwi Shihab, Senior Fellow, Leimena Institute; Special Envoy of the Indonesian President to the Middle East and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

  Jaclyn Neo, Associate Professor, National University of Singapore

  Hamilton Knox Thames, Senior Fellow, Pepperdine University; Director, Program on Global Faith and Inclusive Societies, Pepperdine University; Senior Visiting Expert, U.S. Institute of Peace, United States

  Katrina Lantos Swett, President, Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, United States

10:30 – 10:45 AM

• Break

10:45 – 11:45 AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Academic Perspectives – Islam and Law

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Paul Kerry, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Panelists:
  Safi Kaskas, President, The International Qur’an Research Association, United States

  Samy Ayoub, Associate Professor of Law, University of Texas, United States

• Latin America – Perspectives on Law and Religion

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Fábio Nascimento, Attorney, Brazil

  Panelists:
  Aloísio Cristovam dos Santos Júnior, Juiz Titular de Vara do Trabalho (TRT da 5ª Região) e Pesquisador, Brasil

  Silvia Godoy, Assistant to the Attorney General, Procuraduria General de la Republica de Honduras

  Víctor A. Pino Fuentes, Deputy, Cámara de Diputados y Diputadas de Chile

  Rubén Revello, Director del Instituto de Bioética, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina

• Vietnam

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Hannah Clayson Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Panelists:

  Duy Tan Nguyen, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh Home Affairs, People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

  Năng Khiếu Nguyễn, Deputy General Director, Americas Department, Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations

• Middle East

  Room 205

  Moderator:
  Quinn Mecham, Associate Professor of Political Science; Coordinator for Middle East Studies, Brigham Young University, United States

  Panelists:

  Ramin Mammadov, Chairman, State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations of the Republic of Azerbaijan

  Seppe Wiet H Verheyen, Advisor, Abrahamic Family House Centre, United Arab Emirates

• Africa – Religious and Interfaith Leaders

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  David Stanford, Area Legal Counsel, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  Panelists:
  Abubakr Siddeeq Muhammad , Deputy Secretary General, Supreme Council for Sharia

  Wilfred Dimingu, General Secretary, Zimbabwe Council of Churches

• Judicial Leaders

  Room 208

  Moderator:
  Hon. Susan Purdon-Sully, Judge, Supreme and National Court of Papua New Guinea

  Speakers:
  Hon. David Ashton-Lewis , Supreme Court Judge of the Republic of Fiji

  Hon. David Campbell, Senior Judge, United States District Court, District of Arizona; Chair, U.S. Federal Judiciary Committee on International Judicial Relations

  Hon. Maria Filomena Singh, Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the Philippines

12 Noon – 1:30 PM

• LUNCH FOR CONFERENCE DELEGATES AND INVITED GUESTS
  Wilkinson Student Center, Room 3220/22/24

1:30 – 2:00 PM

• GROUP PHOTO FOR DELEGATES
  Wilkinson Student Center, Garden Court

2:15 – 3:45 PM

• SECOND PLENARY SESSION

   

  – Religion: A Catalyst of Peace?
  Room 303

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Hannah Clayson Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:

  Abdulla Al Shehhi, Acting Operations Executive Director, Abrahamic Family House Centre, United Arab Emirates

  Gisele Ndaya Luseba, National Solidarity and Humanitarian Disaster Management Fund Program; Former Minister of Gender, Family, Children, Democratic Republic of the Congo

  Most Rev. Dr. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore, Karanataka, India

  Bishop Victor Brown, Senior Pastor, Mount Sinai United Christian Church, United States

  Phan Anh Son, President, Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations

3:45 – 4:00 PM

• Break

4:00 – 5:00 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Human Rights and Cross-Cultural Religious Liberty Education

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Cory Leonard, Assistant Director, David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Matius Ho, Executive Director, Leimena Institute, Indonesia

  David M. Kirkham, Executive Director, The Geneva Office for Human Rights Education

  Imam Ibrahim Alhassan, Director, Youth and Gender Advocacy, Office of the National Chief Imam, Ghana

• Latin America – Democracy and Religious Freedom

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Scott Isaacson, Senior Fellow and Regional Advisor for Latin America, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Paulina Corominas Etchegaray, Jefa de la Sección de Relaciones con Sociedad Civil de la Organización de los Estados Americanos, mexicana radicada en Washington, DC.

  Otilia Coti, Asesora del Programa Emblemático de la Mujer Indígena del Fondo Indígena de América Latina y el Caribe. FILAC., Guatemala

• Indonesia

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Sikumbang Harniati, Director of Human Rights Cooperation, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Indonesia

  Syamsul Arifin, Professor, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Indonesia

• Russia and Uzbekistan

  Room 205

  Moderator:

  W. Cole Durham, Jr., Founding Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; President, G20 Interfaith Forum Association, United States

  Speakers:
  Mukhammadolim Mukhammadsidikov, Rector, Al-Bukhari Tashkent Islamic Institute, Uzbekistan

  Shovosil Ziyodov, Director, Imam Bukhari International Scientific Research Center, Uzbekistan

  Oleg Goncharov, Director of the Public Relations Department, Euro-Asian Division of the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Christian Church, Russian Federation

• Central Africa

   

  Room 206Moderator:
  Peter Leman, Associate Professor, English Department, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Hazel Maureen Danetta Dixon, Regional Desk Officer, African Union Commission

  Angelino Kandiyelo Segunda, Director Geral Adjunto, Instituto Nacional Para Os Assuntos Religiosos – Ministério da Cultura, Angola

• Philippines

  Room 208

  Moderator:
  Hannah Clayson Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Elizabeth Aguiling-Pangalangan, Professor, University of the Philippines

  Pablito Baybado, Lecturer, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines

  Persida Rueda-Acosta, Chief Public Attorney, Public Attorney’s Office, Philippines

  Bishop Reuben Abante, Bishop / Senior Pastor, Lighthouse Bible Baptist Church and Ministries, Philippines

Tuesday, Oct 8

9 – 10:00 AM

• THIRD PLENARY SESSION

   

  – Religious Perspectives on Religious Freedom and Peace
  Room 303

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Jonathan K. Ammons, Director, Interfaith Relations, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  Panelists:
  HE Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Founder and Director of REFCEMI Coptic Orthodox Office for Advocacy and Public Policy, United Kingdom

  Battsengel Asralt, Head of International, Social and Public Relations, Gandantegchenling Monastery, The Centre of Mongolian Buddhists

  Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, President, World Council of Churches, Indonesia

  Alsadig Khalafalla, Member of the Board of Trustees, King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence; Advisor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bahrain

10:00 – 10:15 AM

• Break

10:15 – 11:15 AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS

• Latin America and Spain – Academic Perspectives

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Gary Doxey, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Elena López Ruf, Researcher and Senior Consultant, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina and Universidad Austral, Argentina

  José Luis Llaquet de Entrambasaguas, Professor of Law and Religion in Seville

  Hon. Jayme Weingartner Neto, Justice, Desembargador junto ao Tribunal de Justiça do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul; Professor da Pontifícia Universidade Católica RS, Brasil

• Mongolia

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium

  Speakers:
  Davaanyan Dovdon, Head of the Administration Department, State Registration Office, Mongolia

  Demberel Sukhbaatar, Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, National University of Mongolia

  Munkhtsetseg Gan-Ochir, Board Member, Civil Rights and Development NGO, Mongolia

  Bat-Erdene Baatar, Lecturer, Union Bible Theological College, Mongolia

• Middle East – Religious Affairs

  Room 205

  Watch in English
  Watch in Arabic
  Watch in German
  Watch in Russian
  Watch in Spanish
  Watch in Uzbek

  Moderator:
  Lutforahman Saeed, Assistant Professor, Islamic Law Faculty,
  Kabul University, Afghanistan; Visiting Professor, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:

  Johannes den Heijer, Professor Emeritus, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium

  Mohamed Elamin, Programs Director, Muslim Council of Elders, United Arab Emirates

  Florin Seudin, Head of Department of Ethnic & Religious Minorities’ Affairs, The Presidency of Kurdistan Region

• West and South Africa

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  Hannah Clayson Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Ahmad Jibrin Suleiman, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Nigeria

  Fortune Sibanda, Professor of Religious Studies, University of Eswatini

• Finland and the United Kingdom

  Room 208

  Moderator:
  Amy Andrus, Associate Director, International Center for Law and
  Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Atik Ali, Vice Chairman, Advisory Board for International Human Rights, Finland

  Paul Kerry, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

11:15 – 11:30 AM

• Break

11:30 – 12:15 AM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• The Russian Orthodox Church and the Russia-Ukraine War

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Tony Brown, Professor, Department of German and Russian,
  Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Dmytro Vovk, Visiting Associate Professor, Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, United States | Ukraine

  Jerry Pankhurst, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and of Russian and Central Eurasian Studies, Wittenberg University, United States

  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium; United States

• Latin America – Peacebuilding in a Diverse Religious Context

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Denise Lindberg, Senior Fellow, International Center for Law and
  Religion Studies, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Pastor Luis Clemente Aruquipa Carlo, Presidente, Consejo Nacional Cristiano por el derecho a la Vida, la Familia y la Libertad, Bolivia

  Rev. Eduardo Augusto Gómez González, Canciller de la Alianza Evangélica Latinoamericana, Colombia

• Asia — Academic Perspectives

  Room 314

  Moderator:
  Hannah Clayson Smith, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Purevsuren Byambakhishig, Director, Institute of Philosophy, Mongolian Academy of Sciences

  Bataa Mishig-Ish, Chair of Department of Religious Studies, Institute of Philosophy, Mongolian Academy of Sciences

  Chae Young Kim, Professor, Sogang University, Republic of Korea

  Choonghyun Baek, Director General, Religious Affairs Office, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea

• Africa – Academic Perspectives

  Room 206

  Moderator:
  Adesina Olukanni, President, Abu Nigeria Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  Speakers:
  Ibrahim Mulushewa Eshete, Executive Director, Center for National and Regional Integration Studies (CeNRIS)

  Getachew Woldemariam, Dean and Associate Professor, College of Law and Governance Studies, Addis Ababa University

  Abiola Sanni, Professor, University of Lagos

• Student Presentations

  Room 208

  Moderator:
  Holly Lesan, Coordinating Editor, Law and Religion: National, International, and Comparative Perspectives ; Coordinator, ICLRS Young Scholars Fellowship, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:

  Dallin Everton, JD Candidate, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Tanner Guisinger, Student, Brigham Young University, United States

  Songfeng Li, LLM Candidate, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University; Associate Professor, China University of Political Science and Law, China

  Graciana Messier, JD Candidate, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  R. McKay Moon, JD Candidate, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Brendan Murphy, Philosophy and English Student, Brigham Young University, United States

12:30 – 1:30 PM

• LUNCH FOR CONFERENCE DELEGATES AND INVITED GUESTS
  (Wilkinson Student Center, Room 3220/22/24)

12:30 – 1:30 PM

• LUNCH FOR LATIN AMERICAN CONFERENCE DELEGATES AND INVITED GUESTS
  (Wilkinson Student Center, Room 3252 WSC)
• Speaker: TBA

1:45 – 2:45 PM

• FOURTH PLENARY SESSION

   

  – Multi-Faith Engagement, Religious Freedom, and Building Peace
  Room 303

  Watch in English

  Moderator:
  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, United States

  Panelists:
  Imam Mohamed Hag Magid, All Dulles Area Muslim Society (ADAMS) Center, United States

  Bob Roberts Jr., Co-Founder, Multi-Faith Neighbors Network; President, Institute for Global Engagement, United States

  Ambassador Rabbi David Saperstein, Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy, Union for Reform Judaism, United States

2:45 – 3:00 PM

• Break

3:00 – 4:00 PM BREAKOUT SESSIONS (choose one)

• Religious Leaders

  Room 303

  Moderator:
  Shon Hopkin, Department Chair for Religious Education; Professor of Ancient Scripture, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Fareed Ahmad, National Secretary External Affairs, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK

  Patrick Fletcher, Senior Advisor for Theology and Social Doctrine, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

  Deina Warren, Director of Legal Affairs, Canadian Centre for Christian Charities

• Latin American Religious Affairs and Human Rights Leaders

  Room 306

  Moderator:
  Cynthia Juárez Lange and Dennis Lange Beltrán, Senior Fellows, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University

  Speakers:
  Saskia Ochoa, Coordinadora, Oficina Enlace del Poder Ejecutivo con la Comunidad Cristiana, Dominican Republic

  Alberto Herrera Rodríguez, Subsecretario de la Presidencia, Justicia y Relaciones con las Cortes – Gobierno de España

  Héctor Oswaldo Samayoa Sosa, Abogado; Director Ejecutivo, Comisión Presidencial por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Copadeh, Guatemala

  Amanda Marchena, Coordinadora de Asuntos Religiosos, Gobierno del Estado de Sonora, México

• Germany

  Room 205

  Watch in English
  Watch in German

  Moderator:
  Holly Lesan, Coordinating Editor, Law and Religion: National, International, and Comparative Perspectives; Coordinator, ICLRS Young Scholars Fellowship, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University, United States

  Speakers:
  Michael Gwosdz, Spokesman for Religious Policy, Green Parliamentary Group in the Hamburg Parliament, Germany

4:00 – 4:15 PM

• Break

4:15 – 5:45 PM

• FIFTH PLENARY SESSION

   

  – Conference Summation and Concluding
  Reflections on Conference Theme
  Room 303

  Watch in English

  Reflections from Selected Delegates

  Brett G. Scharffs, Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University

  Elizabeth A. Clark, Associate Director, International Center for Law and Religion Studies, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University and Program Chair, International Law and Religion Symposium