“As Knox Thames, an author and advocate pioneering an initiative on sacred spaces, highlights,

“Sacred heritage spaces can remind youth of the generations that came before them, and hopefully inspire them towards living together in peaceful pluralism. There are lessons to be learned, good and bad, from the sacred sites. They can be a useful teaching tool for youth to learn about how their community has grappled with diversity in the past and what it means for them today.””

“In many parts of the world women have the right to express themselves, to speak, to sing, and to be heard. Yet, in Afghanistan, women have been silenced by force. Women are shouting, crying out for the world to hear them because they need their voices to be amplified. They are singing, “The flower will unfurl, revealing a spring of freedom,” they are chanting. “I sing the anthem of freedom, again, again, freedom.” This is not simply a cry for rights; it’s a cry for survival.”

“Forced displacement and a call to welcome the stranger are not on the margins of major faith traditions, but rather a central theme of sacred texts themselves. They demonstrate solidarity with the refugee search for safety and an imperative to offer that safe haven.”

“But is it even possible to take tragic realities such as this and use them to create something meaningful? Oftentimes this feels far from possible but first and foremost, we must understand that religious freedom is not just an abstract ideal–it is foundational to peace. It is a right that every person deserves, and one we cannot afford to stop fighting for.”

"In memorial of those who perished and in solidarity with those who survived, we recount the context and social dynamics leading up to the brutality of these genocidal crimes, which the Yazidis identify as their 74th massacre in the last 800 years. Above all, this reminds us of the salient question: how has this happened when we have sworn 'Never Again?'"

"The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has made significant strides in safeguarding the fundamental right to freedom of religion and belief throughout the Americas. Their comprehensive study, "Estudio Sobre Libertad de Religión y Creencia - Estándares Interamericanos," provides a critical framework for understanding the scope of this right within the Inter-American human rights system."

"At the heart of Sikhism is a profound respect for all religions and a belief in equal rights, including the right to freedom of religious belief. That is why I feel compelled to write this article, highlighting the religious turmoil in India—my grandparents' homeland—where Sikh communities and other marginalized groups face significant challenges."

"Beyond censorship, a more insidious threat looms: the use of generative AI to fabricate evidence against religious minorities, further justifying persecution and oppression under the guise of legality and social order."

"The work is not simple, but the congressional  working group will continue to make big strides in the IRF space because, as Anna [Sineva] articulated,  'the only way that this process can fail is if we don’t engage at all and let vested interests drive the narrative in our absence.”