Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Conference Issue
HUMAN DIGNITY & ASEAN: PURSUING PEACEFUL AND INCLUSIVE SOCIETIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
This special issue covers the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Conference held at BYU-Hawaii April 22-25, 2025. Delegates, dignitaries and religious leaders talked about current issues and solutions in overcoming differences, promoting peace, unity and justice for all of the human race.
POSITION
Editor-in-Chief
Copy Editor
Copy Editor
Copy Editor
Art Director
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Writer
Illustrator
Graphic Designer & Photographer
Graphic Designer & Photographer
Graphic Designer
Photographer
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TEAM MEMBERS
John Andrew Quizana
Jessika Juwitahatma Santoso
Winslette Quiray-Santiago
CJ Shinihah Notarte-Orr
Marlee Palmer Young Yen
Pimwara Hootini
Abigail Adams
Myco Chillian Marcaida
Samantha Faith Satorre
France Valerie Lucillo
Gene Cymmer Ramirez
Linda Laulu
Tay Kang
Guen Ramirez
Cho Yong Fei
Ice Cesario
Elizabeth Ellen Schofield
Hiroki Konno
Moevai Tefan
14
RFHD’S OVERALL PREPARATION
6
28 HISTORY OF FAITH TIMELINE
DISCUSSING THE CORNERSTONE OF A FLOURISHING SOCIETY
FOSTERING PEACE ACROSS RELIGIONS
BUILDING SOCIAL CAPACITIES FOR PEACE
MAKING PEACE POSSIBLE
PHOTO COLLAGES
Faith at the crossroads
Southeast Asia’s history of faith and diversity faces new tests in a changing world, reports Pew Research Center
BY JOHN ANDREW QUIZANA
Religious freedom in Southeast Asia has been shaped by centuries of movement, trade and struggle. Historian Anthony Reid describes how early trade routes carried not only spices but also new faiths, making places like Malacca and Mindanao crossroads of belief. Later, as Reynaldo Ileto and Keith Taylor explain, colonization by Spain, the Netherlands, Britain and France introduced new religions and tightened control over older ones. After independence, leaders promised freedom of worship, but as scholars like Robert Hefner and Michael Peletz note, political pressures often pulled those promises in different directions. Reports from David Chandler and the International Crisis Group show how religious identity became entangled with conflict and state power. Today, as highlighted by groups like the Human Rights Watch and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, Southeast Asia stands at a crossroads once again caught between deep traditions of pluralism and new waves of tension.
According to Historian Anthony Reid, centuries ago Southeast Asia became a crossroads of religions as Hinduism and Buddhism spread across the region via early trade routes, bringing pluralistic societies to places like Malacca, Aceh, and Mindanao.
Reid also noted by the 13th century, Islam took a strong root in maritime Southeast Asia, carried by Muslim traders and missionaries into bustling port cities. Pre-1500s 13th Century
Colonial rule
As described by historian Reynaldo C. Ileto, Spanish colonization began in the Philippines in 1565, leading to widespread Christianization enforced by missionary friars who also dominated civil governance.
During this time, according to Ileto, Dutch colonial authorities in Indonesia promoted Protestant Christianity while allowing Islam to thrive under a system of indirect rule.
According to anthropologist Michael G. Peletz, British rulers in Malaysia and Singapore permitted missionary activities but generally maintained a pluralistic environment to manage Chinese, Indian and Malay diversity.
Historian Philip Taylor explained that in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos—under French colonialism— Catholicism was introduced but often resisted by Buddhistmajority populations.
According to Reid, British protection in Brunei allowed the Islamic monarchy to persist with minimal interference.
Reid also said Thailand avoided colonization by preserving Theravada Buddhism as a national identity marker while skillfully engaging diplomatically with Western powers.
Post-Independence and constitutional guarantees
According to Robert Hefner, Indonesia adopted the Pancasila philosophy in 1945, emphasizing belief in one God without promoting a specific religion but officially recognizing only six religions.
Peletz noted that Malaysia, independent in 1957, declared Islam the official religion but constitutionally protected other faiths, though bureaucratic challenges persisted, particularly regarding conversion and interfaith marriages.
The Philippines, influenced by American colonial experience, strongly embedded religious freedom in its 1946 Constitution, as explained by Ileto.
Historian Philip Taylor observes that in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, Communist regimes imposed strict regulation of religious activity, with the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia (1975–1979) virtually annihilating religious institutions, said historian David Chandler.
According to the Government of Singapore website, Singapore implemented strict legal measures to preserve religious harmony after its 1965 independence, culminating in the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act of 1990.
State control and religious identity politics
According to Human Rights Watch, Myanmar’s 1982 Citizenship Law excluded Rohingya Muslims from legal recognition, laying the groundwork for today’s humanitarian crisis.
The International Crisis Group highlighted Thailand’s southern Muslim-majority provinces experienced insurgencies and military crackdowns due to cultural marginalization.
Vietnam and Laos, according to Human Rights Watch, subjected unregistered religious groups to surveillance and harassment.
Peletz noted in Malaysia, Islamic courts expanded jurisdiction, creating tensions with the secular legal system and nonMuslim communities.
Hefner described in Indonesia under President Suharto (1967–1998), the government enforced rigid religious categorization and used religion as a political tool for control.
Mixed progress and setbacks
Following Suharto’s fall, Indonesia experienced democratization and greater religious expression, but according to the International Crisis Group, it also witnessed sectarian conflicts such as the Maluku violence and the Bali bombings.
Myanmar’s political reforms in the early 2010s, according to the Human Rights Watch, raised hopes for religious tolerance, but anti-Muslim violence worsened, particularly against the Rohingya.
The Philippines, through the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the 2019 establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, improved religious self-governance for Muslims in Mindanao, says the International Crisis Group.
Singapore, according to the Government of Singapore website, continued to promote religious harmony under a strict regulatory frameworks.
In 2014, Brunei implemented the Syariah Penal Code, criminalizing apostasy and same-sex relations, drawing widespread criticism from Amnesty International.
Persistent challenges A complex landscape
According to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the Rohingya crisis reached international prominence in 2015 and escalated after the 2017 military crackdown described as “a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.”
Vietnam and Laos continued to restrict unregistered religious groups, particularly targeting evangelical Christians and independent Buddhist movements, as observed by Human Rights Watch.
Malaysia faced heated debates about unilateral child conversions and the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims, according to Michael G. Peletz.
Indonesia, according to Hefner, continued to prosecute individuals under blasphemy laws, most notably Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) in 2017.
The Philippines, praised by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, emerged as one of Southeast Asia’s strongest examples of religious pluralism despite ongoing internal conflicts.
According to the Pew Research Center’s 2023 report, Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos have the highest levels of government restrictions on religion in Southeast Asia.
Brunei’s implementation of Shariah-based laws has increasingly limited religious freedom for non-Muslims, according to Amnesty International.
Malaysia and Indonesia, as Hefner says, face mounting pressures from rising religious conservatism.
Singapore continues its policy of “managed pluralism,” balancing strict regulation and religious diversity, according to the Government of Singapore.
Thailand, Cambodia and Laos, according to Philip Taylor, largely favor Theravada Buddhism, which enjoys state patronage.
Meanwhile, East Timor and the Philippines stand out as bright spots for religious freedom and interfaith cooperation, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.•
Delegates pose during the conclusion of the humanitarian, interfaith, public-private partnerships building social capacities for peace session of the conference held on the BYUH campus in April.
Photo by Cho Yong Fei.
In the pursuit of freedom
BY GENE CYMMER RAMIREZ
The history of the ICLRS and its commitment to help nations find solutions alligned with each country’s values
Whether by providing expert reviews of draft legislations and constitutional proposals, or organizing conferences and events every year, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS)at BYU in Provo has made it the center’s mission to secure the blessings of freedom of religion and belief for all people, according to the organization’s official website. Since its beginning in 2000, the ICLRS has continued to be a global academic leader in the education of the interrelationship of law and religion, but the organization’s past achievements and goals stretch deeper and farther than its academic networks.
Origins in Berlin
Brett Scharffs, director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, said though the ICLRS officially began on Jan. 1, 2000, its roots go farther back to the fall of the Berlin Wall when the communist governments in Eastern Europe were transitioning
to democracy. Cole Durham, founding director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, was the secretary of the American Society of Comparative Law during the time and found himself with an opportunity to help with the transition, said Scharffs. He said Durham helped them as they were drafting new constitutions and new laws to regulate religious organizations. “He was at the forefront of the effort to help them draft laws that would facilitate freedom of religion in those countries, and it was from those early efforts that the center emerged,“ Scharffs shared.
As per an article by Mary Lynn Bahr Johnson in the Winter 1998 issue of Y Magazine, Durham received an invitation to teach in Hungary during the Spring of 1991 that brought about a remarkable change in his teaching experience and the future of his career.
Durham shared, “I had been teaching students whose primary worries were what their jobs were going to be, what their starting salaries would be, and so forth. And all of the sudden I found myself with legal
students whose questions were, ‘How do we remake our world?’ This had a major impact on me.”
As found on the its official website, Durham then launched the International Center for Law and Religion Studies within the BYU Law School in 2000, as he saw the need to establish an “institutional base to give greater support to his work.” Since then, the center has continued to proclaim the “security of the blessings of freedom of religion and belief for all people” as its mission, according to the website.
Chair of the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity (RFHD) Initiative at BYU-Hawaii Jennifer Kajiyama Tinkham, director of Legal Studies and adjunct professor of political science, said one of the most powerful lessons she learned from Durham is influence does not require a loud voice.
“His quiet, steady leadership, especially in high-stakes international settings, demonstrated that integrity, preparation and kindness can open more doors than force ever could,” she said.
Tinkham said she observed Durham brought comparative research, empathy and a sincere desire to help each country find solutions aligned with its values instead of just arriving with answers. “That completely changed how I understood law, not as a tool for imposing ideas but as a path toward dignity and peace,” she shared.
The beginning of change
Tinkham said the ICLRS was still relatively young when she was still a law student at BYU but was already making a significant impact. “My twin sister, Nicole Kajiyama Holmes, who was also attending BYU Law, introduced me to the center during my first year, and we immediately felt at home,” she shared. She said as graduates of BYU–Hawaii, they were naturally drawn to the center for promoting religious freedom and cross-cultural understanding.
“In today’s world, where political instability, religious tensions and cultural misunderstanding are increasing, organizations like ICLRS are
Conference attendees taking a tour of the Laie LDS Temple. Photos taken by John Andrew Quizanna.
not only important but also absolutely essential,” Tinkham shared. She said the center brings together voices from different faiths, countries and legal systems with a unique combination of academics, governments, NGOs and businesses. Rather than having a one-size-fits-all model, the center helps counties and communities find solutions that reflect their own unique values and uphold the universal principles of human dignity and freedom of conscience, she shared.
Tinkham witnessed this powerfully during a symposium session featuring a Roman Catholic priest from the Philippines, a Muslim representative from an interfaith organization in Singapore, and Christian leaders from churches and nongovernmental organizations in several countries, she said. She shared how their faiths guided them to build peace and promote interreligious cooperation in their countries. “That kind of exchange does not happen by accident. It is the result of trust, dialogue and mutual respect cultivated by conferences hosted by the ICLRS,” she said.
Today, having organized more than 1,000 events in more than 50 countries and contributing directly to law reform, constitutional drafting and global scholarship, the ICLRS has grown significantly, Tinkham shared. “Yet what inspires me most is despite its impressive growth, the heart of the center remains the same. It continues to honor the dignity of every voice, builds lasting friendships across differences, and remains committed to the belief that religious freedom is essential to peace, prosperity and human development,” she said.
The mission to educate
Scharffs said the center was created to promote religious freedom for citizens of nations across the globe. “We do that by trying to create networks of scholars and religious leaders and government officials who are interested in religious freedom for all people, in all places,” he shared. He said the center completes its mission through scholarly work, conferences and publications and supporting law reform efforts around the world.
“We believe education is really the key,” he shared. Scharffs said when they identify and help people who are interested in teaching about the interrelationship of law and religion and the freedom of religion, these people become educators who will teach the rising generation of students around the world, creating a multiplying effect in countries everywhere.
Scharffs said they try to focus first on students, creating educational programs around the world. “We run certificate-training programs in places like China and Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia. We love partnering with places like BYU–Hawaii where we can work with the students,” he shared. He said they run a program for young scholars at Oxford University, where they bring professors who are interested in teaching about law and religion to help them become qualified to teach courses on law and religion in their own home countries around the world.
Tinkham said students and faculty from BYU–Hawaii annually attend the center’s two flagship conferences: the International Law and Religion Symposium and the Religious Freedom Annual Review. Remarking how these events have opened doors and opportunities for attendees, she said one student from Tonga was able to connect with a delegate from his home country and secure an internship at the
Tongan Parliament, and another student from the Philippines gained a research opportunity after meeting a panelist at the symposium. “These moments are life changing. They allow students to build meaningful connections that lead to opportunities to return and serve in their home countries through internships, employment or graduate school opportunities,” she said.
Leaders and legacies
Tinkham recalled her experiences working with Scharffs and Durham, and how these lifelong mentors and dear friends have made an impact on her and the field of law and religion. “Their legacies are not only found in scholarly journals or global conferences but also in the lives of students like me who carry forward their vision with deep gratitude and resolve,” she said.
Scharffs and Durham invested in their students through genuine care, and their examples have shaped how Tinkham teaches, mentors and hopes to lead, she said. “My life was changed because of their influence,” she shared. Tinkham said she remembered Scharffs saying, “It is my hope that a fundamental, universal belief in the worth of souls can help build the bridges that need to be built, bring empathy where there is only apathy or worse, and begin to move society toward a brighter, more unified future.”
When the RFHD Initiative was still in its early developing stages, it was Scharffs that Tinkham reached out to, she said. “I was nervous and unsure if he would even remember me. Not only did he remember, but also he responded with warmth, generosity and genuine enthusiasm,” she shared. Tinkham said Scharffs encouraged them to dream big and believed the potential of their students. Now, they cohost international conferences and send students to ICLRS events every year, and it was Scharffs’ belief in them that helped transform their organization into something truly impactful, Tinkham shared.
Centers of strength
Tinkham said the center has been one of the most generous and impactful partners of the RFHD Initiative, as it co-sponsors the annual RFHD conferences. She said because of the center’s support, students and faculty have also participated in regional conferences around the world including in Indonesia, Malaysia, India and New Zealand. “They have gained valuable experience in diplomacy, legal reform and international collaboration while also deepening their ties to their home countries and cultures,” she said.
“We chose BYU–Hawaii because of the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Initiative here and because of the students who are here,” said Scharffs. He said the partnership with RFHD began three years ago, with the plan to create a conference that focuses on the university’s centers of strength, which are the countries that the students come from. He said their hope is to institutionalize the conference and to see the attending delegates meet with students from the countries they are drawn from.
“BYU–Hawaii is uniquely situated to have an outreach to Asia and to the Pacific areas,” he shared. He said they focused the conference two years ago on Northeast Asia, the islands of the Pacific last year, and Southeast Asia for this year. He said their plan is to focus on South Asia or Indo-Asia next year. •
Conference attendees taking a tour of the Laie LDS Temple and attending the Opening Dinner.
Photos taken by Ke Alaka’i photographers.
Laying the groundwork for faith & freedom: RFHD’s overall preparation
Student fellows of the RFHD reflect student-led efforts for global dialogue on dignity, weekly meetings and conference goals
BY FRANCE VALERIE LUCILLO & PIM HOOTINI
Three student members of the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Initiative (RFHD) helped coordinate speakers, managed event logistics and found student representatives for the third annual Human Dignity and Association of Southeast Asian Nations Conference. One of the RFHD student fellows, Joseph Sant, said international scholars and leaders gathered to discuss religious freedom and human dignity. “The more we talk about dignity and freedom, the more we help people worldwide recognize and respect it,” Sant said.
ASEAN theme conference
Sant, a political science and intercultural peacebuilding senior from Louisiana, said the conference’s purpose was to expand the understanding of human dignity and address it from various ASEAN perspectives. “It’s a chance for students to learn, network and gain experience assisting with international events,” he said.
“Right now, we are focusing on the Southeast Asian countries, and we try to find ways to pursue or recreate peace and make an inclusive
society through this conference,” said Valerie Joy Agustin, a senior majoring in political science and accounting from the Philippines. She emphasized the conference revolves around how religion plays, or has a role in creating, a peaceful, inclusive society.
Since this conference is in partnership with the BYU in Provo International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICRLS), Agustin said the center usually conducts conferences on religious freedom and human dignity. “They are inspired to do it here at BYU–Hawaii because it’s a diverse university, and the target area of the university is Asia and the Pacific,” she explained. Southeast Asia is also one of the most religiously diverse regions in the world, and the ICRLS wants to gain more insights into the target area, she added.
Sant said part of the purpose of RFHD is to advance understanding and commitment to religious freedom in the world, especially in Asia and the Pacific. Also previous fellows who have organized events like RFHD felt it was right and needed to have a specific theme, like the ASEAN perspectives, he added.
Organizers, speakers and ASEAN delegates
Agustin said the main organizer of the conference is the ICRLS. “They do 30-to-50 conferences each year, and because most of the students here at BYUH are from this region, it will be official for both the ICLRS and the university to have a synergy where people can learn from others about what they have been doing in the Southeast Asia region,” she emphasized. She added the BYUH Political Science Department also helped organize RFHD. “They create conferences where people can share their research and insights about religious freedom,” Agustin said. She also emphasized the Religious Freedom Institute in Washington and Institut Leimena in Indonesia are also in partnership with Provo’s ICRLS and BYUH.
“The executive committee helped plan and run this conference,” Sant said. He said there are many people involved, including student fellows and the Faculty of Religion, Peacebuilding and Political Science departments. Coordinating with BYU in Provo’s ICRLS, Sant said, “There are also different committees that people were assigned to work on and lead.”
For example, Sant said he was assigned to the transportation committee. “We plan and organize the flights of the delegates, who will be driving and what cars we’ll be taking,” he explained. There is a variety of tasks that the student fellow does and what they are assigned to help and lead out on those tasks, he said.
Additionally, Agustin said the ICLRS and the Church have a database of people from the target areas. “It is through different Church Area Presidencies, leaders and their own networks as well,” she said. They held monthly meetings with the ICLRS leading up to the conference itself, she continued. “We communicated with them, especially with Hannah Smith, the assistant director of ICLRS, regarding the speakers and sponsors,” she said.
General Authority Seventy Elder Michael Strong, a counselor in the Philippine Area Presidency, was a special guest at the conference, and Edmund Bon Tai Soon, a representative of Malaysia to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights from Malaysia, was a keynote speaker, Agustin said.
She said, “Elder Strong will be focusing on religious freedom and the Church’s and the university’s mission, and Edmund Bon Tai Soon will focus on the goals of ASEAN this year,” she said.
“The intended audience of the conference is the delegates from each ASEAN country. We want them to learn from the initiatives, projects or findings of each country to widen their perspectives,” Agustin said.
Student representatives from each ASEAN country are also the target audience, she added.
Student volunteers gather for a photo the conclusion of the ASEAN Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Conference.
Photo by Hiroki Konno.
“We want them to learn from the initiatives, projects or findings of each country to widen their perspectives.”
Valerie Joy Agustin
RFHD BYUH student fellows pose for a photo in their professional attire.
Photos by John Andrew Quizana
Communication and overall preparation
Sant said planning the conference took on a whole additional level of communication between student fellows and other departments, like those in Provo. “We did a lot of Zoom calls regularly throughout the semester to know where we’re at and what we need to do moving forward,” he explained. Sant also said there were constant emails and executive committee meetings at BYUH, figuring out if anyone needed help. “We met every other week this Wiinter Semester to make sure the planning is good and we’re preparing well,” he said. Sant added they communicated with student volunteers by conducting training. “We do instead of sending out an individual email to announce things,” he explained.
He said some students were busy and it was difficult for them to attend the mandatory meetings. He said the committee understood and make-up meetings were created for students who could not attend the actual mandatory meeting. “It is a good way to explain things to them and be able to stay on the same page,” Sant said.
As for challenges, Agustin said it is difficult to find people who will be speaking at the conference. “It is a challenge for us to invite them because they might not have the time or have a conflict with their work. But she said through the help of the Church and BYU Law School and ICLRS, it became possible,” she said.
Sant said it was good they prepared in advance “so we can handle things better when it [actually] comes up,” he explained. He said the challenges they encountered were mostly about changes in the details or plans, such as schedules and with the delegates. “We’re lucky there were not any major issues,” Sant added.
Agustin said communication was a challenge for them too. “Some of the fellows are new to this as well, so they might miss something. But we are here to help them by sharing our past mistakes from previous conferences and as a previous fellow as well,” she emphasized.
Personal learning
Sam Rasmussen, a political science senior from California who joined the RFHD Initiative in Fall 2024, said preparing for the conference has been both intense and rewarding. As more delegates confirmed their attendance, she explained, the workload grew, but so did the excitement. “We were stressed, but it was a good kind of stress because it means the conference was growing, and we were ready to handle it,” Rasmussen shared.
“I hope everyone can increase their understanding of others and of religious freedom and human dignity,” Sant shared. He added he wants to personally learn and grow academically on this topic. Agustin also said she hoped the student representatives and those attending the conference learned more about the topic. “I hope people will not only remember the words being uttered but what they felt and the inspiration to act upon it,” she shared.
Rasmussen said students don’t need to be from ASEAN countries to benefit. “These delegates are looking for fresh ideas from students all over the world. It’s a great space to connect, grow and even find internship opportunities.” •
Professional photos of, top, Sam Rasmussen and above, Joseph Sant.
Photos by John Andrew Quizana
Faith’s exemplars
Indonesia, Philippines & Thailand
RFHD Initiative hosts dinner and opening panel discussion with ASEAN leaders revolve around hopes for peace for all
BY GENE CYMMER RAMIREZ
Hope triumphed, goodwill pervaded and resolve spread across the halls of BYU–Hawaii as models of faith and leadership joined together as one in the Aloha Center Ballroom to celebrate the beginning of “Human Dignity & ASEAN: Pursuing Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Southeast Asia,” the third annual conference of the Religious Freedom & Human Dignity Initiative.
Dignitaries, delegates and religious leaders across Southeast Asia dined together with members of the initiative, representing the countries of Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar and Brunei to pursue a single, unified goal: Discussing the vital role of religious freedom in strengthening societies and promoting human dignity.
To start off the week-long event, RFHD invited Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines executive secretary, the Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano; World Evangelical Alliance global ambassador and former secretary-general from the Philippines Bishop Efraim Tendero; and Religions for Peace deputy secretary general from the United States Deepika Singh to be speakers for the opening panel discussion on the topic of “Religious Perspectives on Peaceful and Inclusive Societies in Southeast Asia.”
Elder Michael B. Strong, General Authority Seventy and Counselor in the Philippines Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, welcomed the honored guests and shared his gratitude for their presence for the special gathering of people from the Asia-Pacific region.
“As leaders of our countries and communities, we must strive to build pluralistic societies where peace, unity and harmony thrives,” he shared.
“We see around the world that protecting religious freedom and human dignity correlates highly with increased social stability,” Strong shared. He said the key to stability is not uniformity in religious beliefs, but a shared commitment that all will be secured in their human dignity and be able to follow their foundational beliefs.
Closing with a quote by Ramon Magsaysay, the seventh president of the Philippines, Strong said, “Ours is a great friendship based on mutual respect and being on such a firm basis, it is an enduring one. I wish to reiterate my people’s faith in the righteousness and invincibility of the cause of freedom and human dignity to which we are dedicated.”
A sacred responsibility
Bishop Efraim Tendero said Southeast Asia is a vibrant mosaic of culture and faith, but its rich diversity can often lead to misunderstanding, distrust and sometimes violence. “The future of peaceful and inclusive societies in Southeast Asia depends greatly on how religious communities engage with one another, whether we build bridges of understanding or walls of division,” he shared.
Tendero retold his experience contributing to peace delegations during a religion-rooted rebellion in the Philippines, which was eventually resolved through peaceful agreements. He said evangelicals must be agents of healing, stepping into broken spaces to serve with love and humility. “Justice can be pursued without violence. When faith communities are rooted in love, they can help heal nations,” he shared.
“I believe that religious freedom is not merely a legal principle. It is a sacred responsibility that enables peace to flourish,” Tendero said. He invited everyone to not just admire peace but to invite it, and to not just talk about religious freedom but to protect it.
Proclaiming what we believe
As the first speaker, Rev. Fr. Jerome Secillano said he hoped he will set the tone for an honest, thorough and open-minded discussion on the theme. “The theme appears to be easy, but it is not. We are supposed to be harbingers of peace, but in reality we are sometimes accused of the opposite,” he said.
Secillano acknowledged the concerning rise of criticism of the Catholic Church and of religion as a whole. “We are called bigots, selfish, self-centered, intolerant, archaic, outdated, irrational, stupid and many other uncharitable names simply because there are issues where our stands are simply different from our accusers,” he voiced.
Secilliano raised the issue on the supposed public belief that the Catholic Church in the Philippines is hindering the progress of the nation by meddling with social affairs and should “just stick to proclaiming the Gospel.” “That is exactly what the Church is doing: Proclaiming the Gospel, the word of God, the word of Truth. Our proclamation doesn’t lean on what the public expects, nor is it contingent on political correctness or social constructs. We proclaim what we believe,” he said.
“Shared human flourishing is only possible when peace, dignity and inclusion are realized for everyone and everywhere.”
“We are called... uncharitable names simply because there are issues where our stands are simply different from our accusers.”
Solutions to conflicts
Deepika Singh addressed the ever-growing conflicts across the globe, naming Gaza, Ukraine and the danger of nuclear weapons, as examples, and said ending them requires deeper moral, ethical and spiritual transformations, and not just through political or economic means. “Shared human flourishing is only possible when peace, dignity and inclusion are realized for everyone and everywhere,” she said.
Singh said religions have played a critical role in building peaceful and inclusive societies, sharing cases where religious communities have advanced peace amidst turmoil. “For religion to have an impact on peace, we must have interest and interfaith dialogue, and these dialogues must be translated into action,” she shared.
Singh said we must embody the values we wish to see. “Real transformation requires investing in the leadership of those at the margin, especially women and youth,” she shared. Young people have demonstrated that they are not merely the future but also the present, and their leadership in peacebuilding, climate action, human rights and interfaith dialogue must be recognized and supported, she voiced.•
Recognized Religions
According to Indonesian investments, Indonesia officially recognizes these religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism & Confucianism.
According to the Asia Society, Christianity is the predominant religion in the Philippines, with 89% of the population identifying as Christian.
Photos from the RFHD Conference opening ceremony on April 22, 2025 in BYU-Hawaii’s Aloha Center Ballroom. Photos by Hiroki Konno
According to the International Religious Freedom Report, Buddhism is practiced by approximately 93% of the population in Thailand. The majority of Thais adhere to Theravada Buddhism. Other religious groups in Thailand include Muslims, Christians, and those with other affiliations, including animists, Confusians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs, and Taoists.
Indonesia Philippines Thailand
Top, Delegates and student fellows gather for a photo at the RFHD Conference opening ceremony on April 22, 2025.
While eating dinner, conferencegoers participated in a panel discussion and heard from Elder Michael B. Strong, bottom right,, from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Photos by Hiroki Konno,
When human dignity, peace and justice meet
Indonesia Philippines Thailand
Malaysia, Singapore & Phillipines
Southeast Asian delegates highlight topics such as pedagogy, the concept of tawhid or unity of knowledge and human nobility
BY FRANCE VALERIE LUCILLO & MYCO MARCAIDA
Dr. Khairudin Aljunied from Singapore, Dr. Alizaman Gamon from Malaysia and Mrs. Desytia Nawris from Indonesia, each shared their insights and perspecttives on promoting and advancing peace, especially in challenging times in a session titled, “How Do We Pursue Human Dignity, Peace and Justice in Times of Upheaval?”
Aljunied echoed the words of Martin Luther King Jr. when he said by writing a book, individuals can change the world. “We are in a dangerous world but not in a world that we cannot fix,” he continued.
Fixing the world means changing the minds of people, Aljunied said. “It should begin with us,” he added.
Pedagogy of what it means to be a human
“The world we are in today is characterized by upheavals that are unprecedented in world history,”Aljunied said. He emphasized the impact of the catastrophic world wars killing more than 19 million people, and how the wars should have reminded individuals they are part of a collective humanity and they ought to behave. “The current crisis in other countries indicates they have not progressed significantly in terms of achieving world peace,” Aljunied added.
Aljunied said understanding peace starts with understanding the pedagogy of what it means to be a human. “In truth [right now], we are giving in to dehumanization where we are depicting and teaching individuals and groups that others are less than beings,” he said. Dehumanization justifies negative behavior, which can lead to reluctance in engaging in productive ways, he added. To pursue human peace and justice, he said an individual must be taught in different settings through pedagogy. “It is not about training but critically educating people to be self-effective,” he added.
“Teachers, scholars, parents, community leaders and influencers must all unite in the campaign to fight dehumanization with a critical aversion,” Aljunied pointed out. He said by thinking through the world
people live in today, they are able to develop their own singular visions to explain the world itself. “The new vision of the global order is what I call the Cosmopolitan World Order, where it necessitates towards diversity, emphasizing cultural commonalities, internalizing mutual operation and accepting equality,” he added.
Obstacles to advancing human dignity
“Corruption of marriage, the importance of designations of religion and the theory of mind to provide a moral compass for the youth today are just some of the obstacles to human dignity nowadays that need to be addressed,” said Alizaman Gamon, an assistant professor at the International Islamic University of Malaysia.
Gamon said all these problems are in civilizations that are dealing with symptoms of deeper social and political issues. “It requires a deep
“They [individuals, communities and institutions in society] should be shaped by the spirit of oneness. We are just one human family in one common homeland.”
understanding of the root causes,” he shared. He explained such problems will keep recurring in the social system if there are no appropriate solutions being contemplated.
“Amnesia, I believe, potentially impedes the global initiative to advance human dignity,” Gamon said. He said amnesia is the historical ignorance surrounding specific topics such as Islam and its civilization
contributions. Gamon said by addressing these historical injustices in knowledge, global initiative of peace can be fostered. “Because knowledge constitutes wisdom,” he continued.
Gamon said it is inevitable to not clash with different assumptions, especially in the Muslim community. However, he explained integrating epistemologies can change the mindset of the global community. “These analyses can find common grounds to pursue a meaningful civilization and interaction,” Gamon continued.
“Justice must be used pragmatically in the real world,” Gamon said. He emphasized the value of using trans epistemic dialogue, saying the demand for justice can only succeed if proper dialogue is conducted. Gamon explained by recognizing the tawhid, or unity of knowledge, as a framework for social healing and conflict resolution, intellectuals and community leaders can be empowered.
Proof of human nobility
Desytia Nawris, representing the Baha’i International Community’s Regional Office in Jakarta, shared how to move forward in complex issues by human connectedness and interdependence through an analogy. “Considering human society as a human body with a complex system of cells and tissues, they work together to integrate harmonious perspectives,” she said. Nawris explained when a cell is egocentric, it can ruin the whole body, comparing it to a cell of cancer.
“If one is unintended in a time of trouble, hardship, prevailing disease, that is proof of nobility,” Nawris said. She explained the quote she shared is intriguing for her as she keeps reflecting what it means to pursue human dignity, peace and justice in times of upheaval. “When
we look at the history from world wars, we see the manifestation of humanity’s thirst for peace and justice in the world,” she stated.
Nawris said, through her personal reflection, there is a longing from humanity towards a better future. “It is, in itself, an evidence of humanity’s inclination, human nobility is something greater than them,” she continued. However, she shared how challenges in today’s generation separate people apart instead of bringing people together.
“Maybe we can look at the lens of humanity and realize we are only but the people of one human homeland– the Earth. We take and give, no matter how humble our contribution is,” Nawris shared.
“We should consider religion and science as the two systems of knowledge,” Nawris shared on how the two separate topics can contribute to the nobility of human beings. She said through learning the method of how to understand laws and processes governing physical reality of science, individuals can further understand the deepest question of human motivation and purpose.
Nawris shared values she identifies from religions, science and culture that are interdependence, unity and diversity, solidarity and mutual trust. “I think this is the building block for a stable social order,” she explained. She said there should be a new pattern of relationship that looks like the cells and tissues and organs of the human body. “It cooperates with one another,” she added.
Nawris encouraged the collaboration between three protagonists: individuals, communities and institutions in society. She said, “They should be shaped by the spirit of oneness. We are just one human family in one common homeland.” •
Left to right are panel moderator David Whippy and panelists Khairudin Aljunied, Desytia Nawris and Alizaman Gamon.
Singapore
According to the Philippines’ Department of Education,religious instruction is optional in public schools and is often provided in coordination with religious organizations.
According to the Pew Research Center, religious education is not part of the national curriculum, but religious groups may conduct classes outside school hours.
Philippines
Malaysia
According to Pew Research Center, Islam is the official religion. However, the practice of Islamic beliefs other than Sunni Islam is restricted significantly.
Discussing the cornerstone of a flourishing society
Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia
ASEAN representatives say peaceful, just societies need unity, religious pluralism, human dignity and open dialogue
BY SAMANTHA FAITH SATORRE
Southeast Asia’s diversity and multi-religiosity were explored by a diverse group of dignitaries and delegates on April 23, as representatives from ASEAN shared at the Third Annual Religious Freedom & Human Dignity Conference their varied perspectives on religious pluralism and human dignity. The panel-led discussions put forward the significance of unity amidst diversity, religious freedom, human dignity, secure identities and genuine dialogue in building a peaceful, just and inclusive society.
The panelists for this session were Ambassador Yong Chanthalangsy, a representative of Lao People’s Democratic Republic to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR); Eugene Tan, an associate professor from Singapore Management University and representative of Singapore to the AICHR; Edmund Bon Tai Soon, a representative of Malaysia to the AICHR; and Yuyun Wahyuningrum, the executive director of the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).
Unity amidst diversity
Rich with diverse ethnic groups, customs and practices, Southeast Asia was described by Yong as a vibrant community of 700 million people. While praising the beauty of diversity, he also emphasized the importance of standing together, saying one country cannot carry all the weight on its own. “Diversity, yes, but at the same time, we have to be unified. [Together], we are powerful enough to talk to others, to bargain and make ourselves heavy enough for others to listen to us,” he voiced. With 11 countries working together, he said the burden is equally shared.
ASEAN encompasses tens of thousands of islands, spanning from the Indonesian archipelago to nearly reaching the Himalayas, covering the northern regions of Myanmar and Laos, and stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean. He said each Southeast Asian country is extremely diverse in terms of culture, language and religion, preserving hundreds of festivities, dialects, scripts and spiritual beliefs. “That is the vibrant ASEAN,” he said.
On the topic of diversity, Yong shared his multicultural background. “I am a son of a Chinese Cantonese and my mother is Vietnamese, but I’m not,” he shared, saying the law granted him the freedom to
choose his citizenship. “The Constitution allowed me to be a free man of free choice, [so] I chose to be Lao,” he expressed. Despite growing up surrounded by the literature of different cultures like French and Thai, he said he has always strived to preserve his Lao identity.
He said this personal diversity he enjoys— living as a mosaic of multiple cultures— reflects the broader diversity characterizing South-
Delegates pose during the conclusion of the ASEAN, Religious Pluralism, and Human Dignity Session. Photo by Hiroki Konno.
“Religious pluralism is not merely about tolerance. It is about justice, equality
and belonging.”
Yuyun Wahyuningrum
east Asia. “We have been changing much, because in history, we have been dominated and invaded by [foreign powers],” he stated. Amidst this constantly shifting cultural, religious and political landscape, he said the region was still able to keep its stories and identities intact.
In the pursuit of unity while respecting diversity, he said ASEAN is grounded in two things. “One is that all 11 nations have to work together in order to find out what could be the most reliable values that we have to develop together and consider as our common values,” he shared. The second one, he continued, is a set of values they must adopt to keep the ASEAN community alive.
Shared values and secured identities
Tan approached religious pluralism and human dignity with three key themes: Acknowledging multiple identities, executing religious freedom as a basis for secured identities and human dignity, and understanding that multi-religiosity and religious harmony are not preordained. “When you look at ASEAN documents, it’s clear religious freedom is something all must promote and protect,” he stated. He emphasized the importance of faith and religious communities to the nation-building process in Southeast Asia.
Sharing his insights on the centrality and interdependence of multiple identities, Tan said, “The security of all these different identities are interdependent. So if one component does not feel secure, I think it affects all the other entities,” he expressed. He said it is important to recognize people’s different identities, whether ethnic, religious or civic.
“In nation-states, in order to thrive, we need to have a civic identity,” he stated. He said that is why governments must strive to make citizenship meaningful and secure. “Citizenship can define values and identities,” he noted. He said securing people’s civic identities, caring for their emotions and roles as citizens, is crucial in achieving human dignity. “Human dignity is about the recognition of an individual’s inherent value and worth,” he stressed.
Tan also said diverse nation-states are not sustainable without a coherent set of national values. “For example, all mountaineers have a shared purpose, but shared values will tell them what it is they ought to do in the quest to reach the summit,” he shared. The architecture of peace, inclusion, and freedom and dignity, for him, is rooted in shared values.
“Multi-religiosity and religious harmony are not preordained. It is a journey rather than a destination,” Tan stated. He said Southeast Asia’s religious diversity is not a recent phenomenon, but something that has gone on for millennia. “Religion matters,” he stressed, saying it remains a potent force in Southeast Asian societies. Taking note of the region’s extreme diversity and its power to give rise to conflicts, he encouraged people to disagree in an agreeable manner.
Power dynamics and genuine dialogue
Soon prefaced his discussion with the challenges of operationalizing macro-level principles at the micro level. “It’s very easy to come to conferences like this to speak about macros, and everybody will come and agree,” he stated. While it is simple to reach agreement on fundamental principles and values, he said the real hurdle lies in going beyond that and delving into the complexities of executing religious freedom and human dignity. “It’s not black or white,” he stressed.
He introduced Galtung’s conflict triangle— which illustrates the interconnectedness of direct, structural and cultural violence— as a useful tool for expanding people’s perspective on peace. “We keep talking about direct violence, but we also need to think and talk about structural violence and cultural violence,” he expressed. He said promoting peace goes beyond addressing physical harm. It also deals with how different groups are depicted and perceived. Being dehumanized, he explained, is cultural violence, while stripping individuals of their citizenship is structural.
He said religion plays an important part within that framework. “Religion comes within that triangle as one of the drivers, enablers and also disablers of matters that come within cultural violence,” he explained. He urged for more discourse around the existence of structural and cultural violence, saying these types of devastating atrocities often go unnoticed.
Soon also emphasized the central role of power in religious issues across the world. “If we just look at it from the lens of religion and [conclude] it’s a religious conflict as opposed to a power conflict or power imbalance, then it becomes a very narrow perspective,” he said. Speaking from the perspective of a human rights advocate, he said this is where human rights come into play. “Human rights provide a limit to power,” he stated.
He encouraged the attendees to keep pondering how they can engage in genuine dialogue and consider the power dynamics that are inextricably tied to it. He said when one group controls the media, government, and other social institutions, the conversation’s authenticity is compromised. “You cannot have genuine dialogue where one party, or one religion, or one representative from that particular community has extreme power,” he voiced. Addressing this, he emphasized the value of listening to diverse viewpoints.
A peaceful and inclusive Southeast Asia
Wahyuningrum said religious freedom is not a luxury but a fundamental right— protected by international law and deeply rooted in Southeast Asia’s cultural and spiritual traditions. Parliamentarians, she
added, bear the responsibility to promote and defend that freedom. “[It is] an issue that lies at the heart of our collective pursuit to a peaceful and inclusive Southeast Asia,” she stated. To address this, she said the APHR conducts fact-finding missions, hosts regional conferences and engages in global advocacy, providing a space where lawmakers can act together to uphold justice and dignity beyond national borders.
“Religious pluralism is not merely about tolerance. It is about justice, equality and belonging,” she emphasized. Human dignity, she added, is non-negotiable— it cannot be defended for some while being denied from others. “Let us move forward together, across borders, across faiths, and across political differences to defend this freedom, because pluralism demands more than tolerance— it demands leadership, courage and unwavering commitment to equality,” she expressed.
Southeast Asia is lauded as one of the most religiously plural regions in the world. “This diversity is a treasure. It should be a source of strength. And yet in far too many places, it is manipulated into a source of fear,” she voiced. As she pointed out, a troubling rise of religious intolerance, hate speech and political oppression can be witnessed worldwide. “We have both the authority and the responsibility to be in this fight,” she expressed.
Among APHR’s recent efforts, Wahyuningrum highlighted the adoption of the Jakarta Declaration. “This declaration outlines the shared commitment to stand in solidarity with victims of religious persecution and denounce all forms of incitement of hatred,” she stated. The declaration, she explained, is a collective roadmap for advocating and protecting religious freedom.•
A delegate during the question and answer time of the conference
Photo by Ice Cesario
A delegate listening to the confession session
Photo by Ice Cesario
According to Indonesia Investments, Indonesia officially recognizes six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
According to UPR Info, all religious organizations must register with the Lao Front for National Construction, which oversees religious affairs.
According to the Singapore Government Agency Website, the government maintains strict laws to ensure religious harmony, including the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act.
According to the International Religious Freedom Report, Islamic studies are compulsory for Muslim students in public schools, while non-Muslim students may receive moral education.
Laos
Indonesia
Malaysia
Singapore
Fostering peace across religions
Indonesia
Delegates from Indonesia say cross-cultural religious literacy creates
tolerant and inclusive societies
BY ABIGAIL ADAMS
Coming together in the Heber J. Grant Building on April 24, the ASEAN Human Dignity Conference resumed with a morning discussion titled, “Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy in Fostering Peaceful & Inclusive Societies.” Exposure to people of diverse faiths promotes human dignity, explained four Indonesian delegates on the panel.
Matius Ho, the executive director of the Leimena Institute, began the discussion saying the focus of cross-cultural religious literacy is bridging social capital or “[building] relationships with people outside the Church with different backgrounds.” When social capital across religions is strong, he said, groups can work together toward common goals. “If there is strong social capital, it will also lead to better social cohesion, better inclusivity and harmony,” shared Ho.
Farid Saenong, a faculty member of Islamic Studies at Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), said cross-cultural religious literacy is prevalent in Indonesia because of the vast diversity throughout the country. “Indonesia consists of more than 17,000 islands, meaning [it] has larger sea zones creating the so-called maritime culture,” he said. “People with maritime culture are more open, more democratic, more egalitarian than the continental worlds,” because they are frequently meeting new people, Saenong explained.
The three C’s of religious literacy
Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, pastor of Toroja Church and a general chairperson of Indonesia Bible Study, said the three steps to building cross-cultural religious literacy are personal competence, comparative competence and collaborative competence.
Personal competence, Lebang explained, is when a person “deepens their understanding of moral and personal self-knowledge from the rich spiritual well of their faith.” Ho said it is when an individual has a well-rounded understanding of their own religion. “For example, as a Christian, I need to understand Christianity well, especially what it teaches [about] how to treat people different from me,” he shared.
Comparative competence, Lebang said, is when individuals listen and understand those with religious or cultural differences. Ho said, “It’s important for me to understand my own religion, but I also need to understand the religion of other people from [their] perspective.”
Ho said the final step of cross-cultural religious literacy, collaborative competence, is where people take action. It’s “an exploration of possible ways for people of different cultures and faiths to work together, particularly to address common concerns,” Lebang shared. Through collaboration, Ho explained, trust is built between communities. “We will remain different after we collaborate because collaboration doesn’t mean that we become syncretistic, [or the same],” he said.
Dr. Akh Muzakki, State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Ampel professor, acknowledged the need for cross-cultural religious literacy in education in Indonesia. “In school, public or private, you have to invite teachers” who share faiths with the students, he said. Because “students are not quite familiar enough with different religions,” he explained. By implementing cross-cultural religious literacy into education, he said, students and teachers can receive a more comprehensive understanding of religion. “[It] paves the way for teachers of religious education to get to know each other and also collaborate with one another,” Muzakki shared.
Building a tolerant society
Cross-cultural religious literacy also works to encourage tolerance, Muzakki said. “Tolerance is becoming brothers and sisters,” he shared. It is when people come together to eat at the same table, despite their differences, Muzakki explained.
In light of his passing on April 21, Lebang provided Pope Francis as an example of tolerance. “There are two main legacies of Pope Francis, which are... spiritual equality and unconditional inclusivity,” she shared.
When visiting Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque in 2024, Pope Francis and Grand Imam Nasaruddin Umar showed mutual respect to each other despite belonging to different faiths, Lebang explained. “The Grand Imam of Istiqlal kissed Pope Francis’s head, and the Pope kissed the Grand Imam’s head. This shows clear evidence that tolerance is deeper than mere co-existence,” she said.
A tolerant society is one where “even though they do not know each other, [people] come to the same place, share their food and [are] loving to each other,” Muzakki explained. They accept each other as-is, he said.
Lebang explained, “Tolerance… has to spring out of the laughing hearts and reflect spontaneously in the daily interactions among the people, regardless of their cultural or religious backgrounds.” By building a tolerant society, people can work together to solve the world’s pressing issues, she shared.•
“If there is strong social capital, it will also lead to better social cohesion, better inclusivity and harmony.”
Matius Ho
Indonesia
According to the International Religious Freedom Report, 87.2% of Indonesians identified as Muslim, 7.4% as Christians, 1.7% as Hindus, 0.7% as Buddhists, and 0.05% as Confucianists, as of 2024.
Vietnam’s secularity and social nature of religion
Dignitaries from Vietnam and co-authors share the country’s journey toward a favorable religious-secular relationship
BY SAMANTHA FAITH SATORRE
The launch of “Religion and Rule of Law in Vietnam & Southeast Asia,” co-authored by Dr. Quang Hung Do, Cole Durham, Jr. and Brett Scharffs, was honored during the panel discussion on April 25 about Vietnam’s complex and multifaceted journey towards a harmonious relationship between religion and the secular state. The authors, joined by a representative from Vietnam’s Governmental Committee on Religious Affairs, explored the country’s dynamic religious character, the conflicts and tensions attached to it, and the responsibility of both the state and religious communities in promoting religious freedom and harmony.
“There is so much of human history that is tied up with law and religious issues,” stated Durham, the president of G20 Interfaith Forum. Law and religion, he pointed out, are deeply intertwined with each other and closely tied to the center of culture, creating a landscape that is constantly shifting and readjusted. “And it’s being readjusted against the background of culture— the background of the cultural understanding, philosophies and political realities of the time,” he added.
Toward a more inclusive secularism
“Before, in our country, we defined spirituality and religion very strictly. But now, it’s a lot more open,” said Do, a professor from the University of Social Sciences and Humanities of Vietnam National University. The societal significance of religion, he noted, is something the Vietnamese government has already acknowledged since the 1990s. By recognizing religion’s potential to provide social and ethical contributions, he said Vietnam is striving for a less rigid secularity. “Vietnam has chosen a flexible and harmonious secularism and is moving towards a secularity that recognizes the social nature of religions,” he shared.
The Vietnamese government has been constructing the secular state model since 1955. Do said it is a framework grounded in harmony, cooperation and pluralism. “Whatever the religion is, as long as it’s appropriate and in alignment with the law, we accept that,” he explained. He shared the country has grown from recognizing just six registered religions to acknowledging more than 60. Vietnam’s pluralism, he explained, is characterized by a state that maintains respect and neutrality towards all religious ideologies.
Although cooperation between the government and religious entities remains a challenge, he said the state will continue encouraging religious participation in Vietnam’s political structure. “Most recently, we only got four religions and six representatives in the Congress, and we
still need more,” he expressed. He said if the country wants an effective secular state, then they have to recognize the “socialness of religion.”
Despite the difficulties entailed by being a socialist rule-of-law state, Do said the government is striving to balance religious freedom with its legal system, while enhancing public policy and religion-specific laws. In the construction of Vietnam’s legal structure, he outlined four principles: Responsibility, accountability, legal integrity and transparency. “Right now, our government is more open and much closer to the people, which is great,” he shared.
“Since we opened our doors, the new wind has made the spirit and the light of the spiritual life and religion much better,” Do expressed. Although challenging, he said the government is working to improve the country’s legal framework to better recognize and accommodate the religious groups still unrecognized under the current law.
As Vietnam moves towards a more favorable religious-secular relationship, Do said the country recognizes religion as a fundamental part of human dignity and rights. “We don’t call religious culture the nature of the country, but we acknowledge that it’s very important,” he shared. He also noted the moral self-governance of religions that even the secular state might not have.
“Our Vietnamese government has done a great job in [giving] a place for the religious communities,” shared Do. In Vietnam’s quest to create an inclusive secular society, he said the government acknowledges the unique status of religious individuals and allows them to practice their spirituality freely, even alongside non-believers.
A living and dynamic system
Thieu Thi Huong, a director from Vietnam’s Governmental Committee on Religious Affairs, said Vietnam is a country rich in religious and belief diversity. However, echoing Do’s words, she said collaboration is still not easy among the country’s diverse array of religious groups. While reaffirming that religious freedom is a fundamental right of the people, she said, “It cannot lack the role and responsibility of the government, so that the small conflicts that can become hatred can be reduced.”
“I think there are genuine tensions that happen between religious groups,” said Scharffs, the director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies. These conflicts, he continued, tend to escalate when only one perspective is heard. “And there are deep conflicts rooted in ethnicity and history that are often [framed] as religious
55% of the country’s population are Buddhist.
Delegates pose with Dr. Quang Hung Do during the launch of the book Religion: Rule of Law in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Photos by Hiroki Konno.
Vietnam
disputes,” he added. He stressed the importance of understanding that conflicts are complex and multidimensional, with religion being just one layer of many.
While religious freedom fosters greater spiritual diversity in Vietnam, Huong acknowledged this diversity also tends to bring about social tensions and challenges that the government is working to address responsibly. She shared several real-life case studies illustrating these interfaith conflicts: Religious groups refusing to contribute to communal temples; Jehovah’s Witnesses refusing to donate blood due to their beliefs; Protestant groups avoiding traditional activities contrary to their religious values; and condemnation within religious groups upon seeing their members interact with other faiths.
Addressing these conflicts, Huong said, “In this case, the law will create the way that is good for all religions, whether the religions are different or not different, major or minor, they can all execute their religious freedom.”
She said Vietnam’s secularism is not about control, but about dialogue and guidance. “It’s not about controlling, managing or governing; our daily work is about listening,” she shared. Rather than forcing religious groups to conform to the country’s legal structure, she said the government’s work is centered on encouraging dialogues and engagement to help create a law system that guides and accommodates Vietnam’s religious diversity.
“There are opportunities for registrations that grow and develop as religious groups grow and develop,” said Scharffs. He said the system is designed to facilitate and help religious communities. “It is designed not to control religious groups, but to facilitate religious life. And it’s a remarkable change,” he expressed.
The founding father of Vietnam religion and rule of law
Given Vietnam’s multilayered cultural, historical and religious landscapes, Durham said the kind of complexity Do has been navigating is nothing short of amazing. The other panelists said calling the professor the “founding father of Vietnam religion and rule of law” is no exaggeration.
“This is someone who really cares about his country and his people, and really wanted to find the best kind of solutions that could be found,” Durham expressed. He said Do, with his in-depth knowledge of the Vietnamese cultural, philosophical and historical background, is uniquely positioned to interpret and address religious liberty issues in his country.
“The issue of the relationship of law and religion goes back much longer than there have been nation-states,” Durham shared. The evolution of Vietnam’s religion-state relations, he said, is closely tied to its colonial history. “The colonial power, among other things, relied on the Catholic Church for a long time to help implement some of the ruling structures,” he explained. He said this adds another layer of complexity to what defines a secular state.
“When you’re dealing with relations of religion to the state, you have to know what that state is that you’re relating to,” he stated. Vietnam, he noted, is undergoing a major structural reform, which will significantly impact how religion is treated in the country’s legal structure. Having witnessed Do’s expertise, Durham also said he assumes the professor is preparing for another round of legislation. “He would move toward a model where secularity can be a framework for accommodating different religions, and it’s creating a space where everyone can feel protected,” he shared.
“Now, for every good camper, you know that the first rule of being a responsible camper is to leave no trace. Whatever you carry up the mountain, you should carry back down the mountain,” Scharffs said. But academia, he noted, requires the exact opposite. “If you are going to be an academic, you should leave a trace. And Dr. Do has left a trace,” he expressed.
Citing how the French and American revolutions shaped the law-religion relationship in the West, Durham said Do had to navigate similarly complicated historical backgrounds to understand his own country’s challenges. The professor had to work through a complex set of filters to formulate feasible methods, and Durham said watching that process is something he is grateful for. “This was comparative law at its highest and law reform at its best,” he said.•
“It’s not about controlling, managing or governing; our daily work is about listening.”
Thieu Thi Huong
Building social capacities for peace
Philippines and Singapore
Religious leaders discuss truth, inclusion and sustainable development in a peaceful way
BY LINDA LAULU
At the conclusion of the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Conference on April 25, selected delegates from Southeast Asia emphasized the power of peaceful collaboration, truth-seeking, and sustainable development to foster global harmony.
Speakers from various faith-based organizations and religious institutions highlighted the need for unity in combating global misinformation, promoting service and reframing misconceptions about religious communities through visibility and collaborative action.
Changing narratives through acts of giving
Christina Tobias-Nahi, director of public affairs, research and advocacy at Islamic Relief USA, addressed persistent misconceptions surrounding the Muslim community, emphasizing its generosity and commitment to service.
“The Muslim community, predominantly a wealthy community from areas where they’ve immigrated, gives a lot of charitable giving,” Tobias-Nahi said. “By doing this and giving visibility to the work we’re doing in places like the United States, we’re intending to aspirationally change people’s perceptions.”
She explained that despite these contributions, hate crimes and misinformation continue to affect the Muslim community both in the United States and abroad. To address this, Islamic Relief USA engages in efforts to shift narratives through visibility and service initiatives.
“Part of what I had wanted to talk about is how we’re doing peacebuilding through anti-poverty programs,” she said. “But the way that this has pivoted a little bit is to change narratives and counter disinformation that circulates about our faith community, both in the United States and overseas, where we work.”
Religious rationality and misinformation
Rev. Father Carlos V. Reyes, minister for the Ministry for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, emphasized the importance of epistemology–understanding how knowledge is formed and communicated– in countering misinformation.
“Misinformation, fake news, radical and sometimes distorted ideologies are also propagated worldwide in real time,” Reyes said. He warned that extreme ideologies are spreading rapidly. He urged religious leaders and academics to promote rationality and humility in their teachings.
Collaboration in global humanitarian work
Heather Bradbury, strategic relationships manager of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stressed the need for collaborative humanitarian efforts to ensure long-term impact.
“We as a church cannot do it alone. We can’t go somewhere and decide to fix something by ourselves. It doesn’t work, and it’s not the right way to do it,” Bradbury said.
Bradbury detailed a growing interfaith humanitarian model, citing partnerships with Islamic Relief and other organizations to amplify aid efforts. She pointed to Nepal as an example, where nonprofits are beginning to coordinate efforts.
“Organizations don’t go to the governments together,” Bradbury said. She described how different nonprofits aligned their strategies when government leaders requested more nutrition-focused aid. “We know how to do it really well, and we will train you to do it so that you can do it too,” she said.
Empowering youth in interfaith engagement
The conference also highlighted faith-based youth engagement, with interfaith camps designed to foster religious understanding. Bradbury referenced the 11th Interfaith Youth Peace Camp, held in February 2025, emphasizing the importance of youth leadership in faith-based diplomacy.
“Imagine getting youth together and letting youth, not adults, drive discussions about religion and understanding each other’s religion,” Bradbury said.
Leaders expressed hope that such initiatives would bridge gaps between faith communities. “We’re talking about all of these great things, and we’re going to do what we can do, but the next generation is going to take the ball and run,” Bradbury said, underscoring the growing impact of young leaders in interfaith and humanitarian efforts.•
Philippines
As of the latest data from Pew Research Center, 31% of the population identifies as Buddhist, 20% as Christian, 15.6% as unaffiliated, 14% as Muslim, and 5% as Hindu.
Singapore
According to the Asia Society, Christianity is the predominant religion
of the population identifying as Christian.
Photos of the candidates during the Humanitarian, Interfaith, and Public-private partnerships building social capacities for peace session of the conference. Photos by Cho Yong Fei.
Making peace possible
Indonesia, Philippines
ASEAN delegates share their peacemaking efforts around the world
BY ABIGAIL ADAMS
Talks of breaking barriers and promoting peace concluded the Thursday afternoon session of the ASEAN Human Dignity Conference on April 24. During the panel discussion titled “FaithBased Civil Society Programs that Promote Peacemaking,” delegates showcased how peace is made possible through positive self-esteem, friendship and deep love for one another.
Peacemaking through human rights advocacy
David and Judy Kirkham, executive directors of the Geneva Office for Human Rights Education (GO-HRE), said creating peace starts with children. “Children understand their worth, their value and their human rights and responsibilities,” explained David Kirkham.
Through their work with GO-HRE, the Kirkhams said they provide human rights education curriculum to classrooms in the Philippines, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Fiji and Guatemala. “Our curriculum is designed to help teach human rights positively and influence their self-esteem, attitudes and behaviors,” Judy Kirkham shared.
By incorporating human rights education into children’s classrooms, the Kirkhams said the world can be populated with more compassionate adults. “Human rights education brings light to darkness by delegitimizing powers in the world that are prejudicial, dehumanizing and destructive,” David Kirkham explained.
Muhammad Hafiz, Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy and Freedom of Religion or Belief facilitator for Leimena Institute, said collaboration between diverse religious or cultural groups encourages individuals to advocate for each other. As a human rights activist in Indonesia, “[Our] program uses cross-cultural religious literacy as a basic resource to build [a larger] community among religious communities,” he explained.
In Indonesia, Hafiz said human rights discussions are not always effective, but by appealing to others’ religious beliefs, progress can be made. Targeting religious communities in Yogyakarta, Banjarmasin, Bali, Kupang and Ambon, he said, “Cross cultural religious literacy gives us the framework [to] convince our people, our society, about the importance of tolerance [and] interfaith dialogues among communities.”
Peacemaking through religious example
Regardless of denomination, understanding a person’s value in the context of religion cultivates peaceful societies, said Micah Fries, the director of the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. “You may not share my particular theology, but we do share this idea that every person has inherent worth,” he explained.
For Christianity specifically, Aldrin Peñamora, executive director of the Theological Commission of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, said viewing others through the eyes of Jesus Christ is another way to establish peace. “There’s an urgent need to recover the Passover roots of the Lord’s Supper, especially the call to love the stranger,” he said.
Termed a “eucharistic” approach, Peñamora said he has used the example of Christ’s Last Supper to foster Christian-Muslim relationships in the Philippines. “Peacemaking must seek to humanize … by eating, laughing and mourning together,” he shared. This framework, he explained, consists of initiatives such as being with and seeking forgiveness.
Peñamora said being with is like “salu-salo,” a Tagalog term meaning dining or eating together. “Eating is not simply eating food. It’s about sharing yourself. It is opening yourself in dialogue,” he shared. Being with those from different communities, he said, creates a mutual understanding and builds unity.
“Seeking forgiveness requires acknowledging the faults of our ancestors, the mistakes of the past and the deficiencies of our Christian tradition, not defending them,” Peñamora explained. Following the bombing in Marawi, a primarily Islamic city in the Philippines, in 2017, Peñamora said he and other Christian leaders gathered with Muslim leader, Professor Moner Bajunaid. “We prayed for him, sought his forgiveness, and after that … he said to me, ‘This is the first time that a Christian group prayed for me and sought our forgiveness from what happened,’” he explained. Experiences like these help to foster compassion across faiths, Peñamora shared.
Throughout peacemaking efforts, disagreements are natural, Fries explained. But they don’t have to interfere with the development of meaningful relationships, he continued. “Surface-level relationships cannot bear the weight of disagreement. They crack under pressure, but relationships that are rooted in affection and trust can weather storms,” he said.
Fries said his foundation, the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network, seeks to inspire transformation in a confrontational society by coordinating movements between religious leaders of various faiths. He explained, “This approach begins not with arguments, but with friendships. Not with theological fencing, but with coffee tables and shared meals.” Even if individuals disagree, Fries shared, recognizing the dignity, value and worth of others helps to dissolve conflicts. “Relationships are possible without uniformity. Deep love is possible without agreement. Partnership is possible without compromise,” he said.•
Photos from Unsplash of religious buildings in the Philippines and Indonesia.
70%
of Indonesia’s Muslim population fasts during Ramadan.
Around 30-40% of the Christian population in Indonesia regularly attends church services, according to Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs.
According to Pew Research Center, Islam is the second-largest religion, particularly in the southern region of Mindanao, where around 5-10% of the population adheres to Islam. Smaller groups of Buddhists, Hindus, and indigenous religious practitioners also exist.
5-10%
Photos of the candidates during the interactive sessions of the conference.
Photos by Hiroki Konno, Cho Yong Fei and Ice Cesario.
Photos of the candidates during the interactive sessions of the conference.
Photos by Hiroki Konno, Cho Yong Fei and Ice Cesario.
“Justice can be pursued without violence. When faith communities are rooted in love, they can help heal nations.”
