International Religious Freedom Summit 2021

Our Executives presenting at the IRF

Hello! Jan Jan and Sandra, Co-Founders and Executive Directors of GM4MD here. From July 13–15th, we were invited to attend the inaugural International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit. Over a whirlwind of three days, the summit gathered grassroots activists, political leaders, and average citizens working to defend and promote religious freedom through workshops, panels, and networking events.

We were involved in the Summit’s Young Leaders track, a leadership program that aimed to equip young leaders with knowledge, skills, and a professional network to enact substantial change in human rights advocacy. On Day 1, Jan Jan was able to get situated at the conference venue, the Omni Shoreham hotel in DC, and connected with many religious and advocacy organizations at the summit’s exhibit hall. She also met with Dr. Thang Nguyen from Boat People SOS (BPSOS) and Trent Martin from 21 WilberForce, who introduced her to the interns on his team: Natalie, Drayton, and Courtney. She quickly befriended the team and joined them at a breakout session that featured Chen Guangcheng, a former prisoner of consciousness who escaped China despite being blind and being surrounded by many prison guards. After hearing from Chen Guangcheng about the suppression of religious freedom in China, Jan Jan headed towards the Opening Reception to hear opening remarks from Co-Chairs of the IRF Summit, Dr. Lantos-Swett and Ambassador Sam Brownback, and Dania Nguyen, a Vietnamese youth leader from NextGen-VN.

On Day 2, we spoke at the side event Challenges to Religious Freedom in Southeast Asia hosted by BPSOS. We were joined by Montagnard Evangelical Church of Christ, NextGen-VN, and Institute for Global Engagement to present case studies of how authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia curtail religious freedom. We attended a Youth Track session before our side session that featured speakers Shirin Taber from Empower Women Media, Sharon Angel from A North Production, Kori Porter of CSW-USA, and Trent who touched upon the importance of youth leadership in championing the cause of religious freedom worldwide through media, art, advocacy, and grassroots organizing. We specifically drew inspiration from Kori’s personal story of how she started a campus movement when she sought to bring together her school community. Despite the ongoing divisions that were fomented by the racial controversy of a former school mascot, she managed to form relationships with various groups on campus, created connections between them, and spearheaded communal discussions that fostered a healthier atmosphere. Later that same day, we got to spend some time with our big sis Ma Wai Wai Nu (who received the IRF Young Leaders award!!) and our health and wellness lead Ashley Lwin!

Sandra, Wai Wai Nu and Jan Jan

On Day 3, we attended a special session with the summit co-chairs Dr. Katrina Lantos-Swett and Ambassador Sam Brownback who shared special insights:

1. Dr. Lantos-Swett countered the belief that human rights promote an individual, western imperialist mindset with the argument that they are a divine right.
2. They acknowledged Sharon Angel’s important call to action: in advocacy, older generations must provide windows of opportunity and hands-on mentorship in order to effectively mentor the next generation of activists.
3. Dr. Lantos-Swett shared a moving anecdote about signing on to a letter that would split 1000 lashes (essentially a death sentence) among her and nine other individuals. This was in no means a symbolic gesture; they signed on to the letter knowing the physical pain they would have to endure. While they fortunately did not have to endure the lashes, their actions demonstrate their commitment to the fight for religious freedom, even if it meant putting their lives in the hands of the perpetrator.

Our takeaways from the conference:

1. GM4MD’s fight for democracy in Myanmar encompasses religious freedom for all, and through this mission we were able to bond with a diversity of research, grassroots, and policy-based organizations at the summit.
2. While our advocacy goals differed, we found that our methods of grassroots and political activism were quite similar to that of the religious freedom-focused CSOs at the conference. Through a willingness to listen, we can better show solidarity for one another and even collaborate with one another.
3. Women are at the forefront of today’s grassroots activism initiatives in the US and internationally. It is incredibly important that we continue to empower and mentor young leaders in a space that is historically male-dominated.
4. The emotional and physical burdens we face in our work is not to be taken lightly, and it is critical to find support networks and practice self-care.

A wholehearted thank you to Dr. Thang Nguyen and Trent Martin for spearheading the enlightening youth leadership program, Dr. Katrina Lantos-Swett and Ambassador Sam Brownback for overseeing the summit, and the hundreds of individuals who lent a listening ear as we raised awareness of Myanmar. We walk away from the summit empowered, enlightened, and energized to continue our fight.