“…we can’t lead a world that we don’t understand and we can’t understand the world if we fail to comprehend and honor the central role that religion plays in the lives of billions of people.” – Secretary of State, John Kerry.
The State Department’s Office of Religion and Global Affairs hosted its first Religion and Diplomacy Conference which convened government leaders, academics, scholars, religious practitioners, and community activists. From coalition-building to combat anti-Semitism to engaging religious communities in anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria, from the role of religious actors in global health and climate change initiatives to understanding how religion does, or does not, influence conflict and violent extremism, the conference highlighted how the State Department understands religion as a multivalent force that plays a wide range of roles in different societies.
Listen to this first installment in the State Department’s Religion and Diplomacy audio series