Embassy Hosts Interfaith Viewing of Launch of Working Group on Religion and Foreign Policy
Working Group on Religion and Foreing Policy
Rome, October 19, 2011
On Wednesday, October 19, the US Embassy to the Holy See hosted a gathering of graduate level students to participate in the live webcast launch of the Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group of the Secretary’s Strategic Dialogue with Civil Society. The Working Group will facilitate regular dialogue between the U.S. foreign policy experts, religious leaders, scholars and faith practitioners on strategies to build more effective partnerships on a wide range of secular goals including conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance and national security.
The online panel discussion featured the U.S. Government Co-Chairs: Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Suzan Johnson Cook, the Director of the White House’s Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Joshua DuBois, U.S Ambassador to the Holy See Miguel Diaz, Chris Seiple for the Institute for Global Engagement, and William Vendley from Religions for Peace.
For this DVC discussion, the Embassy gathered a Rome-based group of lay and religious academics amongst the graduate level students from Pontifical Universities studying through the Lay Centre, and Russell Berrie Foundation fellows.
Inspiring questions and remarks arose during the live panel discussion thanks to the interactive Q&A Webchat that enabled the participants to interact with the Working Group.
After the conference the group held a debate on the different models of intersection of religion and foreign policy adopted all over the world.
To view the launch yourself, click on the link below: