By Marianna Richardson
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On Tuesday, February 3rd, the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit continued into its second day in Washington, D.C., bringing together many of the world’s foremost religious freedom experts and advocates. The G20 Interfaith Forum attended the summit, sponsoring a booth and a side session on G20 priorities. This blog is Part 1 of a three-part summary covering the second day of the conference.
Protecting Freedom of Belief for People on the Move
The second day of the International Religious Freedom Summit 2026 opened with highlighting the “double challenge” faced by people fleeing religious persecution. They are first forced from their homelands and then continue to struggle to freely practice their faith even in exile. The discussion emphasized that displaced people—refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons—often fall through the cracks of legal protections and social support systems.
Katherine Marshall: Linking Vision, Compassion, and Practical Action
Katherine Marshall offered the panel’s central moral framing. She stressed that the most vulnerable people require both principled advocacy and practical implementation. She described two sources of moral energy: the “fire from above,” meaning prophetic voices and high‑level vision, and the “fire from below,” meaning community‑level compassion and lived experience.
Marshall argued that effective protection of freedom of belief requires connecting these two forces. As she put it, we must “link both the words and the message—the knowledge and facts—with the compassion and care” shown in everyday life. She emphasized that each displaced family needs not only legal rights but also the equipment, support, and hospitality that allow them to survive and flourish.
Looking toward a pluralistic 2026, she insisted that societies must bridge “the highest level of human inspiration and vision” with the way people care for their neighbors. She called for better documentation of what diverse communities are already doing, noting that many people quietly live out their core belief of “being a neighbor” without recognition.
Nazila Ghanea: Freedom of Movement and the Rights of the Displaced
Nazila Ghanea, UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief underscored that freedom of religion or belief applies to everyone, including those on the move. She reminded the audience that most people throughout history “were born and died in the same town,” but today millions must cross borders to escape persecution. She warned that displaced people are often “bracketed out” of human rights protections and treated as security threats rather than rights‑holders.
Ghanea urged governments to ensure coherence between their commitments and their actions: if freedom of belief is universal, it must also protect refugees, asylum seekers, and people in IDP camps.
Raising Awareness Through Storytelling
The panel noted that podcasts and media storytelling can help raise awareness of religious persecution. Marshall again emphasized the need for more stories from communities who are already practicing hospitality and solidarity. These narratives, she argued, help counter fear and build moral imagination.
Transnational Repression: A Growing Threat
Authoritarian governments target religious and belief communities beyond their borders. Tactics include threatening phone calls, digital harassment, arrests, and physical assaults. Between 2023 and 2024, Freedom House documented 1,194 incidents involving 28 governments, including China, India, Iran, and Turkey. Activists are often labeled political threats, and minority groups—such as Uyghurs, Kurds, and dissident Muslims—face ongoing intimidation.
Ambassador Waltz: Engagement, Reform, and Accountability
Ambassador Waltz described the U.S. approach to the UN and global human rights mechanisms. He acknowledged public skepticism about the UN but argued that “we need one place in the world where everyone can talk,” including adversaries. At the same time, he criticized the UN Human Rights Council for allowing “some of the worst, most egregious abusers” to serve as members.
He explained that the U.S. is pursuing a dual strategy: reforming some UN bodies while defunding others that fail to uphold their mandates. He highlighted cases of Iranian dissidents whose stories were brought to the UN Security Council, noting that their testimonies “penetrated all the way into Iranian villages” and gave people hope.
Enes Kanter Freedom: Authoritarianism, Repression, and Moral Courage
Enes Kanter Freedom, the Turkish‑born NBA player and human‑rights advocate, described the personal cost of speaking out against authoritarianism. He has not seen his family in eleven years, and his father was imprisoned in Turkey as retaliation for his activism. Despite playing in the NBA, he faced intense pressure for criticizing the Turkish government’s repression of Kurds, political dissidents, journalists, academics, religious minorities, and supporters of the Gülen movement.
He emphasized that Turkey, though a NATO ally, does not behave like one, especially given its cooperation with China and Iran. He noted that China represents an even more formidable challenge, and that while the NBA supported him when he criticized Turkey, speaking out against China triggered far greater resistance. He urged advocates to pressure Congress, impose targeted sanctions, and support political prisoners worldwide. He stressed that authoritarian regimes often retaliate by coercing families, which can be even more devastating than direct punishment.
He recommended using Freedom House as a reliable open‑source verification tool for documenting abuses.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering: Tibet’s Struggle for Identity and Religious Freedom
Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the political leader of the Tibetan Government‑in‑Exile, described the ongoing destruction of Tibetan identity 76 years after China’s forceful invasion. He explained that Tibet, a Buddhist civilization for over 1,300 years and the “water tower of Asia,” faces systematic efforts to erase its religion, language, and culture. Temples are being taken over, violence is widespread, and Tibetans live under intense surveillance and control.
A major concern is China’s attempt to control the reincarnation of the 15th Dalai Lama. Tsering outlined three points:
- China intends to search for the reincarnation within its borders.
- The traditional Golden Urn process is being misused for political gain.
- China seeks final authority over recognizing the Dalai Lama, which he compared to allowing a foreign government to choose the Pope.
He urged the United States to take a clear position, including sanctions on officials who interfere with Tibetan religious succession, and to affirm Tibetans’ right to choose their own spiritual leaders. He emphasized the Dalai Lama’s lifelong message of oneness, peace, and shared humanity.
Nancy Pelosi: Universal Values and the Moral Imperative of Religious Freedom
Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered greetings on behalf of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She reflected on the universal values of love, compassion, forgiveness, contentment, and self‑discipline—principles shared across religious traditions and essential to human dignity. She stressed that religious freedom is fundamentally the freedom of thought: the right to question, reflect, and choose one’s beliefs without coercion.
Pelosi highlighted the Dalai Lama’s teaching that all people, whether religious or not, share the basic desire to be happy and avoid suffering. She lamented that religion has too often been used to divide, insisting that cooperation among faiths is now essential for global peace. She praised the work of IRF leaders such as Ambassador Sam Brownback and Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, encouraging continued commitment to mutual respect and shared responsibility.
Her message concluded with the Dalai Lama’s reminder that cultivating compassion and integrity is vital not only for spiritual life but for humanity’s survival.
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Marianna Richardson is the Director of Communications for the G20 Interfaith Forum. She is also an adjunct professor at the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University.