A new opportunity presents itself for Advocacy
Special to the Mahgreb and Orient Courier
By Soraya M Deen
The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit kicked off Tuesday morning (February 4th – 5th ) in Washington, D.C. The Summit brought together a broad coalition of partners both local and international, comprising passionate individuals and organizations, wanting to drive policy and change in the gap between religious freedom in the world as it is and religious freedom in the world as it should be. (#FoRB)
A remarkable initiative that was announced was an IRF Summit in Africa in June 2025. For those of us working to promote Religious Freedom in Africa, this was music to our ears. This meant an opportunity to mobilize more resources, reach more people than we now reach, to understand the underlying problems, and create more leverage and entry points to explore solutions in a new way…
The announcement of the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Nairobi; Kenya (June 16, 2025) represents a pivotal moment for advocates of religious liberty across the continent. As articulated by leaders like Jim Gash of Pepperdine University and David Trimble of RFI, this initiative seeks to foster collaboration and drive action to protect these rights in a region where it has become a challenge.
Hon. Lady Justice Martha Karambu Koome, the Chief Justice of Kenya emphasized the role of judicial systems in protecting religious freedom across Africa. She shared Kenya’s legal framework and the Judiciary’s role in ensuring the defence of religious freedoms.
Her vision, to bring together African nations to strengthen their legal institutions, integrate international human rights standards, and combat religious persecution shed light and hope for religious freedom conditions in Africa.
Religious freedom conditions in Africa and Americas interventions over the years have reached a stalemate. We need a paradigm shift and the African Summit has the potential to provide just that. We can’t build hopes for religious freedom on a foundation that is old. Context is very important, what works in one country will not work for another!
We must invest in innovation. According to Peter Drucker – “Innovation is change that creates a new dimension of performance.”
Innovation and scaling is a process and not products. If our goal is to improve religious freedom conditions in Africa we must focus on –
1- The urgent call to innovation and scaling emphasizes that solutions must be rooted in the local contexts of African nations. We must encourage religious freedom defenders to LIVE, LISTEN and LEARN from the people in the margins.
2- Acknowledges the complexities surrounding religious freedom, advocating for a nuanced understanding that transcends simplistic approaches. We must transcend the dependency on the Advocacy paradigm to include community organizing.
3- How can technology be leveraged to promote and protect religious freedom in Africa, especially in areas where traditional advocacy methods have failed to yield the desired results?
This question invites discussion on innovative technological solutions, such as mobile apps, social media, and data analytics, to enhance awareness and advocacy for religious freedom. It also explores the potential for technology to connect diverse religious communities and support grassroots movements.
The challenges faced in promoting religious freedom in Africa demand rigorous analysis, as generic best practices can often lead to misguided initiatives.
4- Engage and empower women and women- led organizations to take over the mantle of religious freedom.What role can women play in promoting interfaith dialogue? How can we harness a culture that fosters tolerance and understanding, and how can these initiatives be scaled effectively across different regions in Africa? This will prompt conversation about the importance of interfaith collaboration in combating religious intolerance and violence. We must encourage women to share successful models of interfaith dialogue and strategies for scaling these initiatives to reach broader audiences.
5- Fifth and the most important being that instead of exploring linear solutions, a process of SYSTEM MAPPING is essential, to understand the causes and sub – causes that impair religious freedom. Identifying every stakeholder and determining our leveraging and entry points. We must
adopt a deliberate process and explore every opportunity to address the issues at hand. No victory is too small to celebrate.
These questions open up avenues for rich discussions at the summit, focusing on practical strategies and collaborative efforts needed to advance religious freedom through innovation.
The African Summit promises to be a vital platform for engaging religious leaders, civil society, and policymakers in meaningful dialogue about innovative strategies to combat religious persecution and integrate religious freedom into broader human rights agendas. As the global landscape continues to evolve, the Summit in Africa can be a transformative step towards ensuring that the freedoms that should exist are brought to life, thereby creating a society conducive to peace, security, and flourishing for all.
These questions open up avenues for rich discussions at the summit, focusing on practical strategies and collaborative efforts needed to advance religious freedom through innovation.
The African Summit promises to be a vital platform for engaging religious leaders, civil society, and policymakers in meaningful dialogue about innovative strategies to combat religious persecution and integrate religious freedom into broader human rights agendas. As the global landscape continues to evolve, the Summit in Africa can be a transformative step towards ensuring that the freedoms that should exist are brought to life, thereby creating a society conducive to peace, security, and flourishing for all.
Soraya M.Deen: is a Lawyer, Community Organizer, a Muslim Feminist, and passionate advocate of religious freedom. Soraya is the Co-Chair of the Women’s Working Group of the IRF Roundtable in DC. She is the founder of – NIGERIAN WOMEN LEAD -A grassroots National Movement, (rooted in LOVE and Community), to advance- through public narrative – Religious Freedom or belief, Human Rights, Gender Equity, peace and security, in order to build a thriving Nigeria for global impact and influence.
Soraya is currently reading for her Public Leadership Credentials at Harvard. EMAIL:soraya@omnialeadership.org
