GENERAL SECRETARY'S REPORT TO THE GENERAL
MEETING OF I.A.R.F.
FOR AUG. 1999- JULY 2002
Introduction
& Context
My
predecessor, Rev. Bob Traer, had given nearly a decade of
service and his decision to leave, made in 1999, created as
he hoped an opportunity for IARF to re-assess its direction
and focus. The transition between us was smoothly managed,
and I started work in mid-February 2000.
The
other longer-term transition has been the extent to which
the whole interfaith environment has continued to evolve.
The international and some national "market places"
are now relatively saturated with interfaith agencies and
initiatives. Specialisation into "interfaith and
.."
peace or development or youth or human rights or ecology has
long been apparent.
IARF's
name has led us to re-focus sharply on the particular human
right, "freedom of religion or belief", with its
three pre-conditions: freedom from state interference, interfaith
harmony and respect by religions for their own members.
Some
governments (notably USA) have picked up the mantle with well-funded
religious freedom commissions to pursue their view of the
priorities, some of which serve national foreign policy goals.
Other countries, notably France but others such as Belgium,
Chile, Hungary and China claim to be responding to public
opinion against so-called religious "cults or sects".
There is also a largely benevolent abundance of good religious
freedom websites (including our own), as indicated in the
May 2001 edition of "iarf World", as well as literature
giving information through world surveys. The problems being:
who is able to access it, and/or how to select what is relevant,
and then what to do in response.
Serious
religious repression remains the hallmark of many regimes,
and religious freedom issues are present in some shape or
form in most countries.
IARF
Strategic Plan 2001-07:
Meanwhile
IARF proudly celebrated its Centenary in May 2000, knowing
that its original purpose has been broadly accepted amongst
a critical nucleus of religious leaders. IARF had become only
one of an increasing number of proponents of the interfaith
message. There needed to be a large-scale re-assessment, and
this took over a year to complete. The Executive Committee
commissioned the broadly consultative planning process in
Jan. 2000, and the Council adopted the resulting Strategic
Plan 2001-07 in March 2001. The main features [with progress
to date added] are:
·
Articulating an Overall Statement of Purpose with religious
freedom at the heart; with three pre-conditions for its achievement
[as agreed and published in our literature.] This has now
been translated into a new logo emphasising "religious
freedom" and a strapline motto "belief with integrity".
·
Replacing the Social Service Network with Religious Freedom
Projects as the operational basis of IARF's action; [all outstanding
commitments to SSN met, and currently 14 RFP projects completed,
on-going or identified. See below.]
· Building a wider membership base worldwide; [eligibility
for full membership to all faith-based, interfaith or specifically
religious freedom organisations. Member organisations increased
from 86 to 103. Several new national chapters are in prospect.]
·
Appointing an adequate staff complement at the International
Secretariat, Oxford, and in the main regions. [all 7 posts
in Oxford = 5.5 full-time equivalents are filled. Regional
Coordinator posts: two full-time located in Budapest and Bangalore,
one part-time for N. America (on East Coast), three branch
coordinators in the different areas of the Philippines; voluntary
(rotating) leadership of the Japan Liaison Committee, and
one volunteer and one part-time staff person at both the UN
locations, Geneva and New York.]
·
Identification of programme objectives and broad types; [these
are given in the strategic plan. They are also reflected in
the 14 RFPs currently identified below.]
·
Assumption of a financial expansion, raising the whole profile
of expenditure. This also assumes that income will rise once
the value of the new programmes is recognised. The transition
is underwritten by IARF's reserves. Expenditure can be looked
at as three elements: the two types of cost of maintaining
IARF (core organisation and programme support which together
have increased very significantly), and the potential for
project spending which is also much greater. [See the Financial
Sectional, below].
IARF Programmes and Projects:
1.
RFYN - Religious Freedom Young Adult Network. Under the leadership
of the IARF Young Adult Programme Co-ordinator, and as part
of the Strategic Plan (2001-07), the aim is gradually to build
a network of 200 young people around the world who have knowledge
and experience of religious freedom issues. (see 4 below).
2. Religious Education in Schools. Attendance at the Nov.
2001 U.N. Madrid Conference with a delegation at the invitation
of the Special Rapporteur, and the production of a booklet
of "Ideas and Experiences from around the World"
for delegates. There are several opportunities for follow-up
which have arisen.
3. Promotion through commemoration of the 20th. Anniversary
of the 1981 U.N. Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms
of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or
Belief. A public meeting was held in New Delhi.
4. All-India and International Young Adult Interfaith Project
addressed the earthquake damage to a Hindu temple and a mosque
in Gujarat. It was sited in a state where a high level of
inter-religious tension prevails, with the intention of developing
public witness to values of inter-religious tolerance.
5. An initiative on e-learning. In co-operation together the
International Interfaith Centre (IIC) and IARF have developed
two prototype lessons for consideration at the IARF Congress
and also by the International Interfaith Network.
6. Re-launch of the Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief
at the United Nations, Geneva. The IARF staff member was instrumental
in this and has become its Secretary.
7. Towards a Voluntary Code of Conduct for all Religious and
Belief Communities. The drafting small committee met in March,
a first draft will be before the Congress. This important
internationally-funded project is now underway.
8. Small grants to produce or purchase literature to CLAAS
(Centre for Legal Assistance & Settlement) and RIEC (Religious
Information & Educational Centre). CLAAS published "Faith
under Fire" its field research into the religious persecution
of Christians in Pakistan. RIEC purchased books on the different
faith traditions for its resources library in Hungary.
9. Working to end restrictive and discriminatory legislation
in Europe. The IARF Regional Co-ordinator has worked together
with Human Rights Without Frontiers, as well as holding a
seminar with the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung to highlight the
problem.
10. Muslim-Christian dialogue. IARF's representative in Geneva
brought together nine scholars and leaders from both traditions
in the first of a series of five such encounters covering
the major religious traditions.
11. "Freedom of Religion and Belief: Europe's Story"
is a substantial new work by a Dutch historian and religious
leader. It was commissioned by IARF to promote understanding
of how this human right emerged through European history.
Much effort has gone into making history readable and relevant
to today.
12. The 31st IARF World Congress in Budapest, together with
its Young adult Programme, is a major investment to engage
our constituency and others. The aim is to create a momentum
for work on religious freedom work of the types covered by
the six thematic topics of the lectures and workshops.
13. Southern Philippines: Young Adult Educational Tour for
approximately 25 Muslims and Indigenous Peoples, originating
in Mindanao and including the Visayas region over a period
of 8 days. This is currently approved and is being organised.
14. Indigenous Peoples' Beliefs and Religious Education in
Schools. This is the current direction under consideration
by the IARF branches in the Philippines following the visit
of the General Secretary in November 2001. IARF sponsored
a specific consultation with the ten main indigenous people's
tribes in Cotabato District, Mindanao.
Financial
Implications:
The
Hon. Treasurer's report will be before the General Meeting.
The IARF decided to move forward decisively at a time when
the financial environment was positive and its assets were
increasing in value overall. The position was that the charity's
assets had been stable over the period 1998 & '99 and
slightly increased in 2000 to £ 485 K.
There
is now a marked change in the economic climate after September
11th. 2001, added to which the stock-market has failed to
recover owing to then unrecognised but now persistent, other
negative factors.
IARF
had however already committed itself to move forward with
the appointment of the necessary staff and the design of programmes
and projects, both of which are an investment in a vision
of the organisation's future engagement. IARF's funds are
committed up front to religious freedom work. This Congress
is likewise designed to encourage new work and personal initiatives
throughout the IARF's membership.
There is however a fundamental need to balance the books in
the medium term, and this will be the substantial responsibility
of the new International Council and its Executive Committee.
(The latter will meet this November - when the financial cost
of this Congress will also be known.)
Membership: Our membership policy has widened eligibility
for full membership to faith-based, interfaith or specifically
religious freedom organisations which accept the prevailing
Voluntary Code of Conduct. Associate Membership continues
for those interested in IARF's objectives but where full membership
is not appropriate because of their overall priorities, or
geographical or other limitations. Applicants must also be
acceptable to the International Council which retains the
right to exercise its own discretion on all matters of membership.
In 1999, membership of both Full and Associate Member Organisations
was at 86 (including 31 Associate Members) in 27 countries,
in ten of which there were IARF chapters. In mid-2002, the
overall figure is 103 Member Organisations (34 of Associate
status). A Thailand chapter has been added, and two other
chapters are in the process of formation.
There has been the constraint of available administrative
time to bring the database fully up to date, to check that
all the addresses on the list represent organisations whose
membership lists, reports and subscriptions are fully up to
date. We have to predict that some loss of interest and lapses
will become apparent as we tidy up our administration between
August 2002 and the Council in March 2003.
Finally, the use of the Internet to attract and draw in new
membership will require a very carefully thought through strategy
and administrative plan. This has not yet been adequately
investigated.
Overal, IARF's member organisations will need to be clear
whether they value the changes to IARF, its focus and level
of activities, and how they can be sustained.
In
conclusion, we are coming to a cross-roads for IARF. Can we
sustain the structure and staffing necessary for significant
programmes of action on the issues of religious freedom internationally,
nationally and locally?
Andrew C. Clark.
General Secretary.
Oxford 15th. July 2002
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