On 31st October, Professor Erin Wilson from the University of Groningen, Netherlands, visited TUM, where she delivered a public lecture alongside representatives from both universities on the theme of "Religion, Politics, and Human Rights in the Contemporary World." During this event, Prof. Erin Wilson, a Professor of Politics and Religion, presented on "Critical Approaches to Religion and World Politics." At the same time, Dr. Manoela Carpenedo, Assistant Professor, conducted a virtual presentation on "Persecuted Beliefs: Afro-Diasporic Religions and the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in Latin America."
From TUM, Dr. Fathima Azmiya Badurdeen, a Postdoctoral Researcher, discussed "The Right to FoRB in Preventing Religious Intolerance in Communities: Kenya and Indonesia." Dr. Godffrey Nato, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Technical University of Mombasa, moderated the engaging session. Faculty heads, lecturers, and students, particularly those majoring in Conflict and Security Studies, were in attendance.
Some of the topics addressed during the session included secularism, international security, Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), colonialism, politics, culture, religious intolerance and persecution, countering violent extremism, gender, and peace-building.
Dr. Fathima also highlighted the JISRA (Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Actions) research project, which aims to co-create strategies to advance the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB).
The diverse perspectives shared by the speakers emphasized the significance of understanding and promoting the Right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) as a crucial element in fostering peaceful coexistence and mitigating religious intolerance. By engaging in such critical dialogues, academic institutions can play a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies that uphold human rights and contribute to a more inclusive society. The collaborative nature of the presentations and discussions reflected the commitment of both universities to advance knowledge and advocacy in this vital area.
