Third Caribbean Symposium on Religious Freedom Brings Together Regional Leaders in Punta Cana

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Punta Cana, La Altagracia. The Third Caribbean Symposium on Religious Freedom, organized by the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU Law, the Interreligious Forum of the Americas (FIDELA), the Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher (PUCMM), the Executive Branch Liaison Office with the Christian Community of the Dominican Republic, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was held in May in Punta Cana.

The gathering brought together representatives from Argentina, Barbados, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States, who participated in discussions on the role of religious freedom in building more inclusive societies.

Among the representatives of the Dominican Republic were Milcíades Franjul, pastor of the Executive Branch Christian Liaison Office; Jonathan Palatz, director of the Pontifical Catholic University Mother and Teacher (PUCMM); Ángel Canó, attorney for the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo.

Participants included Gary B. Doxey, associate director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU Law in the United States; Octavio Lo Prete, president of the Latin American Consortium for Religious Freedom in Argentina; Ahmad S. Corbitt, General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Emerson Boyce, ambassador for Strategic Partnerships of the Caribbean Evangelical Association in Trinidad and Tobago; Stacey Mitchell, chairperson of the Jamaica Council for Interfaith Fellowship; Suleiman Bulbulia, chaplain at the University of the West Indies in Barbados; Kirtie Algoe, associate professor at Anton de Kom University in Suriname; and Neil Zahir Bacchus, secretary of interreligious organizations in Guyana, together with other representatives from the judicial, academic, and community sectors.

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During the symposium, plenary sessions and thematic panels addressed topics such as religious freedom as a tool for peacebuilding, the relationship between the State and religion, human dignity as a basis for equality, education in contexts of religious diversity, and the role of religious actors in reducing conflict.

“We share values that bring us together and allow us to work together in harmony. We should continue collaborating in areas of common interest within a framework of mutual respect and unity,” said Ahmad S. Corbitt, General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional dialogue sessions focused on strengthening the rule of law, interreligious harmony, legislation on religious freedom, and the impact of beliefs on social coexistence, with the participation of judges, academics, and religious leaders from different countries.

The symposium concluded with a joint reflection session focused on the exchange of experiences and the strengthening of interreligious dialogue throughout the region.