This publication, the 22 September 2009 Newsletter of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University, signals the beginning of a new era in communication with our colleagues around the world. For more than a year the Center has been busy updating and modernizing its websites and developing a new proprietary software that permits electronic newsletters to be more easily created from information already posted to any of our four sites. We hope that you enjoy this trial newsletter, offering in advance of the 2009 Symposium but a sampling of the Center's ...More

The Sixteenth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium, "Connecting Communities of Discourse: How the Judiciary, Academia, Government, and International Institutions Further the Work of Religious Freedom," will be held during 4-7 October 2009, at the J. Reuben Clark Law School on the campus of Brigham Young University.  This year's Symposium will bring together leading experts - scholars, judges, and government and religious leaders - from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, North and South America, and the Pacific to discuss challenges and successes in ...More

The Center is pleased to announce the roster of distinguished experts who will participate in the Sixteenth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium to be held 4-7 October 2009 at Brigham Young University. We anticipate an exceptional 2009 conference as these more than 40 esteemed scholars, judges, legal experts, and government and religious leaders from more than 70 countries join a prestigious group of nearly More

The Center is pleased once again to enjoy the association of former Managing Director Gary B. Doxey, recently released as President of the Mexico City South Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Professor Doxey will be be affiliated with both the Law School and the Department of History at Brigham Young University and will assume a role with the Center as an Associate Director and Regional Advisor for Latin America.  Before coming to work at the Center, Professor Doxey served under Governor Olene S. Walker of Utah as chief of staff,  head of ...More

The Center is grateful for its association, as of Summer 2009, with Gayla Sorenson and Donlu Thayer, who have accepted roles as volunteer Senior Fellows. Gayla will be extensively involved in the design and recruitment of a volunteer network to identify and address freedom of religion issues on a country-by-country basis, with ...More

On March 4, 2009, the Center and the family of Wayne C. Durham hosted a recognition dinner in honor of Professor W. Cole Durham, Jr.'s receiving the International First Freedom Award from the First Freedom Center in Richmond, Virginia. Professor Durham joins former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former President of the Czech Republic Václav Havel, and then-Prime Minister Tony Blair in receiving this prestigious award.
       "This event was intended to thank all of those who have contributed so significantly to the success of the Center. It is ...More

ICLRS Director Cole Durham has participated in the International Religious Liberty Association's 11th Annual Meeting of Experts in Silver Spring, Maryland.  This international "Think Tank of Experts" met 1- 4 September 2009 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters to continue its discussions, begun last year at the 10th Annual Meeting held 7-10 September in Bucharest, Romania, concerning the scope of proposed legislation against ...More

As the government of Australia ponders the introduction of an Australian charter or bill of rights, the Center, led by Associate Director Brett Scharffs, joined in a conference held 13-15 August 2009 at the Old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, discussing "Cultural and Religious Freedom under a Bill of Rights." The Conference was sponsored by ICLRS; the University of Adelaide Research Unit for the Study of Society, Law and Religion; the Group of Eight (Australian universities); Durham University; the Universities of Auckland and Otago in New Zealand; the ...More

The ICLRS co-sponsored the conference "Russia in the 21^st Century: Freedom of Conscience, Religion, and the Church," which took place 3-6 August 2009 at the Saint Petersburg Christian University in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Participants included prominent academics, lawyers, government officials, and religious leaders from Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.  International experts from Spain, Slovakia, Hungary, and the United States were also in ...More

In conjunction with Central European University, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS) sponsored a conference entitled "Religious Autonomy" held 29-30 May 2009 in Budapest, Hungary. Conference topics focused on theological and jurisprudential perspectives on religious autonomy. The assembled experts also discussed autonomy issues that are currently under consideration by the European Court of Human Rights, specifically, religious employment and the resolution of religious disputes. Finally, the participants identified and discussed emerging ...More

During 9-15 August 2009, ICLRS had the opportunity of joining with two Indonesian organizations, the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation and the TIFA Foundation, and the Oslo Coalition for Freedom of Religion or Belief in providing a Training Course for Lawyers on Freedom of Religion or Belief that was held near Jakarta, Indonesia. ICLRS Director Cole Durham served as one of the trainers along with ICLRS Board Member Tore Lindholm, who attended on behalf of the Oslo Coalition.  Professors Durham and Lindholm joined Indonesian experts Adam Pantouw, Renata Arianingtyas, Zainal Abidin, and ...More

Professor W. Cole Durham, Jr. was one of the principal theme introducers at the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Freedom of Religion or Belief organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held in Vienna, Austria on 9-10 July 2009.  Virtually all of the member states of the OSCE ("Vancouver to Vladivostok moving east") were represented at the event. Professor Durham's address launched a session on "Places of Worship." This has emerged as a focus area because of problematic interferences with access to and uses of places of worship in many OSCE ...More