Event Will Inform Council of Europe on Interreligious Dialogue

09/27/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – International Christian Concern (ICC) is partnering with the government of Hungary to host a panel discussion on interreligious dialogue and humanitarian aid  on Tuesday, Sept. 28. The panel will take place as part of Hungary’s presidency of the Council of Europe, during which Hungarian officials will highlight their commitment to addressing Christian persecution around the world.

The discussion will be livestreamed at 8:00 a.m. EST via Webcast at this link through the Council of Europe, a 47-member state international human rights organization founded in the aftermath of World War II in 1949.

The event will raise awareness about the importance of interreligious dialogue and showcase successful strategies for the advancement of interreligious dialogue and reconciliation worldwide, of which Hungary has been a leader in Europe. In particular, the panel will highlight the relations between humanitarian aid and religious freedom and the way humanitarian aid aims to help religious communities in general, and persecuted Christians in particular.

State Secretary for Aid of Persecuted Christians Tristan Azbej, the head of the Hungary Helps program, will moderate the panel of distinguished scholars on international religious freedom. ICC President Jeff King will join Secretary Azbej, along with Archbishop Angaelos of the London Coptic Orthodox Archdiocese and Dr. Ewelina Ochab, co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response.

This year, ICC partnered with Hungary Helps to address Christian persecution in Nigeria, delivering aid to Christian farmers whose land had been destroyed by Fulani militants. King further discussed the Hungary Helps program with Secretary Azbej on the Into the Deep Podcast last month.

“ICC is excited to be working with the Hungarian government, fighting persecution,” said ICC President Jeff King. “The Council of Europe is an excellent opportunity to emphasize the importance of interreligious dialogue so that together we can advance international religious freedom. We look forward to working with European partners to advance religious freedom as the building block for democracy.”