INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

IGE seeks to: (1) Engage key governments, showing them that religious suppression fuels radicalism while religious freedom promotes stability and harmony; (2) Equip individuals and local communities to exercise their liberty constructively, in accordance with the law and for the rights and well-being of others; and, (3) Influence law and policy worldwide through meetings with and resources for policymakers in the U.S. and beyond.

IGE creates the space where faith can be freely and safely discussed. These spaces also create opportunities to engage key leaders who determine laws and policies that discriminate against people of faith. As the mindsets of these leaders change, they, in turn, influence laws, policies, and social attitudes such that people of faith gain greater freedom to live what they believe. The Church gains greater freedom to be salt and light in their communities.

Through over 20+ years of careful engagement, IGE has cultivated a unique network of partners, experts, and change makers around the world. Members of this network come from different religions, sectors, and disciplines, and carry both local and global authority in their fields. In the U.S., IGE regularly engages both policymakers at the State Department, National Security Council, and Congress as well as civil society leaders working on issues related to international religious freedom, peace building, and women's empowerment. It has been IGE's great and ongoing blessing to help establish an unprecedented series of conferences and dialogues where government officials, international scholars, constitutional lawyers, religious leaders, and ordinary people can have practical discussions about the positive contribution that faith can make to their culture and country. The result is a broadening of a political culture of religious freedom, a culture in which respect becomes the norm and reconciliation becomes possible.

IGE and local partners have exponentially expanded and extended the reach of native-language religious freedom scholarship and resources throughout the countries where we work. These resources are vital for equipping local leaders and influencers with the tools and knowledge to catalyze positive change.

IGE's pioneering approach has yielded a politically acceptable space for government officials and religious leaders to research, discuss, and train together regarding the contributions of religion and believers to a flourishing society in countries like China, Vietnam, Laos, Uzbekistan and Myanmar. Both Vietnam and Uzbekistan have been removed from the State Departments list of the worst violators of religious freedom, two of the programs where IGE has the longest track record. IGE has also been invited by governments in some of these countries to facilitate the gathering of feedback from international scholars and experts to important legislation governing religion. IGE has built the leadership capacity of women of faith from around the world working in the areas of peace building, development, and religious freedom. IGE’s work is a gradual, consistent, steady process. We invest in long-term relationship building, always being true to our word, always showing up, and this opens up opportunities for frank and honest dialogue over improving religious freedom for all. Moving forward, IGE will continue to build and invest in these relationships that have been long established, as well as expanding into other program and country areas. We will continue to work towards religious freedom and running our flagship Religion & Rule of Law training programs. IGE builds relationships and presents our model of engagement and theory of change transparently; we are not prescriptive, rather, we genuinely seek to walk alongside and equip those who are already catalyzing change in their countries.