Interreligious Forum of the Americas Takes Place in Paraguay

The Interreligious Forum: “Interreligious Cooperation as a Path to Peace” was held within the framework of the General Assembly of the Organization of American States on June 24–25, 2024, in Asunción, Paraguay.

Participating in the event were government representatives responsible for religious affairs, representatives from various countries belonging to religious organizations, as well as representatives from nongovernmental organizations, diplomats, and representatives of indigenous spiritualities and international educational entities.

Elder Joaquín E. Costa of the South America South Area Presidency emphasized the shared desire among many in the region to live in an environment of freedom and peace.

“By visiting the homes of ordinary families in the countries of our area, I have learned that they hope to be free to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience, as well as to raise and educate their children in peace and freedom,” said Elder Costa.

A shared value among the participating religious organizations was the defense of laws that protect the rights of the family as the cradle of the values and traditions of society, as well as laws that guarantee religious freedom in each nation.

Elder Costa noted that the “permanent validity of the rights that allow for the free profession of religion, with its traditions, rites of worship, freedom of expression, the protection against discrimination and respect for cultural diversity” are essential for harmonious coexistence between religious entities and governments.

David Velázquez, Paraguay’s Vice Minister of Worship, emphasized the importance of cooperation between the state and religious organizations during the forum.

He noted that “the aspects of the relationship between churches, denominations and the state are complementary,” and stressed the need to clearly define the identity of each entity to build spaces of cooperation around relevant social issues, such as religious freedom. Velázquez also thanked The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its active involvement in critical education issues in Paraguay.

Professor Gary Doxey, Associate Director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University, highlighted the unprecedented nature of the FIDELA (interreligious forum) in part due to the participation of indigenous peoples, with representatives from the nineteen indigenous peoples of Paraguay being present.

“We seek to better understand each other, listen to each other, and promote respect for another person's beliefs,” said Doxey.

He highlighted that the real achievement of the forum was the formation of friendships and the willingness to collaborate in the future, which will help calm and mitigate potential tensions in the community.

Doxey noted the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental principle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sponsors BYU.

“We believe in moral agency, which is a key point in God’s plan of salvation,” he said.

According to Doxey, faith is a spiritual power that cannot be coerced and motivates people to act. He cited one of the Church’s Articles of Faith that supports the idea that every person should be able to worship God according to their own convictions.

FIDELA is an interreligious forum sponsored by various organizations, including Religions for Peace, the Latin American and Caribbean Council of Religious Leaders, the G20 Interfaith Forum Association, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, and the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University.