Promoting Religious Freedom on the World Stage

Every day, Canadians of many ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds live and work peacefully side-
by-side, contributing to Canada’s legacy of peaceful pluralism. Though diversity is celebrated in Canada,
religious freedom is a basic human right that is under threat in our global community. Freedom of
religion and belief is a foreign policy focus for our Conservative Government. Under Prime Minister
Stephen Harper’s leadership, Canada is leading on the world stage. We are protecting and promoting
Canadian values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law at home and abroad. We
created the Office of Religious Freedom which is helping lead our efforts to promote religious tolerance
and pluralism throughout the world.

Through the Office of Religious Freedom, our Government is taking steps to advocate on behalf of
religious minorities that are being persecuted. We are working with like-minded partners to raise
awareness, and develop policies and programs to protect religious minorities, oppose religious hatred
and intolerance, and promote Canadian values on the world stage.

The Religious Freedom Fund, operating under the Office of Religious Freedom, is helping our mandate of
promoting freedom of religion and belief. This Fund supports projects that help religious communities
facing intolerance or persecution abroad. These projects include awareness activities that provide
education of religious freedom, research that provides global decision-makers with sources of
information and analysis regarding freedom or religion and belief, interreligious dialogues events, and
specialized services for persecuted groups and individuals.

Among other projects, we are supporting a project that promotes international standards on religious
freedom with a focus on recognition of religious communities in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the
South Caucasus. We are also supporting a project in Nigeria to promote dialogue and conflict mediation
to help their government respond to the violent clashes between Muslim and Christian communities in
Jos and other parts of the country.

Our Government is also partnering with global efforts to promote religious tolerance. In 2014, we
participated in the launch of the International Coalition of Parliamentarians Committed to Religious
Freedoms, signing the Charter for Freedom of Religion or Belief. Our combined efforts, with other
coalition members, are helping combat rising religious persecution and encourage religious freedom
globally.

Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom is contributing to the promotion of tolerance and peaceful
pluralism globally. Religious freedom is a fundamental right, and our Conservative Government is
committed to promoting this Canadian value around the world. As Canada’s global leadership continues
to grow, we will continue to stand up for freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.