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"Becket Fund UN Work Featured in Canada's Maclean's Magazine," July 28, 2008
"Report: Uzbekistan Religious Groups Face Increasing Pressure," July 23, 2008
"Wu Challenges Obama and McCain to Stand Up for Religious Freedom," July 17, 2008
"Amicus in Support of Asylum Seeker Filed at Supreme Court," June 23, 2008
"Becket Fund Submits Brief on “Defamation of Religions” to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights," June 2, 2008
International Religious Freedom News (updated weekly)
Religious freedom is a fundamental human right. All human beings -- not just American citizens -- are entitled to that freedom. And that is because the right is rooted in the inherent dignity of the human person, not in the fickle will of the state.
Thus, Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirms, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights… [and] endowed with reason and conscience.” And Article 18 specifies that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice worship and observance.” Other international treaties not only echo the same principles, but lend them the force of law.
The Becket Fund advocates for religious freedom internationally in accordance with these principles. Areas of special concern include laws prohibiting religious apparel and other forms of peaceful religious expression; laws that prohibit proselytizing or religious conversion; the persecution of “unregistered” religious groups; and the seizure or destruction of houses of worship.
As a law firm, The Becket Fund files lawsuits -- on behalf of people of all faiths -- to enforce these laws in international tribunals, such as the U.N. Human Rights Committee(UNHRC), the U.N. Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD), and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and in domestic courts of countries abroad.
In the public arena, The Becket Fund’s status as an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations has enabled it to advocate at the U.N. Human Rights Commissions in Geneva. Attorneys at the Becket Fund have testified before the U.S. Congress on international religious freedom issues. Attorneys have testified about religious persecution in Sri Lanka, India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijian, Sweden, and Malaysia.
The Becket Fund's advocacy work extends into public education, and The Becket Fund has sponsored "Body of Belief," a traveling exhibit of religious attire and symbols, including headscarves, turbans, stars of David, Native American symbols, crosses, and ties, that have been banned in many countries.
The Becket Fund's academic arm, The Becket Institute in Rome, supports scholarship on the legal, anthropological, philosophical, and political dimensions of religious liberty. The Becket Fund also conducts training for the legal community in countries with developing legal systems. Read about The Becket Fund's semester teaching the first class on U.S. Constitutional Law to law students in China.
International Religious Freedom News
Every week, we compile media coverage of top religious freedom headlines from around the globe. To see the current edition of the International Religious Freedom Newsletter, click here.
To see past headlines, visit our International Religious Freedom News Archive
We also offer our International Religious Freedom News service in a weekly newsletter deliviered directly to your e-mail inbox. To sign up for this and other e-mail services from the Becket Fund, click here.
Opportunities at the Becket Fund
Academic Year Internships
The Becket Fund is accepting part time and full time undergraduate, graduate, or law internship applications in our Washington, DC office for its international program. Internships are available in the areas of international law, comparative law, European law, education, political science, and web development. Interns are individually responsible for discreet research, writing, or public education projects, while receiving direction and supervision. Internships are both an opportunity to learn and to serve. There is one internship available per academic term of Fall (September - December) and Spring (January - May). All internships are unpaid.
Candidates should possess a strong commitment to The Becket Fund's mission to advance human rights and religious freedom for people of all faiths; excellent writing skills; a sense of initiative; creativity; and integrity. Interested applicants should send:
to this email address.
Applications are considered on a rolling basis. Unfortunately, any materials sent cannot be returned to sender. If your application is accepted for consideration, we will contact you about an interview no later than three weeks after receipt of your application. Any inquiries may also be directed here.