Institute for Global Engagement

10/14/2026

Faith, law, and religious freedom are deeply connected. The Summer 2026 issue of The Review of Faith & International Affairs brings together global perspectives on how those relationships shape public life.

Explore the issue: https://globalengage.org/publications/spirit-of-the-law-and-religion-essays-in-honor-of-w-cole-durham-jr/

10/12/2026

IGE’s mission is centered on a practical question: how can people live together well across deep differences?

We seek to promote societal flourishing by equipping citizens to engage, respect, and protect one another, regardless of faith or none.

That work requires making room for conviction and difference while affirming the dignity and equal citizenship of every person.

10/05/2026

Secularism does not look the same everywhere.

In this Portico article, Gianna Bolla compares two European approaches the Netherlands’ tradition of accommodation and France’s stricter model of laïcité.

She examines how each approach affects the public expression and participation of religious minorities, and argues that neutrality is not only about distance from religion. It is also about whether people of different faiths, or no faith, can participate on equal terms.

Read the full article: https://globalengage.org/portico/when-neutrality-is-not-neutral-dutch-versus-french-models-of-secularism/

09/30/2026

A commitment to freedom of faith requires sustained research, education, leadership development, and relational engagement.

Your support helps the Institute for Global Engagement continue its work to advance religious freedom and uphold the dignity of people of every faith and none.

Support IGE: https://globalengage.org/donate/

09/29/2026

IGE Hosts Vietnamese Government Delegation for Roundtable with International Humanitarian Organizations - learn more: https://zurl.co/mDIzR

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 22, 2026 — The Institute for Global Engagement (IGE) hosted a roundtable at its Washington office on September 22 between a delegation from the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) and its People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM) and more than ten repr...

09/28/2026

Understanding another person’s beliefs does not require us to surrender our own.

Daniel Langford’s new Portico article explores how religious literacy can help religious leaders, diplomats, lawyers, and communities approach deep differences with greater humility, clarity, and respect.

Read “Religious Literacy, Religious Freedom, and the Witness of Jesus”:
https://globalengage.org/portico/religious-literacy-religious-freedom-and-the-witness-of-jesus/

09/21/2026

When a government favors and controls one religious institution, both religious freedom and the integrity of religion are placed at risk.

Ru Sheng Hiestand examines the historical relationship between the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church and considers how covenantal pluralism can help guard against the political weaponization of religion.

Read the Portico blog:
https://globalengage.org/portico/why-covenantal-pluralism-is-essential-for-the-prevention-of-the-weaponization-of-religion-case-study-of-russia/

09/21/2026

Peace is sustained when every person can live according to conscience, participate as an equal citizen, and extend that same freedom to others.

On the International Day of Peace, we reaffirm the importance of human dignity, freedom of faith, and meaningful relationships across differences. Lasting peace calls for the patient work of listening, building trust, and protecting the dignity of every person.

09/16/2026

Prayer remains an important part of IGE’s work and community.

IGE Prayer Updates provide regular opportunities to pray for our team, our partners, and the pursuit of freedom of faith around the world.

Sign up to join the prayer list: https://globalengage.org/ige-prayer-updates/

09/14/2026

Religious freedom is most meaningful when it protects people whose convictions differ from our own.

In a new Portico article, Micah Fries examines the history surrounding Virginia’s Statute for Religious Freedom and the decision to extend its protection to people of every faith and no faith. He states, “Ironically, and importantly, protecting someone else’s religious freedom often becomes the strongest protection for our own. History repeatedly reminds us that governments powerful enough to suppress one religion eventually become powerful enough to suppress another.”

Read “Is Religious Freedom Really for All People?”:
https://globalengage.org/portico/is-religious-freedom-really-for-all-people-thomas-jefferson-and-the-virginia-legislature-made-their-view-clear/