Religious leaders discuss truth, inclusion and sustainable development in a peaceful way
At the conclusion of the Religious Freedom and Human Dignity Conference on April 25, selected delegates from Southeast Asia emphasized the power of peaceful collaboration, truth-seeking, and sustainable development to foster global harmony.
Speakers from various faith-based organizations and religious institutions highlighted the need for unity in combating global misinformation, promoting service and reframing misconceptions about religious communities through visibility and collaborative action.
Changing narratives through acts of giving
Christina Tobias-Nahi, director of public affairs, research and advocacy at Islamic Relief USA, addressed persistent misconceptions surrounding the Muslim community, emphasizing its generosity and commitment to service.
“The Muslim community, predominantly a wealthy community from areas where they’ve immigrated, gives a lot of charitable giving,” Tobias-Nahi said. “By doing this and giving visibility to the work we’re doing in places like the United States, we’re intending to aspirationally change people’s perceptions.”
She explained that despite these contributions, hate crimes and misinformation continue to affect the Muslim community both in the United States and abroad. To address this, Islamic Relief USA engages in efforts to shift narratives through visibility and service initiatives.
“Part of what I had wanted to talk about is how we’re doing peacebuilding through anti-poverty programs,” she said. “But the way that this has pivoted a little bit is to change narratives and counter disinformation that circulates about our faith community, both in the United States and overseas, where we work.”
Religious rationality and misinformation
Rev. Father Carlos V. Reyes, minister for the Ministry for Ecumenical and Interfaith Affairs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila, emphasized the importance of epistemology–understanding how knowledge is formed and communicated– in countering misinformation.
“Misinformation, fake news, radical and sometimes distorted ideologies are also propagated worldwide in real time,” Reyes said. He warned that extreme ideologies are spreading rapidly. He urged religious leaders and academics to promote rationality and humility in their teachings.
Collaboration in global humanitarian work
Heather Bradbury, strategic relationships manager of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, stressed the need for collaborative humanitarian efforts to ensure long-term impact.
“We as a church cannot do it alone. We can’t go somewhere and decide to fix something by ourselves. It doesn’t work, and it’s not the right way to do it,” Bradbury said. Bradbury detailed a growing interfaith humanitarian model, citing partnerships with Islamic Relief and other organizations to amplify aid efforts. She pointed to Nepal as an example, where nonprofits are beginning to coordinate efforts.
“Organizations don’t go to the governments together,” Bradbury said. She described how different nonprofits aligned their strategies when government leaders requested more nutrition-focused aid. “We know how to do it really well, and we will train you to do it so that you can do it too,” she said.
Empowering youth in interfaith engagement
The conference also highlighted faith-based youth engagement, with interfaith camps designed to foster religious understanding. Bradbury referenced the 11th Interfaith Youth Peace Camp, held in February 2025, emphasizing the importance of youth leadership in faith-based diplomacy.
“Imagine getting youth together and letting youth, not adults, drive discussions about religion and understanding each other’s religion,” Bradbury said. Leaders expressed hope that such initiatives would bridge gaps between faith communities. “We’re talking about all of these great things, and we’re going to do what we can do, but the next generation is going to take the ball and run,” Bradbury said, underscoring the growing impact of young leaders in interfaith and humanitarian efforts.