Palwasha L. Kakar is the interim director for religion and inclusive societies at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Kakar joined USIP after four years with the Asia Foundation, where she was the Afghanistan director for women’s empowerment and development. Before that, Kakar led the Gender Mainstreaming and Civil Society Unit in the United Nations Development […]

Marie Juul Petersen is a senior researcher at the Danish Institute of Human Rights with expertise in human rights and religion; the right to freedom of religion or belief; development and religion; faith-based organizations; vernacularization of human rights; refugees and religion.

Ewelina U. Ochab is an experienced human rights advocate and legal researcher. She is a co-founder of the Coalition for Genocide Response, a programme lawyer at the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute and a member of the panel of experts for the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.

The Office of International Religious Freedom promotes universal respect for freedom of religion or belief for all as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy. It monitors religiously motivated abuses, harassment and discrimination worldwide, recommending, developing and implementing policies and programs to address these concerns. Contact Isaac Six, senior official in the office, or Mariah […]

Manu Bhagavan is a specialist on modern India, focusing on the twentieth-century late-colonial and post-colonial periods, with particular interests in human rights, (inter)nationalism, and questions of sovereignty.

Niha Masih is a reporter at The Washington Post’s Seoul hub. Previously, she was the Post’s India correspondent, where she covered the rise of majoritarian nationalism, conflict in Kashmir, the COVID-19 crisis and digital surveillance of citizens.

Aparna Gopalan is a News Editor at Jewish Currents. She has published stories on the connections between Zionism and Hindu nationalism.

Hind Kabawat is director of interfaith peacebuilding at George Mason University’s Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution. Kabawat has directed the center’s Syria work since 2004 and has trained hundreds of Syrians in multifaith collaboration and civil society development.

Philip Seib is professor emeritus of journalism and public diplomacy at the University of Southern California and principal investigator of the Faith Diplomacy Initiative.