On Tuesday, May 6, George Washington University hosted a panel discussion titled, "The Russo-Ukrainian War, Religious Freedom, and U.S. Foreign Policy Under the Trump Administration."
For decades, religious freedom has played a significant role in American foreign policy. The panel of speakers discussed how the new administration's foreign policy deals with issues of religious freedom across the globe, specifically as it pertains to the war in Ukraine.
NCC Project Coordinator Matthew Markay attended the discussion, where he and others present listened as panelists spoke on the difficulties of expressing one's religion during wartime as well as the role religious denominations present in Ukraine play in the conflict.
Moderator and panelists were:
Dr. Pavlo Smytsnyuk—Petrach Fellow at the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies at GWU, where he is working on a project on religious peacebuilding.
Peter Mandaville— professor of government and politics at George Mason University and senior research fellow at Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs.
Very Rev. Mitered Archpriest Dr. Mark Morozowich—former dean of The School of Theology and Religious Studies at the Catholic University of America and Bishop Basil Losten Chair of Ukrainian Church Studies.
Knox Thames—an international human rights lawyer, advocate, and author who has dedicated his career to promoting human rights, defending religious minorities, and combating persecution.
Elizabeth A. Clark—associate director of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies at Brigham Young University
