By Brandon Taylorian — Around the world, states continue to ban religious communities outright, criminalise membership in certain denominations, or impose administrative penalties that effectively prohibit religious practice. While international human rights law – including Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – protects freedom of thought, conscience and religion, a significant number of governments maintain legal frameworks that suppress specific faith groups.

By Alessandro Amicarelli — Two dates–February 28, 1947, and December 19, 1996–50 years apart prompt us to reflect on democratic progress in Taiwan.

February 28, 1947, has become part of the country’s collective memory. That day marked the escalation of tensions between the new rulers from mainland China and the local population. State Monopoly Bureau agents beat a woman selling cigarettes, a man was shot and killed, and what began as a protest turned into a nationwide uprising that led to a massacre. Soldiers intervened, people disappeared, and countless locals lost their lives. For decades, this topic remained taboo, discussed only in hushed tones at home.

Our sister organization CAP Liberté de Conscience, together with Human Rights Without Frontiers and International Support for Human Rights, has once again defended the minority Islamic religious group Ahmadiyya Peace and Light (AROPL) in a written statement to the Human Rights Council. AROPL members are subjected to serious acts of intolerance and violence by the Orthodox Muslim community and the Egyptian authorities.

Scholars, religious leaders, and representatives of international organisations from eighteen countries met for lectures, communal meals, and visits, on the occasion of the 4^th World SangSaeng Forum hosted at Daejin University in South Korea from 23 to 27 October 2025. The programme was rich and varied including both keynote lectures by well‑known international scholars and parallel sessions on emerging religions, the ethics of reconciliation, and comparative spirituality, and also moments specifically devoted to interreligious dialogue with East Asian religious movements, as well as a field trip to the National Museum of Korea and an academic visit to Yeoju.