The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2026 is held from Feb. 1 to 3 in Washington, D.C.
Schedule of plenary session on Feb. 2:
How Religious Freedom Impacts Global Security
This panel held by the International Religious Freedom Summit at 3:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 2 explores the strategic value of funding programs and initiatives that support religious freedom globally and how such investments are essential to creating the conditions necessary for long-term peace and sustainable development.Moderator
- Kristen Rasmussen, U.S. Representative, DanChurchAid
- Sheikh Al-Mahfoudh Bin Bayyah, secretary general of the Abu Dhabi Forum for Peace
- Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for management and resources
- Peter Roskam, chairman of the board for the National Endowment for Democracy
Fireside Chat
IRF Summit Co-Chairs Sam Brownback and Katrina Lantos Swett will sit down with Jan Jekielek, senior editor with The Epoch Times, for a fireside chat to discuss today’s most pressing issues in the IRF community and their outlook on the movement.The Case for Investing in IRF
This panel held by the International Religious Freedom Summit at 3:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 2 provides a strategic analysis of the nexus between religious freedom and global stability. The discussion examines how promoting religious freedom contributes to conflict prevention and, conversely, how suppressing religious freedom fuels global insecurity.Moderator
- Sarah Makin, human rights advocate, filmmaker, and former White House official with expertise in national security policy and international religious freedom
- Scott Busby, senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, Kelly and David Pfeil fellow at the George W. Bush Institute
