Free To Believe – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us for a conversation with CSW's Asia team leader on the unique FoRB challenges in India which stretch back to its creation as a nation in 1947. 

Below is a list of recommended reading for anyone who wants to learn more:

• Majoritarian State: How Hindu Nationalism is Changing India (Angana P Chatterji, Thomas Blom Hansen and Chistophe Jaffrelot - Editors)
• Religion, Caste & Politics in India (Christophe Jaffrelot)
• Anti-Christian Violence in India (Chad M. Bauman)
• Pentecostals, Proselytization, and Anti-Christian Violence in Contemporary India (Chad M. Bauman)
• Modi’s India: Hindu Nationalism and the Rise of Ethnic Democracy (Christophe Jaffrelot)
• The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics 1925 to the 1990s (Christophe Jaffrelot)
• The RSS: A Menace to India (A.G. Noorani)
• The Fiction of Fact-Finding – Modi & Godhra (Manoj Mitta)
• Looking Away: Inequality, Prejudice and Indifference in New India (Harsh Mander)
• The Struggle for India’s Soul (Shashi Tharoor)

Join Darren and CSW's Lead Advocate for Vietnam, Laos and North Korea as they discuss the issues related to freedom of religion or belief in those countries.

Reverend Yunusa Nmadu is founder and CEO of CSW Nigeria. He is a convert from Islam, a pastor and church leader who seeks redemptive and creative solutions to religious injustices prevalent  in his country, while assisting survivors and championing reconciliation.

A previous guest, Khataza has advocated for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for over 20 years. As Joint Head of Advocacy at CSW UK and Team Leader for Africa and the Middle East at CSW, she briefs officials in the US, UK, EU and Africa, and has written articles on FoRB-related thematic and country issues for UK newspapers, and more recently, for the Berkley Forum.

Khataza is currently a member of the Africa Advisory Council of the African Vision Working Group of the International Religious Freedom or Belief, and is on the International Religious Freedom and Belief Alliance IRFBA Council of Experts.

Ben is a human rights activist and writer. He’s the senior analyst for Asia at CSW. He’s been involved with CSW since 1994. He’s also the co-founder and chief executive of Hong Kong Watch. His latest book is called The China Nexus which deals with the human rights crisis across China. 

Ben resides in London, where we’re connecting today via Zoom.

Khataza has advocated for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for over 20 years. As Joint Head of Advocacy at CSW UK and Team Leader for Africa and the Middle East at CSW, she briefs officials in the US, UK, EU and Africa, and has written articles on FoRB-related thematic and country issues for UK newspapers, and more recently, for the Berkley Forum.

Khataza is currently a member of the Africa Advisory Council of the African Vision Working Group of the International Religious Freedom or Belief, and is on the International Religious Freedom and Belief Alliance IRFBA Council of Experts.

Anna Lee Stangl is Joint Head of Advocacy at CSW. Anna Lee has been at CSW since she was appointed as European Union Liaison Officer in 1999. She spent 11 years in Brussels coordinating CSW’s advocacy on international religious freedom with the EU and also developed CSW’s research and advocacy in Latin America establishing our work in Cuba, Colombia, Mexico and most recently, Nicaragua.

In 2012 she moved back to the US and is now based in Washington DC. Around five years ago she was appointed Joint Head of the Advocacy department and she also continues to lead the Americas Team, in addition to monitoring and coordinating our US government focused advocacy.

Scot is CEO of CSW. He is married to Misty, they have two kids and one grandchild. He runs stupidly long distances (badly), is passionate about prayer and justice and seeing where those two collide.

For the past forty three years, Mervyn has traveled widely to countries where Christians and other religious minorities suffer persecution because of their faith.

He is an internationally known, inspirational speaker, speaking out on behalf of persecuted minorities.

Mervyn chairs the UK (Freedom of Religion OR Belief) FoRB Forum and works closely with the UK Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for FoRB. He is also a member of the Panel of Experts advising the International Religion or Belief Alliance, an inter-governmental group of over 40 countries.

Mervyn is an ordained Assemblies of God Minister. 

He lives in the UK, on the Surrey border and is married to Wendy. They have two children, and one grandchild.

Learn how CSW is impacting areas of Colombia affected by armed conflict and intense religious discrimination of indigenous groups and those living in rural areas. 

Find out more at csw.org.uk/colombia

Download our prayer diary csw.org.uk/prayer

These episodes are made possible by the generous donations made by our supporters. If you'd like to join our movement and help us keep this podcast going, you can do so by going to:

csw.org.uk/give

Learn how CSW is impacting areas of Colombia affected by armed conflict and intense religious discrimination of indigenous groups and those living in rural areas. 

Find out more at csw.org.uk/colombia

Download our prayer diary csw.org.uk/prayer

These episodes are made possible by the generous donations made by our supporters. If you'd like to join our movement and help us keep this podcast going, you can do so by going to:

csw.org.uk/give