NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Protecting freedom of thought and conscience within the international community of nations

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May 13: Annual General Meeting

Each May, the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief in New York holds its Annual General Meeting (AGM); and, every two years the AGM must include elections for the bureau.

The 2016 AGM will take place Friday, May 13, 2016, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., in the Bahá’í International Community United Nations Office, located at 866 UN Plaza (Suite 120), New York, NY 10017.

The AGM serves as an opportunity for the bureau of the Committee to updates its members on the Committee’s activities, as well as receive input on the Committee’s activities. This year, the AGM will also include elections for the new bureau. According to our bylaws, members of the bureau are allowed to serve no more than two consecutive in the same position. The bureau that will be up for election in May is:

President: Michael De Dora, Center for Inquiry (first term)
Vice President: Bani Dugal, Bah’ai International Community (first term)
Secretary: Kelsey Zorzi, ADF International (first term)
Treasurer: TBD
Members at Large: Christen Broecker, Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights (first term); Farida Ali, All Pakistan Women’s Association (first term); Erik Larson, Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University (first term)

The Committee’s past treasurer, Oren Drori of B’nai B’rith International, will be leaving the bureau due to term limits.

This year, the bureau will a propose a slight change to the Committee bylaws, which currently state:

“1.3.2. supporting the initiatives of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief and other appropriate Rapporteurs and Special Representatives, as they pertain to intolerance of religion or belief, by submitting suggestions and reliable information on violations on related rights throughout the world;”

The bureau seeks to amend this language to state:

“1.3.2. supporting the initiatives of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and Belief and other appropriate Rapporteurs and Special Representatives, as they pertain to intolerance based on religion or belief, by submitting suggestions and reliable information on violations on related rights throughout the world;

To make this change, the Committee would need two-thirds of the member organizations to approve.

No RSVP is necessary for this meeting.

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