Act Locally: Halt Religious Persecution

Religious persecution rends lives and communities throughout the world. You can help build a global culture respecting freedom of belief, beginning in your own faith community. Talk with a local religious leader about organizing a community activity to strengthen religious tolerance.

You may want to begin by reading about the kinds of religious persecution in today's world. A good source of information is the annual country reports of the U.S. Department of State. A local librarian also may be able to help you in finding information about religious persecution.

Choose an area of the world or a religious community of particular interest to you. Then plan a presentation or other event to share information about religious persecution, what it does to people, and the importance of stopping it. Request pledges from your faith community to promote, whenever possible in daily life, religious tolerance.

Your efforts will be even more effective if you invite members of another local faith community to join you. Together, you can learn about religious persecution and advance religious tolerance.