One of the leading challenges of the twenty-first century is the unprecedented and growing numbers of people displaced by conflict and other factors. Religious actors lead in providing support to refugees and in calling on communities to “welcome the stranger,” yet many nations, including their religious leaders and communities, face deep divisions about how to respond to refugees and to immigration more broadly. How might the culture of encounter that Pope Francis called for in his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti help heal polarized communities and support policies and programs that address the crises of forced migration?

This conference, part of Georgetown University’s Culture of Encounter Project, will bring together faith leaders and practitioners in productive dialogue with one another to better understand what is at stake in their respective traditions’ positions on refugee issues and to seek shared ways forward. A one-day in-person meeting will be followed by a webinar that addresses the policy challenges for developing practical solutions to the growing crisis.

This event is part of the Culture of Encounter Project and is convened by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Institute for the Study of International Migration at Georgetown University.

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November 11

9:00 a.m. – 9:10 a.m. EST | Introduction and Overview

9:10 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. EST | Current Context and Challenges: State, International, and Religious Responses

Elizabeth Ferris (moderator), Institute for the Study of International Migration
Ana White, UNHCR USA
Mohammed Naeem, American Immigration Council and United States Refugee Advisory Board
Faith Cooper, International Rescue Committee

10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EST | Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST | Religious/Faith Communities Welcoming Refugees

Rev. David Hollenbach, S.J. (moderator), Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Donald Kerwin, Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University
Cynthia Lange, Fragomen and Latter-day Saint Charities
Noah Gottschalk, HIAS
Aseel Elborno, Islamic Relief USA

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST | Lunch 

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. EST | Case Studies and Specific Challenges: Analyzing Religious Responses

José Casanova (moderator), Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Paola Piscitelli, Community of Sant’Egidio USA
Ellen Goldstein, Former World Bank
Azza Karam, Lead Integrity
Sr. Norma Pimentel, M.J., Catholic Charities

November 13

10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST | Looking Ahead: A Time of Encounter (webinar)

Katherine Marshall (moderator), Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Jocelyne Cesari, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs
Ruth W. Messinger, American Jewish World Service
Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, Interfaith Alliance