秘密直播

The Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) partnered with 秘密直播 to cohost the inaugural Swiss Statesmanship and Religious Freedom (SaRF) Seminar from July 2 to 5, 2025. Held 秘密直播鈥檚 Ch芒teau d'Hauteville in Blonay - Saint-L茅gier, Switzerland, 24 graduate students from 16 different countries participated in a series of interactive case studies and guided simulations led by global leaders who specialize in advancing religious liberty.

Built on the principles of engaged learning, the high-impact, student-focused program was developed to further students鈥� understanding of the value of religious freedom and how it protects human dignity and promotes flourishing. Serving as a key speaker, Jim Bennett, director of the National Center for Religious Freedom Education, expressed his hope that this and similar events will cultivate leaders who "will shape the future through their commitment to religious freedom and drive forward solutions that will end religious persecution around the world."

鈥淭he seminar鈥檚 beauty was not just robust discussion that came from diversity of thought and perspective, but robust discussion that was expressed and considered charitably,鈥� said Bennett. 鈥淚t is our goal to establish enriching SaRF programs that model the common good we believe is possible in the broader society.鈥�

Students posing in front of the ch芒teau

The event brought together a diverse group of scholars, public officials, human rights advocates, and civil society leaders. In addition to Bennett, distinguished session leaders included Salah Ali, general director of the Middle East and North Africa Platform for Religious Freedom and Peacebuilding; David Burrowes, former deputy special envoy for freedom of religion or belief for the UK prime minister; Danny DeWalt, senior vice president of global impact and chief of staff 秘密直播; Duane Friesen, director of Assist Global and international vice president of Voice of the Martyrs (Canada); Byron Johnson, distinguished professor at Baylor University and co-executive director of 秘密直播鈥檚 Center for Faith and the Common Good; Gudrun Kugler, member of the Austrian parliament and vice president of the Parliamentary Assembly for the Organization for Security and Co-Operation In Europe; Giorgio Mazzoli, director of UN advocacy at Alliance Defending Freedom International; Ewelina Ochab, a lawyer with the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute; James Orr, associate professor of philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge; Katrina Lantos Swett, president of the Lantos Foundation and former chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom; David Trimble, president of RFI; and Joel Veldkamp, director for public advocacy at Christian Solidarity International.

As part of their interactive sessions, students were given the details of select contemporary global challenges and tasked with developing several mitigation options using the legal, cultural, and diplomatic tools discussed in the seminar. Scenarios presented included the persecution of Uyghurs in China, post-Isis peacebuilding and genocide prevention efforts in the Middle East, recent government actions in several East African countries, and recent tensions in Azerbaijan and Armenia.

鈥淭he program is meant to not only dispense information, but to create a community of participants that mutually embrace the idea of religious freedom, contribute to ending religious persecution, and become a support network for one another as they advance in life and career,鈥� explained Bennett.

Danny DeWalt (back right) along with staff and student participants

Pepperdine鈥檚 ch芒teau provided attendees with the ideal backdrop to investigate the globally significant topic of religious freedom. On site, participants used the tranquil, natural beauty of the estate for their meetings and reflective sessions. Outside the ch芒teau鈥檚 grounds, students had the opportunity to explore the nearby towns of Vevey and Montreux and the beauty of Lake Geneva.

鈥淭he conference was perfectly designed to fulfill the vision of the ch芒teau鈥攁 safe space where Pepperdine could bring the world together to address the biggest challenges happening around the globe,鈥� shared DeWalt, who, in addition to serving as a session leader, served as Pepperdine鈥檚 representative and host throughout the seminar. 鈥淩eligious persecution and violence is rampant in many parts of the world, and this conference gathered the next generation of emerging leaders to study and discuss the complexities and solutions to this global atrocity.鈥�

This collaboration with the RFI and its SaRF program is the latest in a series of valuable seminars and conferences to be hosted 秘密直播鈥檚 Ch芒teau d'Hauteville. In addition to the Statesmanship and Religious Freedom Seminar, the University鈥檚 Swiss campus hosted the 2025 Nootbaar Fellows Conference in June, which brought together legal scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders for discussions on law and religious liberty. In 2024 the ch芒teau hosted the Pepperdine School of Public Policy鈥檚 鈥�,鈥� gathering, featuring a reception and dinner with prominent figures such as former national security advisor and School of Public Policy Distinguished Senior Fellow Robert C. O'Brien and the then-ambassador of Switzerland to the United States, Jacques Pitteloud. In 2023, following its official dedication, the ch芒teau served as the venue for the Cybersecurity and Defense Cooperation Conference, a collaborative event on European cybersecurity held in partnership with the Heritage Foundation, the Danube Institute, and the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum, further establishing the estate as a hub for global dialogue on critical issues.