National president's presence boosts cause, Adventist freedom of religion expert says
Seventh-day Adventist religious liberty advocates joined some 300 delegates representing a broad range of faith communities in Colombia last week for discussions focused on equality among religions in the largely Catholic country.
The September 28 to 29 International Religious Liberty Association congress followed Colombia's first Festival of Religious Freedom on September 26.
The event, which drew 15,000 locals to Bogotá's sports arena, marks the country's first large-scale celebration of religious liberty, and the third largest worldwide.
Colombians enjoy broad freedoms of religion, and the nation's government considers religious liberty a fundamental human right, national President Alvaro Uribe Velez told delegates during the congress.
Velez spent over an hour addressing delegates' concerns and questions, said IRAL Secretary-General John Graz.
"We were pleased to have President Velez's presence, and were impressed by his stated commitment to religious liberty," Graz said, adding that he hopes the leader's influence will help the country embrace equal recognition of all religions.
Both events were organized by the Colombian Confederation of Religious Freedom, now an official IRLA partner.
