International Association for Religious Freedom

Lucie Meijer

The International Association for Religious Freedom was founded in 1900 as the first international and inter-religious organization. Needless to say that this was a historical moment. In Europe and North America, maybe elsewhere as well, religious institutions at that time did not pursue nor appreciate the goal of mutual acceptance between religious people, although most religions teach us to treat our neighbors as ourselves. Around the turn of the century there had already been numerous contacts between liberal religious people in India, Europe, USA and others. The newly founded Association IARF formed a framework within which such contacts could be systematically maintained and expanded. Next year, in 2000, the International Association for Religious Freedom has completed one century of encounter, dialogue and co-operation between people from different denominations. In the light of these outstanding aims I venture to say that if IARF did not exist, it would have to be created today.

The ideas which led to the formation of the Association are adequately expressed in its logo: the circles are the religious communities, they are not closed but open and touching each other; the arrows point to all directions symbolizing outreach to North and South, East and West, with IARF in the center as the world community to which we belong, which gives us strength and widens our horizon. It is our world community for service and peace.

From its beginnings in 1900 IARF has been devoted to mutual understanding through dialogue, like other interfaith organizations founded in later years. The words of study groups, reports and declarations however, become flesh and reality through concrete actions of humanitarian service, through acts of solidarity and mutual support. In the following essay I will try to describe how the IARF Social Service Network was built whereby the survey is in no way is complete.

In the decades from 1900 until the 1960's IARF members responded to individual situations of need, as can be expected from any living community. For example, money, books and clothes were sent by N. American members to refugees in Europe during World War II . Especially the Unitarian Service Committees in Canada and USA rendered support to war-stricken Eastern European churches.

It is not surprising to see that over the years, ideas and trends which were current in the general society, also surfaced in our Association. Looking back to the 1950's in Europe, we see that the post-war years focused on reconstructing shattered lives and goods and on building economic growth and expansion. In general, people were first and foremost oriented towards their own community and country. It seems that around 1960, at least in Europe, a more general awareness about the responsibility of religious institutions for the larger society, was generated by the favorable socio-economic conditions. The 1960's demonstrated a rapid internationalization of commercial and personal contacts, and this led to actions which were, at this stage, mostly bilateral initiatives. Thereafter, a multi-lateral approach became popular. In the 1970's, many groups adopted a One World approach, with its connotation of institutional responsibility for the whole world. Thus the role of international bodies such as United Nations and its affiliated non-governmental organizations gained weight.

In 1967 the first collective initiative was created in the form of the IARF World Emergency Relief Fund. Money was sent to the Brahmo Samaj for flood relief efforts in and around Calcutta after the terrible floods by which the river Ganges inundated West Bengal. When an earthquake hit Romania in 1974, Unitarian churches were also affected. Generous donations were channeled through the IARF Relief Fund to the headquarters of the Unitarian church in Cluj/Kolosvar to help repair the damaged buildings. The civil war in Northern Ireland, even now (1999) not brought to a halt, has made so many victims over the years we cannot begin to imagine. Our members of the Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland (NSPCI) have always taken a stand for reconciliation between Catholics and Protestants. By doing so they became susceptible to criticism from both sides. In those years (preceding the first IARF service project) grants were made by the IARF Emergency Relief Fund to Northern Ireland to aid victims of this cruel conflict.

In addition to these emergency appeals, there are several examples of bilateral support between IARF groups in those days: Annie Margaret Barr, a British Unitarian who went to live and work in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India for 37 years (1936-1973), was a living example of such "one-woman ministry of education." Her legacy lives on in the numerous village schools managed by the Unitarian Union North East India and in the rural community center in Kharang, where Kong (sister) Barr used to live. In that same village Kharang a hospital was opened, four years after her death, thanks to the funds obtained by the Dutch Remonstrant Brotherhood from a nationwide ecumenical appeal. It was the era of bilateral co-operation.

On the international level, the Congress in Heidelberg (1972) adopted the following resolution:

This meeting of the IARF expresses its shocked and deep sympathy with our member group the NSPCI and the people of Northern Ireland, and wishes to place on record its desire to assist our liberal religious churches and the people of N. Ireland in their present need for reconciliation, peace and righteousness, and asks the executive committee to inquire as to what ways the member groups of the IARF can help their friends.

Here we observe the beginning of a corporate commitment of the organisation to the plight of one of its affiliated groups. Please note that the resolution speaks of ...assisting the NSPCI and the people of N. Ireland. thereby indicating that our solidarity goes to the community-at-large, while working through our member group. This approach would later be adopted by the Social Service Network. It is an important feature, because in so many instances liberal people have a tendency to care for 'the whole world' forgetting that their numbers are small. Through IARF they are able to support other communities through their liberal counterparts. Our contribution is meaningful because it is related to the role of a liberal religious community in the society at large, and it is a way for our members to be actively involved on the grass roots level.

In January 1973 the first full time IARF General Secretary assumes office. Diether Gehrmann energetically paves the way for a systematic implementation of the resolution made in 1972. Thus in 1974 the IARF Executive Committee resolved to visit Belfast in support of its embattled member group, and did so in 1976. Rev. William McMillan of the Dunmurry congregation of the NSPCI, IARF Council member, was invited to tour groups in Germany, the Netherlands, USA and Canada and report first hand on the dramatic situation. When spontaneous contributions started coming in, Rev. McMillan suggested a target which was consequently adopted as the first IARF Social Service Project: a Mothers and Toddlers' Play group in a mixed catholic and Protestant area of Belfast, jointly administered by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the NSPCI. A presentation by project leader Mrs. M. Morrow of the NSPCC at the IARF Congress in 1978 received a widespread response, which showed that the member groups were ready to engage in multilateral support for projects. In other words: the time was ripe to move beyond sporadic and unrelated endeavors, and to accept tasks which exceeded the resources of local groups or a single denomination. The adoption of project targets called for a coordinated effort of all socially concerned individuals and groups within IARF.

Answering to that challenge, in 1979 I was hired jointly by the IARF and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) to identify initiatives from IARF member groups, to assess on location the needs and conditions for social service projects co-sponsored by these groups, and to involve the larger IARF constituency in moral and practical support for these projects.

The co-operation with UUSC resulted in the publication of a Social Responsibility Newsletter, drawing attention to various social concerns and activities from the member groups. Let me quote from these publications the issues and concerns of that time: National moratorium on prison construction (USA), country holidays for needy children (UK), new biography of Ferencz David (Hungary), Apartheid's toll - the Crossroads squatter camp (South Africa), Adult education program (India). In 1981, Congress resolutions address the following issues: Elimination of discrimination against women, infant nutrition in developing nations, Religious persecution in Iran, Law of the Sea, Family roles, Aging and ageism, Disarmament.

Disarmament and Peace fill the headlines in the last decade of the cold war. A peace vigil is held during the 1981 IARF Congress in front of the Peace Palace (International Court of Justice) in The Hague. IARF President Nikkyo Niwano speaks at the United Nations 2nd Special Session on Disarmament in 1982, and groups in Hungary, Japan, India report on sessions devoted to stop the nuclear arms race. In Britain the Unitarian General Assembly sends a telegram to Margaret Thatcher pleading for an immediate military de-escalation in the Falklands and for United Nations arbitration.

The joint IARF-UUSC arrangement lasted from 1979 to 1982, thereafter IARF continued the staff position for the Network on its own.

In 1979, the IARF Social Servide Network was established with the special assistance of The Veatch Program (USA) and the Niwano Peace Foundation (Japan). The Network was announced with the following words:

IARF World Community: a living relationship from person to person and group to group. Moving from openness to encounter and dialogue, from understanding to acceptance and interdependence. A Network spanning the globe... Soon, the Social Service Network or SSN became an in-house word uniting initiatives around the world.

The visit of an IARF group to India, touring the Indian groups for an East-West dialogue around Christmas/New Year 1977/78 had opened up new horizons for all participants. It was IARF General Secretary Diether Gerhmann who actively and successfully brought these groups to participate on all levels in the organisation. Until the '60's the IARF Council had known a predominant European and N. American representation (with representation from Japan since the '70's). In 1981 the Indian group, which was among the founders of IARF, the Brahmo Samaj, finally joined the Council, followed in 1987 by the Philippines (the Independent Church of Filipino Christians had been affiliated since 1930) and Nigeria. Thus the Network also brought about a more balanced composition of the IARF Council.

The groups implementing the first three SSN projects were the Brahmo Samaj in Calcutta and the Unitarian Union in North East India. My first visit to project sites was in 1980. Little did we know at that time that the person who had been charged to meet us upon arrival in Calcutta, Punyabrata Roy Choudhury, was later to become the first Indian President of IARF (1990-93) and the backbone of the IARF Social Service Network activities in India. Also we could not foretell, at that stage, that the Network would expand from 3 projects in 1981 to 60 projects - 10 years later. This rapid expansion was made possible through a special fund which enabled the Unitarian Universalist Association in USA to sponsor project work in India (the funds were restricted to India) whereby the IARF Social Service Network became one of the recipients.

In 1982 IARF Diether Gehrmann travelled to Nigeria and the Philippines, establishing closer contact and co-operation with the IARF groups in these countries, and identifying targets for project work. Here too there were small beginnings: in the Philippines where the Unitarian Universalist ministers were using hand-copied guidebooks, there was a need for duplication equipment. The Independent Church of Filipino Christians (ICFC) was trying to rebuild its seminary in Batac after the original institution had been taken over by a fraction which split off from the denomination to join the protestant world. In Africa the church supported a kindergarten and a vocational training programme for women. The work in these countries also grew steadily through the generous assistance from our groups in Japan, especially Rissho Kosei-kai. Rev. Olatuni Matimoju of Nigeria and Mrs. Bituen Pablo of the Philippines were elected to the IARF Council in 1987.

The survey published in 1983 on the occasion of "5 Years Social Service Network" shows that on the implementation side, there are activities in India, Bangladesh, Philippines, N. Ireland, Eastern Europe and Nigeria, whereas on the donor side there is substantial involvement from USA, Japan, Great Britain, Netherlands and Germany. Looking back it is clear that the concept of the Network responded to a need felt strongly in those days, namely the need for "interaction" in between Congresses. The time that people believed that the world would change through resolutions made at distinguished gatherings once every so many years, was over. The generations of the '60's and '70's kept asking: but what are you doing...?

"IARF, Continuity and Commitment" was the title of the IARF newsletter in 1983. Continuity because the connections forged by the Network were not a whim or a fashion, but a step in the long history of belonging to the same movement. Commitment because both donor and recipient had to commit themselves to the cause which was the SSN project, a cause which each of them had to make the focus of their attention for a number of years, were it not to end as a 'development ruine'.

On occasions I have been asked, in discussions with the recipient groups, about the source of the money. Sometimes people feared that there were political strings attached. Some older members in the Philippines expressed their doubts about the intentions of an international organization such as IARF, with regard to its respect for the own religious tradition of the group, as there had been a traumatic experience in the past with other ecumenical contacts. In these cases I was able to re-assure the recipients that the Network was based on an approach as expressed in the IARF Newsletter in 1985, " from encounter and dialogue to mutual support and joint action". The local members had the authority to determine which concerns, activities, existing or new projects should be taken up together, with due respect to the local group and the local community.

To realize this approach new programs were introduced: beginning in 1984 we organized annual All India IARF Conferences where the Indian groups could meet and dialogue: 1984 Calcutta, 1985 New Delhi, 1986 Bangalore, 1987 Mumbai (Bombay), 1988 Chennai (Madras), 1989 Narendrapur. The first IARF Conference in the Philippines was held in 1988 in Manila, the second one in 1989 in Dumaguete (Negros Island). In all these gatherings, members from Europe, USA and Japan took also part.

From 1983, a series of Youth Encounters took place in locations close to project sites (India, Philippines). Each time they included a work camp element which was carried out in an IARF project in order to provide first hand experience of the conditions of the people living in these circumstances. Naturally, only a relatively small number of youngsters could participate in these programmes, as they involved high travel expenses for those coming from overseas. But at the same time these programmes had an enormous impact on the participants both from overseas and from the country itself, as they allowed third world youth to come in contact with their peers in larger numbers than before. The local youth also discovered the project activities of which they had not been aware before. The Indian youth was so inspired by the visit of their overseas friends that they began to study the religious precepts and history of their own (in this case Brahmo) movement, to the delight of the elders.

In order to bring the saga of the project work closer to the people in local congregations, several 'IARF Information Tours' were held whereby project leaders visited congregations of sponsoring groups overseas. In 1982 and 1987 I had the pleasure to accompany Kalyani Karlekar and Ripnar Lyngdoh respectively to the USA and Canada, and our colleague Irmtrud Schmalenbach went to England in 1983 to assist New York Nongbri in conveying the messsage of SSN. In 1989 Bituen Pablo (IARF Council member from Manila) visited several women's groups in the Netherlands accompanied by Nelly de Rooy.

From 1987 onward, special project leaders' meetings were organised on days following the regional conferences. In 1987 the Social Service Network had grown to such extent that the need was felt to open SSN field offices in India (Calcutta) and in the Phillippines (Negros Island). With a relatively small budget, the field staff was able to assist the Secretariat to administer the projects and to develop new initiatives such as local project leaders' meetings. In the Philippines they were organized by Rebecca Sienes of the Negros office. She also organized training courses in the management of agricutural co-operatives for the IARF members. The courses were directed by a Catholic group. Such developments gave the projects the necessary professional input and at the same time enhanced their visibility in the local community.

In India, the Network has been very fortunate to have the professional guidance of the staff of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Social Education, Narendrapur. As early as our first visit to Calcutta in 1980 they taught us the principles of 'integrated rural development': the danger of doling out money without proper preparation of the beneficiaries and structures to manage the funds; the importance of involvement of youth as a basis for development, and the emphasis on local contributions. The example of women saving a handful of rice each day in order to bring eventually a bag full of mixed rice to the 'grain bank' as their first deposit made a big impression. Mr. S.S. Chakraborty, development expert, illustrated this by saying: in fact, money is not the problem in development, there is theoretically speaking enough money around in developing countries, from private or even government sources, to help the poor. What is lacking, however, is the education and self-organization of the poor people, who need to gain access to information and local and national resources. On the latter point organizations such as Ramakrishna Mission and IARF can play a role, by creating local leadership, and encouraging the people to identify their own problems and find their own solutions. In the words of Swami Vivekananda: All the wealth in the world cannot help one little Indian village if the people are not taught to help themselves.

We have seen that the idea behind the Network was as described above: to assist the member group and the community in which it was located. While the emphasis in the beginning had been on the service to the local society, in 1986 the Council resolved to re-establish the 'emergency relief' aspect of the Network funds. We realized that besides serving the 'community-at-large' we should not overlook the immediate situation of our own members, especially if they were weakened by natural catastrophies or wide spread tragedies in conflict situations. Thus in 1986 an appeal was launched for church repair in Romania, which was (once again) hit by an earthquake in 1986; for distressed families in N. Ireland where terrorism (still) caused suffering of innocent people; and for the Philippines where members on the island of Negros were in trouble due to the change of government, collapse of the sugar industry and frequent typhoons.

The year 1988 also saw a crisis situation in Transylvania (Romania) due to dictator Ceaucescu's plans to eradicate the homes and cultures of minorities such as the Hungarian speaking Unitarian communities. IARF groups responded overwhelmingly, both in the form of resolutions as well as financially. Groups in USA, Canada, Britain, The Netherlands and Australia made representations to their governments in defense of the human rights in Romania. It was reported that the contributions from Europe had quadrupled in 1988 in response to the Transylvania Relief actions. The IARF Secretariat staff bought a second hand bus, loaded it with goods, medicines, coffee (then used as 'emergency currency') and other food stuffs, and our colleague Klaus Glindemann drove the bus to Cluj/Kolosvar while local groups sent packets or valuta transfers to Unitarian congregations on a regular basis. Support was also given to the Unitarian Church in Hungary to help refugees from Romania.

Finally, the year 1989 brought a revolution to Romania, putting an end to this crisis.

1990 was International Literacy Year proclaimed by the United Nations and UNESCO, to which IARF is affiliated. IARF's contibution in this field became apparent in several literacy projects, among which the most extensive was the Integrated Literacy Service Project for women co-sponsored by the International Association of Liberal Religious Women (IALRW) and IARF. Started in 1986 as an initiative of the IALRW, the Harinavi Brahmo Samaj formed a project group and appointed Bulbuli Ganguly as project leader. Beginning with teaching women the three R's (reading, writing, arithmetic) in four villages, the project grew into a model project in which teaching was combined with training to self-organisation and self-employment. Literacy classes were followed by vocational courses in weaving, tailoring, knitting, embroidery, fruit preservation, mushroom cultivation and bee keeping. The congress bag at the IARF Congress in 1990 was produced by students of this project. During that Congress, in addition, a little shop called the Congress Boutique was selling items produced by the projects from various countries with proceeds going to the Network.

In 1989, a vocational training centre could be opened on the premises of the Harinavi Brahmo Samaj, thanks to a major grant obtained from the co-financing scheme of the German government through the efforts of the German section 'IARF Welthilfe'. This extension gave the project a boost and it is flourishing until the present day, thanks to this extraordinary young woman, Bulbuli without whom this project could not have developed the way it did.

On one other occasion IARF projects benefitted from government funds: in 1989-1990 the Dutch Humanist Institute for Development Co-operation (HIVOS, co-financed by the Dutch government) made a substantial contribution to the IARF Social Service Network. Several project partners in India and Philippines were selected as recipients of these grants and a HIVOS staff member came to personally visit and evaluate these projects. He also attended the 2nd IARF conference in the Philippines.

But there are more ways than one to fundraise for social service causes. In 1981 the Japanese groups introduced the Donate-one-Meal campaign to the other countries in IARF: skipping one meal at a Congress was a practice which could be repeated at home once a week or once a month, and made known in the local congregation, youth group etc. Rissho Kosei-kai had been promoting this activity since 1975 and it was mostly intended to be a tool for reflection and discussion. Outside Japan it was recognised by many people as what is known as Lent Appeal, saving money to give away during fasting time before Easter. Soon after the introduction of the Donate-one-Meal campaign it became a tradition in IARF which would be kept until the present day, showing how the example of one member group becomes a source of inspiration for others.

In order for representatives of IARF groups to meet, a Sponsorship Fund for participants from countries with currency restrictions (Eastern Europe, Third World) was administered under the Social Service Network. At every congress this appeal found a widespread hearing among the donor countries. The policy has always been that the participation of sponsored persons would not be an occasional appearance, but instead a reinforcement of the ongoing relationship between our groups and network partners. In reciprocity for the sponsorships, these delegates have offered overwhelming receptions and hospitality in their respective home countries to visiting IARF groups.

And, last but not least, I am happy to remember that the IARF Albert Schweitzer Award for 'Distinguished Service to the Cause of International Liberal Religion' was given to great personalities with whom I had the privilege of working together. The award was proposed in 1972 and in 1975 Bishop Lajos Kovacs (Unitarian Church, Romania) was honored as the first recipient. Who will not remember his short, round figure, his sense of humor, his perseverance, and his hospitality. The 1990 congress sermon that he delivered was as 'down to earth' as he himself used to be. Bishop Kovacs died in 1994.

Recipient in 1978: Rev. William McMillan (Non-subscribing Presbyterian Church of Ireland), who proposed the first IARF Social Service project. Who among us would not be impressed by his lively personality, his staunch advocacy of human rights and reconciliation; small in statue, strong in voice; at the same time deeply religious and a great lover of nature, an expert in flower arrangements. Obviously, his social engagement has made a lasting impact on the Association.

Recipient in 1981: Devison Marbaniang (Unitarian Union of North East India). Lay pastor, modest appearance, strong willed personality. Rooted in the culture of the matrilinear society of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, the Union is practicing its liberal religious tradition since 1887. IARF honoured Devison for serving unselfishly the remote congregations on foot, by jeep, and for managing the Kharang rural hospital, a service project that dated back to the days of Margaret Barr.

Recipient in 1984: Rev. Toribio Quimada, founder of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Philippines. During several visits as Social Service staff I had the privilege to go around the island of Negros Oriental with him, crossing rivers, rice fields and mountains, admiring his wit, energy, love for people and total dedication to the communities he served. The tensions on the island became most tangible when Rev. Quimada was murdered in his house on Negros Island in May 1988. His high hopes for a church center on the coast were never realized, but the denomination lives on and continues in his footsteps.

Recipient in 1987: Mrs. Kalyani Karlekar (Calcutta). Social activist since the second world war, founder of the Calcutta Social Project. Assisted by her sister Mrs. Nalini Das and a team of volunteers her approach is to combine service with education, aid programs with training and self-help efforts. She organised the garbage pickers living on the dumping grounds of that overcrowded city. She captivated audiences in USA and Canada with a slide-and-sound show, strong and humane, a real hero.

These names, and many others, represent people who have been, and still are, 'partners in progress'. The early pioneers have gone, but their words echo in our minds, and the fruit of their labor remains.

In 1990 the new IARF General Secretary took up his office, and in 1992, when I returned to my home country The Netherlands, my successor was appointed. Since then we have seen that the IARF Social Service Network continues with greater strength and outreach on the regional level.

In closing, let me say that I feel greatly indebted to Diether Gehrmann for sharing his vision of the IARF as an active world community for service and peace and thus paving the way for the IARF Social Service Network. We had the unique opportunity to work with so many dedicated people who built this Network and continue to do so. It was a privilege to be a pioneer and to be part of the SSN team.

Amsterdam, April 1999

Sources:

IARF News 1973-1986

IARF World 1986-1992