Religious Freedom Today

Having common goals, especially in the interconnected world of the web, is now possible. The web is increasingly becoming a powerful platform for the exchange of ideas and knowledge on important topics that go beyond territorial or linguistic barriers.

The TED’s format and its motto "ideas worth spreading" is, in this sense, one of the most innovative and intelligent on the web. With a billion and a half visitors a year and a huge community of independent organizers, TEDx has made it possible to share the enthusiasm of great ideas.

The Church has opened its doors to social networks calling them "gates of truth and faith" (47th World Day of Social Communications), and this was also the goal of TEDxviadellaconciliazione; to make itself present on the web with ideas that inspire on such a key theme as religious freedom today.

The religious impulse is natural to human beings and religious expression belongs to every human culture. In an era in which the rise of ethnic, religious, and national extremism has created not a few worries, social networks and the use of the web as a means of non-violent struggle are also a challenge for the Church.

TedxViaDellaConciliazione was organized to discuss the religious rights of all people of all faiths, races, and cultures who share a common vision of a world where religious freedom is respected as a fundamental and universal human right.

The results were important and unexpected, tells Matthew Forte, who oversaw the streaming thanks to support from Akamai. There were 858,522 hits, with 310,735 unique users.

The event continues online where you can listen to and share the interventions of each speaker at www.tedxviadellaconciliazione.com.

Which speakers are the most watched so far?

Gloria Estefan gave a testimony highlighting the importance of love, prayer, and music in her life. Brian Grim of the Pew Forum showed the dangerous connection between restriction on freedom of religion and social hostility. Guy Consolmagno intervened as “science geek and religious nerd”. From the mystical world of Sufism, the Princess of Kuwait Hussah Sabah showed how faith, like beauty, is overwhelming and diffusive. And finally, the graffiti artist Mohammed Ali, a Muslim who travels the world leaving messages of peace on its walls, decided to leave the work he created during the event in Rome, as a gift for Pope Francis.