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Speakers, Moderators and Facilitators

Lola Loveita

Lola Loveita

ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights

Lola Loveita is an Advocacy and Campaigns Officer for Freedom of Religion or Belief at ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR). Lola has been working with several NGOs, donors and UN Bodies for more than five years, focusing on gender equality, peace and diversity and human rights issues.

Prof. Dr. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin

Prof. Dr. Siti Ruhaini Dzuhayatin

Principal Expert from the Office of Indonesian Presidential Staff on Religion and International Affairs

She is a professor on Human Right and Gender Studies at State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2020).

Nazila Ghanea

Nazila Ghanea

UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief

Nazila has been working at the University of Oxford since 2006. She is Professor of International Human Rights Law and Director of the MSc in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford.

Michael Wiener

Michael Wiener

Human Rights Officer Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Dr. Michael Wiener LL.M. has been working since 2006 at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, including for five years supporting the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and now working in the Rule of Law, Equality and Non-discrimination Branch.

Dr. Jamez Gomes

Dr. Jamez Gomes

Regional Director of Asia Centre

Dr. James Gomez is the Regional Director of Asia Centre and a highly qualified human rights expert with over 25 years of international experience working for international NGOs, intergovernmental organisations, public and private universities, research institutes and think tanks.

Mariah Mercer

Mariah Mercer

Principal Deputy to the Ambassador-At-Large in the Office of International Religious Freedom (J/IRF) at the Department of State

where she leads a team of experts promoting international religious freedom and promoting freedom of religion and belief for all as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy. Ms. Mercer has more than 15 years of experience in communications and human rights.

Suphatmet Yunyasit

Suphatmet Yunyasit

Co-Chair, Asia-Pacific Women of Faith Network (APWoFN), Religions for Peace Asia

Dr. Suphatmet Yunyasit is a trained social anthropologist and a lecturer in the field of conflict and peace studies at the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand.

Riri Khariroh

Riri Khariroh

Lecturer at the Indonesia Nahdlatul Ulama University

Riri Khariroh has over 15 years working in the field of gender equality, womens’ empowerment, human rights and democracy, with a professional focus on Islamic feminism and religious extremism.

Mr. Muhammad Isnur

Mr. Muhammad Isnur

Executive Director/Chair Person Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI)

Muhamad Isnur is the current Executive Director for YLBHI. He was appointed for the period of 2022 - 2026.

Yuyun Wahyuningrum

Yuyun Wahyuningrum

ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR)

She has more than 28 years of experience working in human rights organizations at the national, regional, and international levels, including Human Rights Working Group, Oxfam International, Forum-Asia, Child Workers in Asia, the Solidarity Centre and the National Commission on Child Protection.

Dr. Ibrahim Salama

Dr. Ibrahim Salama

Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Diplomat for 40 years with predominantly multilateral inter-governmental experience, Ibrahim SALAMA also served as independent expert within human rights mechanisms and chaired the UN working group on the Right to Development.

Ms. Tanya Nguyen-Do

Ms. Tanya Nguyen-Do

Advocate for an unaffiliated Buddhist sect in Vietnam

Tanya came to the United States as a refugee from Vietnam in 1975 and credits her entrepreneurial successes to her family and new homeland.

Dian Wulandari

Dian Wulandari

Ministry of Communications and Informatics

Dian is appointed as Indonesia focal point for international organizations, particularly APPU and ASEAN sectoral bodies related to the digital technology and information.
Meanwhile, she was serving as the hand to the ASEAN Telecommunication and Information Technology Senior Official Meeting (TELSOM) Chair and Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministers Meeting (TELMIN) Chair during Indonesia Chairmanship in 2018 – 2019.

Dicky Sofjan, Ph.D.

Dicky Sofjan, Ph.D.

Core Doctoral Faculty, Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS)

Dicky Sofjan is a Core Doctoral Faculty in the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) based in the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta.

Mr. Taufik Basari

Mr. Taufik Basari

National Democratic Party, Commission III

Taufik Basari is a Member of the Indonesian Parliament for the 2019-2024 period from the National Democratic Party (NasDem) faction, representing the Lampung I electoral district. Currently, he serves as Deputy Chair of the MPR RI Socialization Agency

Mahmud Ahmad Mubarik

Mahmud Ahmad Mubarik

Ahmadiyah Indonesia

He holds a Master of Economics degree, specializing in finance and marketing. He has served on the National Board of the Ahmadiyah Muslim Community of Indonesia for the past ten years.

Stephen Schenck

Stephen Schenck

Commissioner with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF)

A political philosopher after more than thirty years as a professor, department chair, and dean.

Tantowi Anwari

Tantowi Anwari

Program Manager and Co-founder of Journalist Association for Diversity (Sejuk) Indonesia

The Journalists Association for Diversity (SEJUK): Co-founder SEJUK (2008), Advocacy Manager, 2010-2014 and 2021-now, Program Manager 2014-2021, Trainer on media, freedom of religion or belief, and diversity issues for journalists, student, civil society organization, campus press.

Daniel Awigra

Daniel Awigra

Executive Director of Indonesia's NGO Coalition for International Human Rights Advocacy or Human Rights Working Group (HRWG)

He recently led multi-stakeholders’ policy dialogues on the ASEAN Consensus on the protection of migrant workers’ rights in ASEAN member states. He has served as the International Advocacy Presidium of Jaringan Buruh Migran (Migrant Workers Network) since 2015. He co-founded Journalist Association for Diversity (SEJUK; sejuk.org) in 2008. He holds an MSc in International Relations from the University of Indonesia.

Destyia Nawris

Destyia Nawris

Representative of the Bahá’í International Community

Desytia Nawris is a Representative of the Bahá’í International Community’s Regional Office in Jakarta to inter-governmental associations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as various governmental agencies, civil society organizations and research institutes in the region.

Members of the SEAFORB Steering Committee

  • Cole Durham, Founder of International Center for Law and Religion Studies at BYU-Law
  • Thang Dinh Nguyen, CEO and President Boatpeople SOS
  • Eugene Yapp, Senior Fellow at Religious Freedom Institute
  • Birgitte Moe Olsen, Human Rights Adviser Stefanus Alliance International
  • Freya, Advocacy officer at CSW
  • Robin Ramcharan, Executive Director at Asia Centre

Members of the SEAFORB Planning Committee

  • Birgitte Moe Olsen, Human Rights Adviser Stefanus Alliance International
  • Rafendi Djamin, Human Rights Working Group Indonesia
  • Arlene Alisha, Human Rights Working Group Indonesia
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