The Appeal of Conscience Foundation today held its 25th Annual Seminar on Understanding Religion and Culture for the US State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, offering Foreign Service Officers background on the religious communities and religius cultural traditions in the countries of their assignment. More than 350 Foreign Service Institute students and faculty attended the day-long seminar, which was highlighted by keynote speaker Karen Hughes, Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
On the 20th Anniversary of the seminar then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright applauded the Appeal of Conscience Foundation for providing “a generation of Foreign Service Officers the opportunity to focus on religious life in their assigned countries, and to build on this knowledge throughout their careers”. She noted, “The Seminar has also contributed substantially over the past two decades to developing the kinds of awareness and understanding which made the department’s human rights reporting and advocacy a hallmark of American diplomacy.”