Having received two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize, the Institute on Religion and Public Policy is one of the world’s most effective and well-respected advocates for freedom of religion and belief.

An international, inter-religious non-profit organization, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring freedom of religion as the foundation for security, stability, and democracy. Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute recognizes that religious freedom is more than just a church-state issue. As such, the Institute engages every segment of society to protect humankind’s most basic fundamental right: freedom of religion and belief. The Institute’s programs reflect this multi-faceted approach, in national security, corporate social responsibility, interfaith dialogue and media engagement.

Religious discrimination and persecution are not new issues. They have been around as long as humanity. But combating them does require new ideas and innovative solutions. The Institute has developed creative and exciting methods of advancing fundamental rights, energizing new advocates and rolling back religious discrimination, persecution and tyranny.

Many religious freedom advocacy groups do an important service by highlighting individual cases of persecution, discrimination, imprisonment and abuse. The Institute, however, has a more overarching goal: To create and strengthen legal, business, academic, media and other systems within countries—and internationally—to protect religious freedom so such abuses do not occur.

The Institute on Religion and Public Policy does not accept funding of any type from religions, religious institutions, or government agencies of any kind, unless government funds are specifically earmarked solely for the Interparliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom.