Asia Religious and Ethnic Freedom

The approach of asia REF incorporates adaptive management and flexible programming of award funding to support local organizations promoting the recognition of religious freedoms in to-be-identified countries throughout the asia-pacific region.

The goal of the asia REF award is to expand international religious freedom by working with local and locally-established partners across asia. The consortium partners will pursue this goal via three objectives.

Under these objectives, projects and a learning agenda will be created iteratively with HRSM partners, USAID missions, technical advisors from USAID/Washington, and local partners. The objectives are: 1.

Support targeted in-country and cross-border efforts by local partners to expand the freedom of religion and conscience in Asia; 2.

Promote the international religious freedom of China's minority diaspora populations located in nearby or neighboring countries that have been subject to human rights violations (such as, but not limited to, Uyghur, Tibetan, and Christian communities); 3.

Improve local community partners, including religious and ethnic minority community partners, capacities to a) advance freedom of religion and conscience within their countries, b) address immediate capacity needs, and c) develop and access increasing resources to address self-reliance deficits.