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Successful Return from U.S. of Tajikistan’s Third Community Connections Group—“Religion in a Secular Society”

30 October 2006

Successful Return from U.S. of Tajikistan’s Third Community Connections Group—“Religion in a Secular Society”

Nine participants of the Community Connections program “Religion in a Secular Society” returned from 20 days in the United States on October 27, 2006. Participants were selected from cities of Dushanbe, Gharm, Khujand and Isfara through an open competition based on their leadership potential within the field of religion. During their stay in Washington, DC and Louisville, Kentucky, participants met with congressmen, religious leaders and various community members of the United States. They also visited Capitol Hill, Muslim Public Affairs Councils, Study Center of Islam and Democracy, US Commission of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, White House Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, Council on American-Islamic Relations, The Cathedral Heritage Foundation, Simmons University Bible College, Jewish Community Center, Islamic Cultural Center, Muhammad Ali Center, Office of International Affairs, Louisville Arab-American Association, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, Litigation to Protect Religious Freedom, American Civil Liberties Union, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Audubon Congregation, The Presbyterian Church and many other organizations.

The aim of this program was to introduce religious leaders and government officials who have a supervisory role over religious affairs to secularism in the American context. Participants have learned how religion and the state interact and mechanisms that serve to protect religious rights in the U.S. Particular emphasis have been placed on the role that religious philanthropic organizations and other faith-based organizations play in the mainstream of American civil society.

The USAID-funded Community Connections Program provides an important opportunity for citizens of the United States and Tajikistan to work together to address common professional challenges while expanding their social and cultural understanding. As business and professional communities of both countries rapidly become integrated, opportunities for positive relations between American people and the people of Tajikistan are increasingly important. The Community Connections Program offers community-based, three-to-five week practical trainings in the United States for business and professional organization leaders from Tajikistan.

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