A Proposal to Implement US Department of State Grassroots World Religious Freedom Peacebuilding. Too long have grassroots peacebuilding solutions for international religious freedom been neglected or overlooked. They have not received urgent, serious national or international support, interest, or action. Now is the time to implement—to “jumpstart”—urgent religious freedom peacebuilding with highly professional, grassroots personnel, training, mobilization, sponsorship, and action. And, the U.S. Department of State Office of International Religious Freedom can do it!

1. INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS
FREEDOM
&
URGENCIES for WORLD PEACE,
SECURITY, JUSTICE
PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
GRASSROOTS WORLD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PEACEBUILDING
Too long havegrassroots peacebuilding solutions for international religious freedom
been neglected or overlooked. They have not received urgent, serious national or
international support, interest, or action. Now is the time to implement—to
“jumpstart”—urgent religious freedom peacebuilding with highly professional,
grassroots personnel, training, mobilization, sponsorship, and action. And, the U.S.
Department of State Office of International Religious Freedom can do it!
2019
JAMES E. SCHAEFER, CHAPLAIN (COLONEL) USA
January 2019

2. PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT U.S. DEP’T OF STATE GRASSROOTS WORLD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PEACEBUILDING
2
James E. Schaefer, Chaplain (Colonel) United States Army - james.edward.schaefer@gmail.com
“The United States of America stands for
religious freedom yesterday, today and
always. We do this because it is right.
But we also do this because religious
freedom is in the interest of the peace and
security of the world.”
– Vice President Mike Pence at the 1st
Ministerial to
Advance Religious Freedom, U.S. Department of
State, Washington, D.C., July 26, 2018
“Promotion of international religious
freedom is in our national interest, and it
directly supports national security
priorities.”
–Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious
Freedom Sam Brownback at the Senate Confirmation
hearing, October 4, 2017

3. PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT U.S. DEP’T OF STATE GRASSROOTS WORLD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PEACEBUILDING
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James E. Schaefer, Chaplain (Colonel) United States Army - james.edward.schaefer@gmail.com
Precedent:
International Religious Freedom (IRF) is the God-given right of freedom of religion that
modern documents have nobly underscored.1
Many have acknowledged the link between
freedom of religion and the peace, security, and justice in the world and today’s IRF
dialogues have gained considerable international top-down senior level support.
Problem:
The onslaught against IRF has also increased and continues to erode worldwide peace,
security, and justice that top-down support cannot overmatch. The problem is grassroots
peacebuilding2
solutions for IRF have been neglected and have not received urgent or
serious national or international support, interest, or action, as evidenced below.
No Grassroots Personnel. There are no grassroots religious ministry professionals3
,
or RMP, personnel. RMPs are decisive, devoted, dedicated, civilian or military
religious professionals from all faiths and nations who have been invited to participate
in grassroots IRF peacebuilding.
–“Personnel is policy. Put the right personnel in, you get the right policy.” Frank R. Wolf,
former Congressman.4
No Grassroots Training. There is no grassroots IRF training for RMPs that is
achievable, sustainable, affordable, manageable, sensitive, and mobile. Grassroots
IRF training is free but it still requires the resources of sacrificial time and effort from
RMPs and vested peacebuilders for religious peace, security, and justice.
–“There is still a disconnect between international religious freedom and other foreign
policy imperatives and resources…. The resources of the U.S. foreign policy establishment
have not yet been fully leveraged….” Dr. Elizabeth H. Prodromou, former USCIRF Vice
Chair.5
No Grassroots Mobilization. There is no grassroots mobilization of RMPs. Grassroots
RMPs could mobilize IRF peacebuilding efforts on the ground to beleaguered peoples.
– “What is needed are forces on the ground – grassroots campaigns…. And [it] needs a
jumpstart.”6
No Grassroots Sponsorship. There is no official sponsor that has given serious
support and interest to grassroots IRF peacebuilding. Official sponsors must move
beyond top-down advocacy and provide encouragement, legitimacy, support, and
impetus to grassroots IRF peacebuilders for religious peace, security, and justice.
–“The IRF movement did not move beyond top-down advocacy….” Sharon Payt,
Executive Director, 21Wilberforce.7

4. PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT U.S. DEP’T OF STATE GRASSROOTS WORLD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PEACEBUILDING
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James E. Schaefer, Chaplain (Colonel) United States Army - james.edward.schaefer@gmail.com
Proposal:
Grassroots Personnel. Grassroots RMP personnel can be invited—now. The
U.S. Department of State IRF roundtable, roundtables worldwide, and religious groups
and NGOs are centers of IRF excellence that are ready to invite and provide volunteer
grassroots IRF RMP personnel who will succeed in religious peacebuilding.8
Grassroots Training. Grassroots RMP training can begin—now. The grassroots
RMP training called “MERiT” training, or Multicultural, Ethnic-reconciliation, Religious,
Transparency training, trains and mobilizes volunteer trainees. The training is
achievable (1-day class), sustainable (trainees train others), affordable (free),
manageable (fits audiences’ needs), sensitive (fits audiences’ religious tenets), and
mobile (can go to any location). MERiT training equips, and mobilizes mid to senior
level volunteer RMPs through classroom instruction, instructor mentoring, peer group
exchanges, a laboratory project, and a mobilized team practicum for real-world
peacebuilding needs. The training topics address the RMP’s theological9 calling,
integrating multicultural religious peacebuilding, integrating ethnic reconciliation, and
implementing religious and transparent dialogue10 methods in religious peacebuilding.
Grassroots Mobilization. Grassroots RMPs can mobilize—now. The Honorable
Sam Brownback, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the
weekly attendees at roundtables, and worldwide religious groups regularly plea for
more grassroots volunteers. RMP volunteers can mobilize now to help worldwide
beleaguered peoples through religious peacebuilding for peace, security, and justice.
Grassroots Sponsorship. Grassroots Official Sponsors can step up—now. The
U.S. Department of State Office of International Religious Freedom’s top-down
advocacy, encouragement, legitimacy, support, and impetus for IRF makes it the ideal
center of excellence for official grassroots sponsorship. Other IRF-vested official
support may also come from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S.
Commission on International Religious Freedom, and the U.S. Peace Corps.
Grassroots Cost. Free. RMP peacebuilding training is free without charge to any
religious peacebuilding initiative. Invitational travel, lodging, or materiel costs would
be the responsibility of the inviting group.
Grassroots Action. Now. The U.S. Office of IRF must act now to sponsor the
grassroots personnel, training, and mobilization. This proposal’s point of contact and
other IRF roundtable vested peacebuilders will coordinate and advise the way ahead.

5. PROPOSAL TO IMPLEMENT U.S. DEP’T OF STATE GRASSROOTS WORLD RELIGIOUS FREEDOM PEACEBUILDING
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James E. Schaefer, Chaplain (Colonel) United States Army - james.edward.schaefer@gmail.com
Point of Contact:
Chaplain Schaefer has served 28 years in the Active Army and has had a
decorated career in Infantry and Airborne units and on the Department of
the Army Staff at the Pentagon, advising numerous commanders and
leading exchanges with Allied leaders in Cuba, Panama, Afghanistan, and
Kuwait. In Cuba, he worked with the U.S. Department of State as a
translator and religious provider to over 5,000 Cuban migrants. In Afghanistan, he led
multiple meetings with local and regional Mullah delegations, leading the Coalition to
assist area orphanages, hospitals, women’s care, and humanitarian needs. With Afghan
religious leaders, he developed mutual trust and contributed to the peace of the Kandahar
region. In Kuwait, he led dozens of exchanges with military leadership in the Kuwaiti
armed forces to promote a dialogue of peace, security, justice, and mutual understanding.
He also programmed two high-profile religious security cooperation exchanges with the
Grand Mufti of Jordan, General Batoush, and with the Chief of Chaplains of the Kuwaiti
armed forces, General Al-Rayas, bringing each and their delegations to the United States
for diplomatic talks and mutual religious exchanges. He lived as a child in El Salvador, is
fluent in Spanish, and he and his wife live in the Washington D.C. area.
1 -The Global Magnitsky Act, U.S.PublicLaw 112-208 (as amended),2017,https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-112publ208/html/PLAW-112publ208.htm
-The Marrakesh Declaration, 2016, http://marrakeshdeclaration.org/.
-The Amman Message,2004, http://ammanmessage.com/.
-The Helsinki Final Act, 1975,Principle VII, https://www.osce.org/helsinki-final-act.
-The United Nations Declaration OfHuman Rights, 1948, Article 18, http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/index.html.
2The United Nations Peacebuilding Fund and the Secretary General’s2012 reportsays,“successful peacebuilding processesmust be transformative,creating spacefor a
wider setofactors – including women,youth, marginalized groups,civil society,and the private sector – to participate in national post-conflictdecision-making.”
http://www.unpbf.org/application-guidelines/what-is-peacebuilding/, and http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/67/499.
3 A civilian or military religiousministry professional,or RMP, isone who haswritten documentation from a religious organization thatindicates she/heis fully and
professionally qualified and endorsed to perform all offices,functions,sacraments,ordinances, and ceremonies required ofan RMP for thatreligious organization. In this
proposal, a RMP conducts peacebuilding practices or engagements in concertwith international fragile state peace operations for the U.S.,for participating states’, for
non-states’, or for non-governmental organizations’ stated goals. U.S.military documents equate the RMP to the “chaplain.”
http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/130428_2004_ch3.pdf.
4 The 20th Anniversary ofthe International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective,21Wilberforce,2018:57, https://21wilberforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/7.0-
IRF-Retrospective_11.28.18.pdf
5 The 20th Anniversary ofthe International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective,21Wilberforce,2018:51.
6 The 20th Anniversary ofthe International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective,21Wilberforce,2018:54.
7 The 20th Anniversary ofthe International Religious Freedom Act: A Retrospective,21Wilberforce,2018:54.
8 Grassroots RMPsare civilian or military religious ministry professionals(see Note 3) who have succeededwhere othershave failed in peacebuilding becausereligion is
singularly the mostsalientfactor affecting over 80% ofthe world,and the RMP issingularly the mostsalientexpertand mediator in religion able to mobilize such expertise
in peacebuilding. RMPsare the mosteffective instrumentin peacebuilding because oftheir religious compassion for the needy and because oftheir universal acceptance
by co-religionists. Last,the RMP’ssuccesses are inextricably tied to the unswervingcommitmentto religious freedom asthe firstGod given rightamong rightswhich
motivates the RMP’spursuitfor religious freedomfor all. For more information re: religiousbeliefin the majority ofthe world, see “ReligiousEngagementin Peacebuilding,
A USIP FactSheet,” 22 May 2018,https://www.usip.org/publications/2018/05/religious-engagement-peacebuilding. Also,see the World Values Survey,Wave 6, 2010-
2014, for survey ofup to 80 countries regarding “Beliefin God” averaging 84%, http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/WVSOnline.jsp.
9 The term theology applies to all religions. TheOxford dictionary states itis: “The study ofthe nature ofGod and religious belief; religious beliefs and theory when
systematically developed.” https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/theology
10 The term “dialogue,” used throughoutthis paper, is notthe same as discussion. The preferred dialogue with religious leader engagements emphasizesthree facets that
are bestsuited to a religious engagement. They are, “Listening more deeply and for longer periodsoftime. Itrequires a complete shiftin mindsetfrom telling others what
you think, to inquiring ofthem whatthey think. Inquiring ofothers and paraphrasing their ideas when you mightotherwisewantto attack, defend or explain. Examining
our thoughts and separating assumptions fromfacts.” For more discussionon dialogue vs. discussion,see:Army TechniquesPublication, ATP 1-05.03, ReligiousSupport
and External Advisement, chapter 4, “Soldier Leader Engagement,” Washington, DC:31 January 2019,
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN14614_ATP%201-05x03%20FINAL%20WEB.pdf