Ruzbeh Hodiwala of Ahmedabad was a delegate at the 34th World Congress organized by the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF). Having been affiliated with the organization’s youth wing, the Religious Freedom Young Adult Network (RFYN) and because of his activism in the field of interfaith harmony and human rights, Hodiwala was invited to be part of the 10-member Indian delegation to the Congress which was held on the campus of the Barber Institute of Fine Arts of the University of Birmingham, England from August 24-27, 2014, he informed Parsiana by email.
Ruzbeh Hodiwala (above, 2nd from left) with other delegates at world congress for religious freedom
Three hundred delegates from 25 countries attended the Congress whose theme was "Challenges for Religious Freedom in the Digital Era.” The IARF, which is in its 115th year, works to uphold religious freedom and human rights. Over 40 scholars and activists headed sessions on minority rights and digital media, heritage and freedom, building respect, scriptures and culture, animation, etc. The young RFYN delegation from India presented a five-minute mime depicting the human rights violations that often take place in Indian society and how digital tools have enabled them to act promptly to remedy the situations, the email mentions. RFYN was established in 2002 for members aged from 18 to 35.