FoRB Fellowship

To counter growing religious intolerance, the First Freedom Foundation has launched the FoRB Fellowship—an innovative program designed to unite and expand the global Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) movement. Over the course of a year, 36 emerging leaders will engage in scholarship, strategy, and service, learning and working together to champion religious freedom. By sharing their personal stories on social media, podcasts, and other platforms, fellows will weave their diverse communities’ individual struggles into a cohesive narrative about universal rights, demonstrating that religious liberty transcends borders and belief systems, and remains the bedrock of all human freedoms.

The Challenge at Hand

The FoRB movement faces critical challenges:

Rising Religious Intolerance: Today more than 80% of people around the world live under high or very high levels of religious restrictions—the highest ever recorded by PEW.
Insufficient Activism: Although religious persecution affects billions, the number of organizations and individuals working to protect freedom of religion or belief is small.
Aging Advocates: Many FoRB advocates are nearing retirement, putting the movement at risk of losing crucial knowledge and momentum, which could lead to stagnation and decline.

Objectives

Expand the Movement: Increase global awareness and engagement in advancing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) through strategic events, social media campaigns, a podcast, and an interactive online hub.
Empower Emerging Leaders: Equip fellows with comprehensive education and training, valuable relationships, and essential resources to enhance their religious freedom advocacy.
Effect Change: Achieve significant advocacy outcomes, with fellows driving real-world change in religious freedom in their home communities and globally.

Program Overview

The FoRB Fellowship will run annually, selecting a cohort of emerging leaders with an emphasis on geographic and religious diversity. This globally accessible program allows fellows to engage from their own countries, fostering broad participation. Through scholarship, strategy, and service, fellows unite by combining their unique perspectives and strengths, demonstrating that by standing together, they can achieve far more for their communities and the cause of religious freedom than they ever could alone. Additionally, the program will employ a “sales funnel” approach to expand the movement—leading the public from awareness to commitment, securing sustained support for Freedom of Religion or Belief worldwide.

Activities:

Social Media Outreach: Strategically develop and curate content to spread awareness about FoRB, attracting a broad audience and generating initial interest.
Podcast & Video Content: Produce a FoRB-forward podcast featuring interviews with movement champions, alongside YouTube videos that highlight fellows’ work, podcast highlights, and news segments to deepen audience engagement.
Event Organization: Organize impactful events, such as online rallies, social media thunderclaps, and the annual Global Youth Summit, to encourage active participation and commitment.
Content Curation for Online Hub: Contribute to an online hub, fostering ongoing community engagement and providing resources such as a curated news feed, directory, jobs board, event calendar, and document repository.

Beyond these activities, the program also supports fellows in developing and implementing their own initiatives. This hands-on approach empowers fellows with practical experience and strategically builds a pipeline of supporters and advocates, ensuring sustainable growth and long-term impact.

Fellowship Benefits

Connections: Develop relationships with fellow emerging leaders and established champions in the FoRB movement.
Education: Deepen understanding of the philosophy of freedom through a curated curriculum and discussions with thought leaders.
Training: Receive top-tier training in leadership development and political technology.
Mentorship: Work with dedicated mentors to guide project development and execution.
Practical Experience: Participate in major advocacy efforts, gaining invaluable hands-on experience with the guidance of experts in the field.
Initiative Development: Develop and implement your own ideas and projects, with support from mentors, advisors, and other fellows, along with introductions to potential funders.
Career Advancement: Enhance your professional portfolio, including endorsements from esteemed FoRB champions, by leading advocacy campaigns that drive real-world change.
Certificate of Completion: Receive a formal Certificate of Completion recognizing your achievements and contributions throughout the fellowship, signifying your role as a leader in the global FoRB movement.
Impact: Make a real difference in the global FoRB movement.

Unique Features

What makes the FoRB Fellowship truly unique is its combination of the Arbinger Institute’s “outward mindset” training with the challenge of working side-by-side with members of the very groups responsible for persecuting the fellows’ own communities. Christians who have seen friends killed by Muslim extremists work alongside Muslims who were expelled by Buddhists, and Buddhists persecuted by an atheistic regime collaborate with atheists targeted by religious extremists. This unique setting transforms the fellowship into a powerful living model of interfaith harmony, where former enemies learn to see one another’s needs as equally valid as their own, turning past pain into a shared commitment to peace.

Expected Outcomes

Movement Expansion: Widespread growth of the global FoRB community, marked by higher social media engagement, podcast downloads, video views, event participation, and new individuals and organizations joining the online hub.
Leadership Continuity: A well-prepared cohort with the education, skills, and networks necessary to ensure the future success of the FoRB movement.
Global Impact: Real-world progress in policy and public opinion, both at the international level and in fellows’ home countries.

Future Vision

The FoRB Fellowship program envisions future developments such as:

A docu-series showcasing fellows’ work and relationships which will further increase awareness of the FoRB cause.
In-person group projects, including advocacy work at global institutions, support for refugees of religious persecution, and participation in global gatherings like the IRF Summit and IRFBA Ministerial.
Consultation with governments and intergovernmental organizations such as the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA).
An event similar to Shark Tank wherein fellows and/or groups of fellows pitch their own ideas and projects to potential funders.

Conclusion

By identifying passionate and skilled young leaders, and equipping them with greater knowledge, experience, and networks, the FoRB Fellowship program will advance the cause of religious freedom worldwide. Their efforts will expand awareness, foster a more interconnected FoRB community, and drive tangible changes in policy and public opinion. We invite dedicated individuals to join us on this transformative journey to create a future where freedom of religion or belief is respected for all.

Details

Duration: The fellowship lasts one year, from October through September.
Location: The program is entirely remote, with potential for future in-person experiences if funding allows.
Time Commitment: Fellows are expected to dedicate 10-15 hours per week to work and study.
Working Groups: Fellows will be organized into working groups based on their interests. These groups will rotate each quarter, allowing fellows to learn new skills and collaborate with different team members.
Activities: Focus areas include social media campaigns, podcast production, video editing, event planning, developing the online hub, and launching new youth-led initiatives. The first half of the year emphasizes the Global Youth Summit and online hub, while the second half focuses on incubating new projects and ideas.
Meetings: Due to the global nature of the fellowship and the diversity of time zones, most meetings will occur at 11 AM EDT.
Support: Each working group will have a dedicated mentor. Additionally, Patrice Pederson will provide ongoing support, and fellows will have opportunities to interact with major FoRB champions and thought leaders.
Logistical Requirements: Fellows need at least a smartphone, a stable internet connection, and a quiet place for meetings and podcast recording. Basic recording equipment will be provided if needed.
Language Requirement: English fluency is required for participation in the fellowship.
Deliverables: Fellows will produce social media campaigns, videos, podcasts, events, and content for the online hub.

Regional Distribution

To ensure a diverse and globally representative cohort, we aim to select fellows from every region around the world. While these numbers are flexible, they reflect our goal to include a variety of perspectives, with special consideration for countries and regions facing significant challenges or opportunities for religious freedom.

North America: ≅ 4 fellows
Latin America and Caribbean: ≅ 3 fellows (with priority for Cuba and Nicaragua)
Europe: ≅ 5 fellows (with priority for Russia)
Africa: ≅ 5 fellows (with a strong priority for Nigeria)
Middle East: ≅ 5 fellows (with priority for Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and Northern Iraq)
East Asia: ≅ 4 fellows (with strong priority for expats from East Turkestan/Xinjiang)
Southeast Asia: ≅ 3 fellows (with priority for Vietnam and expats from Burma/Myanmar)
South Asia: ≅ 4 fellows (with a strong priority for India, also Pakistan)
Central Asia: ≅ 3 fellows

Application Process

Interested candidates should submit the following information to the Application Form in the format of their choice (written, images, audio, video, etc.):

Tell us a little about your background.
Why is freedom of religion or belief important to you?
What do you hope to gain by participating in the FoRB Fellowship?
What do you feel you have to contribute to the FoRB Fellowship?

We encourage creativity in submissions—whether you choose to tell your story through writing, images, audio, or video. This is your opportunity to showcase the skills and vision you bring to advance the cause of FoRB.

Although the September 3 application deadline has passed, we are still accepting applications while conducting interviews, as we strive for strong representation from each region. If you’re interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible!