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Mobilizing Faith for WomenTom EnglandPresident Carter and Karin Ryan of The Carter Center have worked together on many human rights issues.President Carter greets Molly Melching, founder of theorganization Tostan.Tom Englandfrom their institutional platforms. The religiousleaders in attendance embraced this call, givingexamples of work that many are already carrying outand requesting organizational support and training ininternational human rights frameworks so they maylearn to more effectively lobby their governments toaddress abuses in their respective countries.Tostan, the Senegalese organization, was representedby former Parliamentarian Bacary Tamba andfounder Molly Melching. It was the inspiring story ofTostan’s astonishing successes in eliminating harmfultraditional practices such as female genital cuttingin thousands of villages in Africa that undergirdedthe dialogue among participants. The foundation ofTostan’s success is community-based, consultativeapproaches championed by religious and traditionalThe Carter Center 7