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World News & Perspectives Canada’s Office of Religious Freedom photo PRINCIPAL SPEAKER: Andrew Bennett, Canada’s Ambassador of Religious Freedom, delivers the keynote address at the 11th annual Religious Liberty Dinner, which for the second year in a row was hosted by the Embassy of Canada to the United States in Washington. At the dinner, Ambassador Bennett had the occasion to meet with a broad crosssection of representatives from civil society groups engaged in the matter of religious freedom in the world. ■■NORTH AMERICA Religious Freedom Under Global Threat, Canadian Ambassador Says In speech to Liberty dinner, Andrew Bennett Promises Active Voice By MARK A. KELLNER, news editor Calling the freedom to worship “a core human right . . . that is under increasing threat around the world,” Andrew P. W. Bennett, Canada’s new ambassador of religious freedom, pledged his nation’s support for those believers, worldwide, whose rights are in danger, in comments delivered to an audience of religious liberty advocates on April 18, 2013. “We are deeply concerned about the situation in various parts of the world where individuals, including Ahmadiyya Muslims, Baha’is, Chaldean Catholics and Coptic Orthodox, Tibetan Buddhists, Jews and Muslim Rohingyas, among others, experience difficulty in their ability to worship and practice their faith in peace,” Bennett told approximately 150 guests at the annual Liberty Religious Freedom Dinner, cosponsored by Liberty magazine, the North American Religious Liberty Association, and the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA). As was the case in 2012 when the Honorable John Baird, Canada’s foreign affairs minister, was the dinner speaker, the event was held at Canada’s embassy in Washington, D.C. “Religious freedom does not just mean freedom to worship. It also means freedom to study one’s faith; freedom to preach it; freedom to engage in missionary activity; freedom to change one’s faith, and—yes—freedom to hold no religious beliefs,” Bennett, a scholar who was a professor and dean at Ottawa’s Augustine College before his February 2013 appointment, said. He added, “The need for action in defending freedom of religion in many countries is urgent. Religious persecution is on the rise around the world. We are called upon to act and to defend the human rights of all. We must do so, because religious freedom is not a theological issue; it is a human issue. Every society must recognize the basic human dignity of all, regardless of faith. We all possess free will. We must have the freedom to exercise this in matters of faith.” Bennett explained, “Canada is a pluralistic society of many cultures and faiths. But we share a common humanity with people from the world over. As such, it is our common duty to defend the rights of the afflicted and give voice to the voiceless.” He pledged Canada’s support, not only for global religious freedom, but also to remove what he called unfair restrictions on the activities of minority religions in various nations around the world. “Religious groups who face persecution will know that they have a friend and supporter in Canada. We will continue to strongly condemn all attacks on places of worship, whether at temples, synagogues, shrines, mosques, gurdwaras, or churches. It is of utmost importance that every individual be able to practice his or her faith free from the threat of violence and discrimination,” Bennett said. “Many religious groups face unfair legislative and regulatory restrictions that can strip away fundamental democratic freedoms,” he continued, “freedoms that include the basic right to vote, as we’ve seen with Ahmadiyyas in 8 (424) | www.AdventistReview.org | May 16, 2013
Pakistan. These restrictions placed on religious groups under the guise of maintaining order and security undermine basic dignity and certainly the human rights of too many around the world.” Bennett said, “Canada is prepared to lead, with our partners and allies, to promote the dignity of the human being and each human’s inherent right to profess and practice their faith freely. We do so knowing that societies that protect religious freedom are most likely to protect other fundamental freedoms.” Two other individuals were honored at the event. Charles C. Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., received the national award, presented by Liberty editor Lincoln Steed. Katrina Lantos Swett, chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, received the international award, presented by John Graz, secretary-general of the IRLA. More information on Liberty magazine, which is sponsored by the Seventhday Adventist Church, can be found online at www.libertymagazine.org/. n ■■NORTH AMERICA Adventist Academy Notes Centennial, Plans Rebuilding Effort On California’s coast, Valley View school’s impact remembered By CARON OSWALD, vice president for communication, Central California Conference, writing from Fresno, California Valley View Junior Academy (VVJA), a Seventh-day Adventist school in Arroyo Grande, California, celebrated its centennial on April 5-7, 2013. More than 600 guests, including 300 alumni, attended the weekend event, held at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts. The town is in central California, about three hours north of Los Angeles on the Pacific Ocean coast. Friday night’s guest speaker was alumna Atonte Myers, a member of the Templeton Hills Seventh-day Adventist Church. Alumnus Scott Nelson taught Sabbath school, and Union College’s Chris Blake, a former VVJA English teacher, preached Sabbath worship. On Sabbath afternoon there was a concert by Monterey Bay Academy’s Oceanaires and Wood Winds. At the Saturday night mixer, alumni shared memories and participated in a fund-raising auction. A Sunday morning golf tournament completed the celebration. Generous guests gave more than $70,000 to the school’s building fund. The 80-year-old schoolhouse needs to be completely renovated. In 1886 Edwin Paulding, the town’s only doctor, became the first Seventhday Adventist there. Clara, his new wife and a Presbyterian, refused to attend arroyo grande Archive photo REBUILDING DUE: A surprise gift of $150,000 for rebuilding the facility from a community parent was the stimulus to rebuild the Arroyo Grande church school. With nearly $900,000 of the $1.3 million goal raised, Phase I begins with ground breaking on June 10, 2013. The rebuilding is a two-year project. and never agreed with his new religious beliefs. Expecting an imminent end of the world, Paulding had little interest in building wealth. Instead, he and two friends bought land for a church near the corner of Short Street and Allen Street. Camp meetings continued to grow the congregation. John and Elfrida Becket, successful landowners, joined the Adventist Church in 1912. After the tragic death of their son in 1928, the Beckets deeded land to the Adventist Church for a school. Built in 1938, in his memory, it sits on a hilltop with a view of the ocean and valley hillsides. Recently a surprise gift of $150,000 from a community couple was given to www.AdventistReview.org | May 16, 2013 | (425) 9
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