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Important safety notice
The rights you will learn about in the Learning Platform resource materials are the rights guaranteed by international law. Under international law, no state, organisation, religious or belief community or person can take these rights away from people. None the less, in some national contexts the exercise of these rights is illegal or risk filled. When using the resources, it is important to find out what laws apply in your context and consider how these relate to international law. When working to educate others, please remember that it may be dangerous to talk about human rights in general and freedom of religion or belief in particular. Please adapt the resources both to your audience and to risk factors. We provide scripts of all of our films in order to enable you to adapt the contents appropriately. 

Introductory learning package
On this page you can find a package of 8 short videos and 2 booklets that are ideal for anyone wanting to make a difference on the issue. Taken together, the resources provide a solid, easy to understand introduction to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FORB) as a human right. Watching and reading them will enable you to understand what FORB involves and when it may be limited (according to international law). You’ll also learn about the situation for FORB in various parts of the world, which can help you recognise violations of the right in your context too.
You can use the films for personal study or in group trainings, or use scripts of the films to develop the contents of your own talks/presentations. Additionally we have a more in depth film package on access to justice when rights are violated. 

The films are available both in the English original, as well as a number of other languages. Click your preferred language in the top of page menu top to find the films in your language. You can also check here.
1. An Introduction to Freedom of Religion or Belief 
Who or what is protected by freedom of religion or belief? What do international conventions say and what rights do they give us?
2. The right to have or change your religion or belief
​Are governments, religious leaders or family members allowed to limit your right to have, change or leave your religion or belief? What do international human rights say, what happens in reality?
3. The right to manifest (practice) religion or belief
​There are lots of ways to express and practice religion or belief. What is protected by human rights and what’s not? With examples of violations of the right to manifest from around the world.
4. Protection from coercion
​Coercion means being forced to say or do something. This film explores the government’s duty not to coerce in matters of religion or belief and to protect you from coercion in society. Examples from around the world illustrate the forms coercion can take.
5. Protection from discrimination
​Discrimination on the basis of religion or belief is banned and states have a duty to protect people from discrimination in society. Examples from around the world illustrate the forms discrimination can take.
6. Rights for parents and children
​What rights do parents and children have? Examples from around the world illustrate how states violate children’s rights and the balance between parents and children’s rights.
7. Conscientious objection
The right to refuse to do something that you would normally be expected to do, because doing it conflicts with your deepest beliefs. The most weakly protected element of freedom of religion or belief.
8. Limitations to freedom of religion or belief
Many governments limit freedom of religion or belief, but how do we know when limitations are justified and permissible and when they're not? An in depth look at the rules given in human rights conventions that lawmakers and courts should stick to when implementing freedom of religion or belief.
​Freedom of religion or belief for everyone
A useful, attractive booklet introducing freedom of religion or belief as a human right. Ideal for personal reading or as a hand out/preparatory reading for training events. 
Published by Stefanus Alliance International
​A quick guide to religious freedom
What freedom of religion or belief involves and when it may be limited. The format of this guide is closely linked to the films above. Ideal for personal reading, or as a hand out/preparatory reading for training events. ​Published by the Swedish Mission Council 

Do you want more?

You can find even more in depth resources here.

Access to Justice Film package

What should be done when the right to freedom of religion or belief has been violated? Check out our film package on justice.

Available Languages

The FORB introduction package of videos is available in a number of languages. Here we provide an overview so you can see which languages the videos are available in. We continuously add more languages to the collection.
The videos are currently available in the following languages:

Other Resources

We have collected a few movies and documentaries related to freedom of religion or belief.
Unless otherwise stated all photographs used are generic, with a creative commons license.
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