Exploring the Intersections of Religion & Governance: Past, Present, & Future 
October 9-11, 2008 

American University, Washington College of Law
4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Room 603, Washington, D.C.

To register: please go to www.wcl.american.edu/secle/registration. For full agenda, list of speakers and other information, please visit https://www.wcl.american.edu/secle/fall/2008/081010.cfm or contact: Office of Special Events & Continuing Legal Education, American University, Washington College of Law, Phone: 202.274.4075 ‐ Fax: 202.274.4079 ‐ secle@wcl.american.edu.

American University, Washington College of Law 

This gathering seeks to address the question of what contributions the world’s religious traditions might make to governance – broadly defined as the traditions, institutions, and processes by which authority is exercised in a given society. What can faith and religion teach us about “good governance” and its features? What do the various faith traditions or world views emphasize as the essential elements of good governance?

Since the mid-1990s, international organizations and donor agencies have been advocating “good governance” as a condition for development aid. The criteria for such governance have variously included accountability, responsiveness, transparency, public participation, and the rule of law. Many have highlighted the roots of these concepts in Western democratic culture. This conference hopes to examine the religious dimensions of these concepts as well. The conference will thus provide a forum for an open and frank discussion of the relationship of religion and governance and the complex legacy of their interaction. 

The North American Baha’i Conferences on Law seek to promote new ideas for addressing global problems, with the hope of promoting unity and global justice, while maintaining and respecting a diversity of views, cultures, and beliefs. This goal is inspired by the view that all humankind is one, and all religions and faith traditions are ultimately united, as diverse reflections of one truth. Prior conferences have been held at Columbia Law School, the University of California - Berkeley Law School, and the University of Toronto School of Law. 

Keynote Speaker:
Professor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im
Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, Emory Law School