21wilberforce in Action

Emerging Leaders Training was Life-changing

January 16, 2020

Shirley and Joyce Porto were born in Brazil. Their parents instilled the importance of Christian faith and education as a means to escape poverty. The twins faced difficulties and prejudices in their country, but that did not stop them. Although Shirley and Joyce spoke several languages, their English was poor and they viewed this as hindrance to their careers. They ...
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Religious Persecution 75 Years After the Holocaust

January 15, 2020

The Holocaust ended nearly 75 years ago, but persecution against religious minorities including Jews, Christians, Yazidis, Muslims, and others continues to this day. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and 21Wilberforce are co-hosting an event for National Prayer Breakfast attendees to hear from survivors of the Holocaust and other religious persecution. A panel of leaders from Congress and organizations working ...
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FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS: A Look Back at 2019

December 22, 2019

In 2019 21Wilberforce advocated for, challenged and empowered people of faith to support persecuted communities, challenge religious repression and expand religious freedom globally. Local and international activists were empowered at the largest international religious freedom conference ever. Over a thousand leaders from more than 100 countries were able to build relationships, share resources, and collaborate on best practices because 21Wilberforce ...
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We Defend

21Wilberforce draws its inspiration from the 19th century British parliamentarian William Wilberforce, who led an improbable movement that ended the single greatest violation of human rights — the slave trade.

Like our namesake, 21Wilberforce leverages the strength of collaborative partnerships, grassroots empowerment, and policy campaigns. Our vision is to empower people of faith to collaboratively support persecuted communities of all faiths, challenge religious repression, and globally expand freedom of religion, belief, and conscience.

Our Vision

we equip

As Christian international human rights advocates, 21Wilberforce trains persecuted groups and their leaders through a host of practical and scalable programs:

Leadership & Advocacy Training

Coalition Building

Campaign Organizing

Policy Reform

Prisoner Release

Network Mobilization

We Mobilize

21st century — more than 80% of people living today face some form of restriction, discrimination or ongoing persecution because of their beliefs. 21Wilberforce stands committed to advance religious freedom as a universal right through its innovative Freedom Center.

The Freedom Center provides tailored tools to mobilize and train groups and individuals to defend persecuted communities and religious prisoners. The online platform promotes three objectives:
Learn (awareness and understanding)
Prepare (practical instruction)
Act (tools for engagement and action)

FREEDOM CENTER

We inform

alerts

Seven Lessons From the Persecuted

December 16, 2019

When 21Wilberforce opened its doors in January 2015, little did I realize that the wisdom I would gain from the persecuted would far exceed anything I could offer them. As we near the end of 2019, I want to share seven insights the persecuted have taught me. First, I experienced joyful worship from 1800 Chinese house church pastors our team met in ...
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campaigns

Future Ready: Global Human Rights Movement Centered on Religious Freedom

August 9, 2019

80 percent of people in the world live in a religiously restricted environment. Future ready is about asking the right questions. Relative to international religious freedom, the United States is leading and partners are answering the call. Last month Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Washington, D.C. (Ministerial derives from the Latin ...
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stories

Training an Advocate for Change in China