State Department Training on International Religious Freedom?

Each year when the State Department issues its International Religious Freedom Report, it includes an appendix in which it lists the training that is provided at the Foreign Service Institute related to the International Religious Freedom Act. I'm not sure how many people actually pulled up Appendix E to the Report this year, but I decided to check it out. I wonder if anyone else bothered.

The Appendix lists a number of courses that are offered, some of which include aspects related to international religious freedom. There are some presentations that cover human rights policy and happen to mention international religious freedom. There are courses on area studies that may include elements associated with religion. And then there is a list at the end of the three-page Appendix that includes a handful of links to pertinent documents.

I haven't taken the courses, so I would be interested in hearing an insider's perspective on the efficacy of the program. As an outsider, it didn't look very impressive. In fact, the Appendix looks to me like the result of an assignment given one afternoon to a clerk who was tasked to come up with a list of things that make it look like the State Department is making a greater effort to train foreign service personnel in international religious freedom as required under the International Religious Freedom Act. And ever since that person came up with this list in 1999, it looks like someone takes about 30 minutes each year to update the Appendix with a few little odds and ends. In other words, it doesn't look like a serious attempt was made to design thorough, specific, and fundamental training on international religious freedom or religion as it impacts international affairs. It doesn't appear to me like this is something that is treated very seriously.

And why would anyone take it seriously? After all, the president cannot find the time nor can he make the effort to even appoint the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, as required by law, to head up the efforts. The office has been vacant for nearly a year already. If it is not important enough to appoint the Ambassador-at-Large, then the function of encouraging or even attempting to understand international religious freedom and the role of religion in international affairs must not be important either. It seems that only lip service is being made, and very little at that, to comply with the International Religious Freedom Act by the State Department.

How about this: How about a thorough evaluation of the State Department's training efforts in this field? What are the training materials? Are they any good? Who are the qualified experts who provide the training? What level of importance is the subject accorded in the training? Is there a career path for those who are experts in international religious freedom and religion as it relates to international affairs? How effective is the training? Is there ongoing training? Who is accountable for ensuring the highest level of quality training in the subject matter? Does anyone care? I would love to see a thorough evaluation of this, because I'm not convinced that those in power really care. And I think that is a huge mistake.