Joseph K. Grieboski

From its founding in 1999, Mr. Grieboski transformed the Institute on Religion and Public Policy into a well-respected global authority on the role of religious freedom in society and politics, culminating in its 2007 and 2008 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Mr. Grieboski’s guiding principle for the Institute was that religious freedom is not simply a church-state issue, but involves the engagement of every segment of society to secure freedom of belief for each person. As a religious freedom and human rights expert, he testified before the United States Congress, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and many other legislative and international bodies.

Mr. Grieboski traveled to Kosovo, China, South Sudan, Darfur and countless other areas to investigate the status of religious freedom.

He served as the Founder and Secretary-General of the Interparliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom; editorial board member of the China Law and Religion Monitor; board member of the Committee for a Responsible Defense; and as a member of the Panel of Experts on International Religious Freedom of the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He lectured for the Close Up Foundation; the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence, and Diplomacy; and the Washington Semester Program on Peace and Conflict Resolution at American University. Grieboski also served as a faculty member of the Boston University Institute on Religion and World Affairs (IRWA) Seminar “Religion and Democracy.” Grieboski investigated a run for the United States House of Representatives in 2002.

Before founding the Institute, Mr. Grieboski worked as Director of the International Religious Liberty Program of the Center for Jewish and Christian Values.

He held a Bachelor of Science degree in Foreign Service and a Master’s in National Security Studies from Georgetown University.