Attacks on Christian Communities and Institutions Preliminary Conference - Welcome, Keynote Speakers

The 'Attacks on Christian Communities and institutions' themed conference organized by the Danube Institute on March 28 was designed as a preliminary conference and served as a step toward a more extensive international conference series throughout the year.
At our conference, the first keynote speech was offered by David Curry, the President and CEO of Open Doors USA. The Open Doors has monitored Christian persecution since 1992. Mr. Curry gave insight into the current trends of Christian persecution worldwide. He named three trends in the persecution of Christians: tribal extremism, centralized government control, and the strengthening of African jihadist groups.
The second keynote speaker was Janine di Giovanni, Multi-Award-Winning Journalist and Author, a Senior Fellow and Professor at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. She shared her fieldwork experiences and emphasized that the emergence of the Islamic State has accelerated the already existing Christian exodus in the Middle East.