Lyn Community Corp

In 2024 under TRT Grant 2023-33153, LYNC advanced religious freedom and pluralism across Eurasia through strategic fieldwork and international convenings. Activities included site visits in Poland, Georgia, and the UK; participation in a regional religious literacy conference; and co-hosting gatherings in Berlin and Prague with Central Asian and Eastern European leaders. Notably, the project supported the first-ever religious literacy training for government officials in Kazakhstan to be accredited through a Kazakhstan-based university. Additional outcomes included strengthened government partnerships.

In 2024, LYNC continued humanitarian and trauma recovery efforts in Ukraine through multiple initiatives. Mercy Houses provided financial, physical, and emotional care to elderly internally displaced persons in rural communities. LYNC expanded the "Rebuilding Ukraine Now" program, delivering trauma healing and training retreats for frontline children's workers, with nine active trauma healing groups established. The Hope UA Womens Club became financially self-sustaining after its launch in 2023. Additionally, LYNC maintained emergency evacuation networks, delivering critical support amidst the ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the war. Efforts focused on equipping local leaders, supporting displaced families, and fostering long-term resilience for Ukraines next generation.

Under a grant originally scheduled to conclude in 2023 but extended due to COVID-related delays, LYNC completed its final activities for TRT Grant 2020-10370 in 2024. From July 17, LYNC organized a series of roundtable discussions in Almaty, Shu, Shymkent, and Astana, engaging 58 leaders from diverse religious communities. Co-hosted with the IRF Secretariat, the events fostered dialogue on religious freedom and social cohesion, incorporated civil society in agenda-setting, and included recommendations related to Kazakhstans 2011 Law on Religious Activity. The roundtables were led by alumni of LYNCs Train-the-Trainers program who shared their applied experience with the LYNC-IRF model.In 2024, under short-term grant 2024-33377 from TRT, LYNC conducted an independent assessment of religious freedom in Uzbekistan. The nine-day field study, led by four international experts, included unrestricted interviews with government officials, religious leaders, and civil society representatives. The project addressed key areas including legal frameworks, human rights, education, and counter-extremism efforts. Findings and policy recommendations were developed in collaboration with the Uzbek government and shared at a public briefing at the ANC. This one-time initiative aimed to support ongoing reforms and model constructive engagement between governments and civil society on religious freedom.