In a talk entitled “The Philippine Pursuit of Human Dignity: A Legal-Religious Dialogue,” Professor Marites Rano-Redoña, PhD of the Institute of Religion and the Research Center for Theology, Religious Studies, and Ethics focused on human dignity in the Philippines, particularly through the experiences of single mothers. Her research explored the intersection of human rights law, Catholic social thought, and Philippine legal doctrines (concerning solo parents and protecting women and children) in shaping the Filipino understanding of human worth. She emphasized malasakit, a Filipino value of empathetic care, to encourage a more inclusive and contextually relevant concept of human dignity.
Redoña was an invited speaker at the “Dialogic Human Dignity: Legal and Religious Perspectives” international conference in Kyoto, Japan, on June 7-8, 2025. This event was co-organized by Doshisha University’s Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of the Monotheistic Religions (CISMOR) and Brigham Young University’s The International Center for Law and Religion Studies (ICLRS).
This sponsored conference gathered scholars and professors from diverse legal and religious backgrounds to foster a dialogue on human dignity across different times and cultures. The program included sessions with multiple speakers, plenary discussions, and a special panel of religious leaders from Islam, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Catholic Church, which discussed human dignity from their respective traditions. The unique format allowed for a comprehensive and interdisciplinary examination of human dignity.
The Conference hoped to pursue collaborations among the delegates in order push forward the work of promoting religious freedom and human dignity.
