UN alumna delivers Rosemary Hollis Memorial Lecture on the role of religious values in combatting transnational repression.
By Eve Lacroix (Senior Communications Officer), Published (Updated )
“I wish to provoke you today,” said United Nations (UN) alumna Dr Azza Karam as she delivered the second annual Rosemary Hollis Memorial Lecture at City St George’s, University of London.
Dr Karam’s talk focused on solidarity, peace and multilateralism.
Multilateralism: a global world order that is losing its footing
Multilateralism is a principle, an agreement or an organisation with at least three parties that share a common goal, such as the UN or the North Atlantic Trade Organisation (NATO).
Many of these multilateral agreements and partnerships first came into effect following the Second World War in an attempt to ensure peace, and brought with it its own global world order, in which countries like the US and the UK are allied with each other.
The principle assumes shared values of democracy, freedom of speech, solidarity, ethical trade – rather than force or violence.
Dr Karam argued that despite the original intent of multilateralism, the world’s global world order has been maintained through force, with the threat of violence between countries looming large and repressive governments crushing human rights.
Today, the nonprofit Civicus added the USA to its international watchlist on countries experiencing a rapid decline in civic freedoms.
In recent weeks, the US President Trump has cosied up to Russian leader Putin by cutting off foreign aid to Ukraine and declaring the Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator.
Israel has cut off aid and electricity to Gaza, with a ceasefire and hostages return deal remaining shaky.
The Freedom House and Human Rights Watch have published alarming reports about the uphill battle to safeguard rights, the US implemented its Transnational Repression Policy Act, and the UK launched a government inquiry into the risks of transnational repression.
It’s clear that the future of multilateralism is at risk. The pendulum of global world order swings in a new direction.
The power of solidarity and faith-based values
Citing research from the Pew Forum, Dr Karam pointed out that 80% of the world population has a faith. Furthermore, a vast majority of hospitals in the US are run by Catholic orders.
In times of crisis – such as during the Covid-19 pandemic – protecting and advancing healthcare rights was inexorably linked to engaging with religion.
In practice, many religions teach the concept of solidarity and interconnectedness, of respect of each other, of nature and of the animal world, which can be understood as solidarity.
In reality, religion has often been used as a tool of control and force and as the reason behind wars and conflict.
Dr Karam warned that a loss of multilateralism would lead to a loss of human rights (such as access to healthcare, to practice your faith and more).
She called on the audience to take a leap of faith and return to the core values of faith-based traditions to help people work together. She said:
Offering advice to the students in the room, she added:
Seeking mutual understanding: remembering Professor Hollis
Dr Karam has spent her career in the “peace business”, advancing and researching diplomacy and development globally.
In her two decades at the UN, she founded and convened the first and only United Nations interagency taskforce focused on religion and development. She also worked on major projects on Arab development and gender equity.
While no longer a UN official, she continues to be a member of the UN Secretary General Advisory Board on Multilateralism.
She is now the Founder and CEO of Lead Integrity, a consulting and strategy organisation committed to social change and the common good. It offers research, capacity-building and training, with a particular focus on women in leadership and multifaith settings.
Among the audience for Dr Karam’s lecture was Baha Milhem, an alumnus of the Olive Tree Programme, which was run by the late Professor Hollis at City St George’s and provided scholarships and a forum of discussion for Israeli and Palestinian students.
“Rosy was a mentor and a guide. She is well missed, especially in this political and moral time,” he said.
The Rosemary Hollis Memorial Lecture series is dedicated to the Professor’s memory and delivered by a person who, like her, seeks to understand the complexities of conflict, advance peace, and whose work influences both policy and academia.
“Rosemary was an amazing person who was interested in engaging in dialogue with others without preconceived notions,” said Dr Sara Silvestri, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, who organised the event.
Dr Silvestri was a close colleague of Rosemary in the Department of International Politics, co-supervising doctoral students researching Middle East politics, and selected Dr Karam as a speaker because she embodies this spirit.
Find out more about Professor Rosemary Hollis by watching and reading student interviews on her legacy. Learn more about the Rosemary Hollis Essay Prize 2025, which is open for select student submissions until 16 June 2025, 9:00 BST.
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