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Joseph D’souza Bio

Bishop Joseph D’souza is an internationally renowned civil rights advocate and Christian Bishop whose work in India and around the world has drawn the praise of countless civil and religious leaders.

As Moderator Bishop he serves as the primate of the Good Shepherd Church of India and its associated educational, medical, economic, job development, theological and literature ministries.

Bishop D’souza is also the founder and International President of the Dignity Freedom Network that works on behalf of poor and marginalized groups. The Dignity Freedom Network now has offices in Canada, the UK, Switzerland, Brazil, and Sweden, as well as network partners in over 25 nations. As the word Dalit means “broken” the Dignity Freedom Network espouses the cause of “broken” people everywhere especially broken women.

DFN’s global network includes sister organizations located in:

Finally, he serves as the distinguished, founding president of the ecumenical All India Christian Council, one of the largest interdenominational coalitions of Christians in India. The Council proactively addresses the persecution and oppression of Christians and other minorities in India and is known for strong ties to Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikhs, and other faith community leaders.

Bishop D’Souza is an eloquent spokesperson for the need for Church movements to be transformative within societies, addressing both spiritual and social needs. He has stated “I love India and I love Jesus Christ and there is no contradiction between the two loves.”

He is best known internationally for his constant advocacy on behalf of religious freedom for all, as well as for his respect for co­religionists even as he maintains his own faith and allegiance to Jesus Christ. He is a tireless campaigner for the freedom of conscience in India, and an apologist for India which he believes is worthy of compliment as the world’s largest pluralistic democracy and the extraordinary developments made in the economic development even as religious freedom continues to be under threat by extremist elements. He is an activist for peace and is an enemy of all forms of religious extremism and violence of any kind.

Bishop D’Souza has a particular concern for all the poor and especially for women, tribals, Dalits, and backward castes in India and abroad among all the major Indian faiths including Christians. In the tradition of Mahatma Phule, who fought for the rights of the Sudras (backward castes), Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the principal architect of the Indian constitution, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Bishop D’Souza imagines an India, and globe, where racism and caste­ discrimination have been eliminated. He has worked especially on the impact of caste discrimination on the trafficking of women and children, and he has worked with leading outcaste activists and prominent members of multiple faith communities to inaugurate a public debate in India and abroad about the need for eliminating caste within the Church and other main stream religions in India.

Bishop D’Souza played an indispensable role in pacifying unprecedented riots in 2002 in Gujarat and also in the Indian state of Orissa in 2008. He has testified on Dalit rights before European political bodies, including the UK Conservative Party Human Rights Commission. He has also served as an expert witness before a US Congressional Sub­Committee hearing on caste­based discrimination, and has been a witness at various United Nations’ hearings including before the Geneva­based Sub­Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities. Bishop D’Souza has keynoted countless events and held just as many meetings with members of Parliament in Canada, Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom, and Congressional leaders in the United States. He has also held the Presidency of the Christianity Solidarity Worldwide and serves as a member of the Council on Faith and International Affairs and he is a member of the Global Council of Christian Leaders.

D’Souza is the author of several books and many articles, and has been quoted and interviewed by many notable news outlets such as CNN, BBC, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Newsmax, Christianity Today, Charisma, Christian Today and the Church of England Newspaper.

Contact Bishop D’Souza

ARTICLES

Washington Examiner | A Hindi minority should not impose its cultural identity on a diverse Indian nation

One of India’s greatest assets is its unity in the midst of a complex diversity of cultures and languages. Yet today, India is beset by deep divisions between its Muslim population and the cultural and religious groups known as Hindutva. If this were not enough, India is now facing the specter of even greater division as the president considers a recommendation to make Hindi the official language of instruction in institutions of higher education across the entire nation. This kind of revisionism would be no help to a growing and developing India. What is at stake is India’s exquisite uniqueness, with its unrivaled [...]

November 18th, 2022|0 Comments

The Western Journal | Op-Ed: King Charles Takes Major Stand for Christian History as ‘Defender of the Faith’

When King Charles III was announced as defender of the faith, I watched with relief. I know that may surprise you since I am an Indian bishop, and — like most of us — I have my share of opinions on British colonialism in India. But I also have a 2,000-year-old Christian heritage to look back on in India (going back to the missionary journeys of the Apostle Thomas), and I appreciate the candor of the British king in unashamedly acknowledging Britain’s own Christian history. This wasn’t a foregone conclusion. Reports had alleged that Charles would consider being styled “defender of [...]

September 30th, 2022|0 Comments

Townhall | If the U.S. Can’t Protect Salman Rushdie, Is All Hope for Free Speech Lost?

After living in secret since 1989, it was in the safety and freedom of the United States that Salman Rushdie was attacked with a knife by a religious zealot. The brutal stabbing shows that extremists’ plans can succeed despite stringent state-imposed restrictions in otherwise free democracies designed to stop such perpetrators. It also underscores the near-universal pressure in the modern era to curb freedom of speech. Salman Rushdie was the greatest living Indian-born English novelist when the Ayatollah Khomeini offered a $3 million bounty and issued a fatwa calling for Rushdie’s assassination for his novel, The Satanic Verses. Rushdie [...]

September 12th, 2022|0 Comments

These are Dr. D’Souza’s most recent articles. For a complete list, please visit: https://thekcompany.co/dignity-freedom-network/

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