Andrew Bennett – Program Director for Cardus Law; Former Ambassador for Religious Freedom and Head of the Office of Religious Freedom, Canada

The Rev. Dr. Andrew P.W. Bennett is Program Director for Cardus Law. He is an ordained deacon in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the Eparchy (Diocese) of Toronto and Eastern Canada. He served as Canada’s first Ambassador for Religious Freedom and Head of the Office of Religious Freedom from 2013 to 2016 during which time he led in defending and championing religious freedom internationally as a core element of Canada’s principled foreign policy. At the same time, he served as Canada’s Head of Delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, a 31-country body which leads international efforts in Holocaust education, research, and remembrance. As Director of Cardus Law, Fr. Deacon Andrew works to promote religious freedom, as we broaden our commentary on issues faced in Canada and around the world. This is consistent with his passion for religious freedom and the importance of public faith. In conjunction with his work at Cardus, Fr. Deacon Andrew holds the position of Senior Fellow at the Religious Freedom Institute (RFI) in Washington, DC. The RFI is an independent think-tank committed to achieving broad acceptance of religious liberty as a fundamental human right, the cornerstone of a successful society, and a source of national and international security. Fr. Deacon Andrew holds a Ph.D. in Politics (2002) from the University of Edinburgh as well as degrees in history from McGill and Dalhousie universities.