Counting the cost of being a whistleblower of faith

Sat 4:00pm - 4:50pm

Venue: Convo 09

Co-Creators

Some have called whistleblowers modern day prophets. Just as no one expects to be a prophet, no one expects to be a whistleblower. Faith can play an important role and faith communities can offer important, informed support to whistleblowers and their families in the face of the complex call to truth-telling. Being a whistleblower is fraught with professional retaliation and personal risk; sometimes even one’s faith community will back away in fear. In this session, Tom Devine, legal director of the Government Accountability Project, the world’s leading whistleblower advocacy organization, has worked with thousands of whistleblowers in his 40-year career. Together with one or more whistleblowers moved by their faith, Tom will share personal experiences about becoming a whistleblower; the complexities and how it affects family and community; how faith is relevant to bearing those complexities; and how faith communities can offer important and informed support to truth-tellers in their darkest moments, and as they strive for accountability and justice. The new faith-based initiative, Bearing Witness, a resource for faith leaders and communities to help provide responsible support for potential and current whistleblowers, will also be discussed.