Brazil Vice President Temer Supports Global Awards

Religious Freedom & Business Foundation launched it’s new work that includes a global awards competition for businesses to demonstrate how they advance religious freedom in their companies, societies and the world at large. The Global Awards competition was advanced in a series of high level meetings with government, business, societal and religious leaders in Brazil. Meetings also included Brazilian Olympic athletes.

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation is changing tenor of the discussion on religious freedom – away from naming and shaming and towards finding solutions. Indeed, the flip side of the story is where solutions lie.

A recent Pew Research study documented that in more than three-quarters of countries, government and social initiatives are aiming to address rising religious restrictions and hostilities.

For instance, Brazil – a country now experiencing what is arguably the most dramatic peaceful religious change in world history (mass conversion from Catholicism largely to other Protestant faiths) – is emerging as a global innovator in rolling back the rising tide of global religious restrictions and hostilities that has swept the globe. (See more on religious freedom in Brazil.)

Just last week, planning began for a bold new global awards initiative to recognize businesses with successful initiatives to advance respect for religious freedom and diversity in their companies, societies and the world at large. Those expressing enthusiastic support include Brazil’s Vice President Michel Temer, Senator Magno Malta and Brazil’s National Secretary for Human Rights, Biel Rocha, in addition to business leaders, human rights and interfaith organizations, as well as leading clergy, including Rio de Janeiro’s Archbishop Orani João Tempesta.

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