Dozens of CEOs from companies as diverse as the Hyundai Group to as unique as the Empower a Billion Women Foundation sign the Corporate Pledge on Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards.
The pledge-signing ceremony occurred as a part of a global business for peace event held in conjunction with the “Peace Olympics” in Korea.
The Corporate Pledge in Support of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) — which supports religious diversity and freedom in the workplace — sends two clear messages to current and prospective employees: (1) You can work here without changing who you are; and (2) the company respects all employees and will not favor certain employees over others … and that’s good for the business of all.
The FoRB Pledge is one component of a company’s overall strategy to value its employees and increase their loyalty for the benefit of customers and shareholders. The FoRB Pledge is a company’s public commitment to take reasonable steps to ensure that working at the company does not put employees at odds with their deeply held religious convictions.
Meeting in the wake of the potential for fresh talks on the Korean Peninsular, the high level Conference pledged to “use its influence in support of every effort at dialogue aimed at discerning new ways of overcoming the current disputes.”
The delegates rallied in support following a keynote address from former UN Secretary General, HE Ban Ki Moon, in which he also welcomed the new developments while emphasising a need for caution. The symposium which included key speeches from the former Japanese Prime Minister HE Yukio Hatoyama and HE Philip McDonagh former Irish Ambassador to the Holy See who was involved in the Northern Island peace talks, unanimously supported a commitment to “…advocate for a common peace in East Asia based, first, on agreed principles; and second, on measured, parallel progress on security and arms control, societal and justice issues, and economic development.”
Training to Put the Pledge to Practice
Wonkwang Digital University has signed a MOU with the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) in the Grand Hilton Seoul on March 9. The two organizations will cooperate through the agreement to develop on-line and off-line parallel education programs for global talents and to open courses. “The development of excellent educational contents will be a chance to be recognized in the global education market by the high level of competence of domestic cyber universities. I hope to contribute to harmony and development. ” The agreement was attended by Wang Kwang Digital University President Namgkmen, Choi Yoon Hee Admissions Coordinator, Shin Yi Chul, Dean of the Department of Speech and Language Therapy, and Kim Jae Hyun, Head of the Admission Promotion Team, RFBF Brian Grim and RFBF Northeast Asia Director David Yoo.
Executive Ed
The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and the Religious Freedom Center jointly offer education programs for businesses and business schools across the globe. For businesses, we deliver one and two-day courses focused on middle management and executives. For business schools, we provide online modules that can be integrated into existing courses on marketing, management, liability limitation, and diversity & inclusion.
Participants become religiously literate, that is, they become conversant about how religion impacts the workplace and the marketplace, their coworkers and partners as well as customers and clients. Participants gain an understanding of the empirical evidence on the value that religious liberty, religious diversity, and religious inclusion and their roles in business strategy, corporate policy and economic growth.
This training provides frameworks that will help participants lead effectively in a world of growing religious diversity. The curriculum is grounded in the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s Corporate Pledge in Support of the Freedom of Religion or Belief. As companies employ this framework, they send two clear messages to current and prospective employees: (1) you can work here without changing who you are; and (2) the company respects all employees and will not favor certain employees over others, and that’s good for the business of all.
Participants will also learn strategies that help businesses navigate religious freedom as it pertains to other freedoms in the workplace and society.
Download Brochure: Seminars – Workplace Religious Diversity and Inclusion
Contact
For more information, please contact Paul Lambert (Paul@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org) or Kristen Looney (klooney@newseum.org).