Last week in London, ee had our planning meeting for the 2nd annual Faith at Work UK Summit at Equinix HQ (pic below). Equinix and NATS are sponsors of this year’s summit.

Just before that, a great discussion at PwC UK sponsored by Premier Christian Communications on “Narrowing the Gap Between Sunday and Monday.” (Pic below)

By Brian Grim

I spent most of last week in meetings in Washington DC. I was struck by how closely politics and religion intermingle. U.S. Vice President JD Vance spoke at the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit. President Donald Trump addressed the National Prayer Breakfast.

But the relationship between politics and religion is often uneasy. This uneasiness was on display a week after New York Catholic archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan gave a warmly received invocation at Donald Trump’s inauguration. Fellow Catholic, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, leveled criticism against the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which ‘hurt’ the cardinal.

You can read my reflection on this uneasy relationship in my latest Patheos blog, The Moth and the Flame: When Politics and Religion Collide. The title is a nod the late sociologist of religion N.J. Demerath III.

By Brian Grim

Yesterday, I sent U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio a letter. In it I draw attention to the latest Pew Research data showing that the state of religious freedom worldwide is at its lowest point in 16 years and that current strategies for combatting the deterioration of this universal human right are insufficient. The solution is to adopt a new strategy that harnesses a powerful and untapped force with a vested interest in building religious freedom worldwide. That’s business.

The good news is that top global businesses are already engaged in building religious freedom for millions of working people by making their workplaces faith friendly at home and abroad. Accordingly, I offered five recommendations including that the next Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom be a senior business leader with a passion for international religious freedom:

You can read my full letter here.

The latest data (2022) show that governments harassed religious groups in 186 countries and territories, up from 118 in 2007, the year I led the first Pew Research Center annual study of restrictions on religious freedom. Compounding the problem is that when harassment by social actors is included, religious groups in 192 out of the world’s 198 countries and territories (97%) experienced such harassment, which is a new peak level. (This also includes harassment of non-religious people by religious groups.)

Watch to see how OVO fosters a work environment where people of all faiths and beliefs are welcome, safe and productive. Also, learn more here.

Dare to Overcome (DTO) is the premier annual gathering for Fortune 500 company employee resource groups (ERGs), corporate chaplains, and other faith-and-belief workplace initiatives to share best practices and celebrate achievements.

Join us for essential conversations and dynamic presentations on issues companies, leaders and employees are facing in an ever-changing socio-economic environment at home and abroad.

This year’s theme is “United Towards Hope.”

>> CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP PACKET

“Religion and Public Schools: A First Amendment Guide” is an updated version of U.S. guidelines developed by experts at the Freedom Forum. The new edition answers 23 frequently asked questions about religion and public schools with concise statements of current law.

New Resource: “Employment: The Right to Freedom of Thought, Conscience, Religion or Belief of Women at Work” is a new explainer that offers OSCE participating States, businesspeople, unions, civil society organisations and religious or belief groups practical recommendations to ensure respect for, and protection of women’s right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in employment.

Join RFBF’s Brian Grim for “Corporate Responsibility in the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Space: Challenges and Opportunities,” a panel discussion on Tuesday, 4th February, 3:30pm, at the IRF Summit in Washington DC, with Fr. Greg McBrayer (American Airlines) and Simon Billenness (No Business With Genocide).

By Brian Grim

“From Ford to Walmart, some big companies dialed back diversity efforts as activists pressed. Under the next Trump administration, the pressure will grow,” observes a recent WSJ article. In this environment, it is all the more important to demonstrate how freedom of religion and belief in the workplace is not just a diversity issue, it is a bottom line business benefit.

Forbes’ Chief Impact Officer Seth Cohen and I recently had a conversation on the business benefits of faith-friendly workplaces at the NASDAQ MarketSite in New York. You can share your views here by commenting on the video about how you business leaders can leverage faith in the workplace to drive innovation and collaboration.