IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, DC

Kathy Ireland, Chair, CEO and Chief Designer of kathy ireland Worldwide (kiWW), will receive the inaugural Business IRF Champion Award at the IRF Summit in Washington DC on July 15 for going above and beyond the call of duty in advancing religious freedom for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

“Kathy is known throughout the globe for her entrepreneurial success, rising from supermodel to super-mogul. She has been featured on the cover of Forbes more times than on Sports Illustrated, and she recently shattered glass ceilings with kathy ireland Worldwide being named the 15^th most powerful brand in the world, the highest ranking for a woman-owned and individually-owned company, ” said Dr. Brian Grim, chair of the business selection committee for the upcoming IRF Summit. “And now it is fitting that Kathy be recognized for her activism in support of all people persecuted for their faith and beliefs around the world,” adds Dr. Grim.

In August 2014, ISIS militants swept through the Sinjar region of northern Iraq in a deliberate attempt to annihilate the Yezidis and other religious minorities, employing brutal tactics including mass executions, rape, and sexual enslavement of young women. As this horrific genocide unfolded, Kathy not only lobbied Congress to respond, but responded herself by supporting women-led initiatives to rescue Yezidis and address the hatred and prejudices that created an environment where such atrocities could occur. To this day, almost 3,000 Yezidi women and children remain missing and almost 300,000 Yezidis still live in displacement camps in northern Iraq.

Kathy’s engagement did not stop when the genocide did. This August 22, Kathy is co-hosting with the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation a charity auction with all proceeds to directly provide business and livelihood opportunities for Yezidi women struggling to recover from the genocide.

“It is a tremendous honor and very humbling to receive this honor,” says Ms. Ireland. “It is our duty and responsibility, for all of us, to fight for everyone’s right to religious freedom, no matter what religion you choose to practice. It is basic human rights. Thank you Dr. Brian Grim and everyone at the IRF Summit for bringing attention to the plight of so many who are deprived of the basic right to religious freedom, and for working tirelessly to combat those who try to inflict this cruelty upon others.”

Kathy will receive Business IRF Hero Award at the Closing Dinner of the 2021 IRF Summit, which begins at 6:30 pm on Thursday, July 15, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington D.C.

The IRF Summit will bring together a bi-partisan and broad coalition that passionately supports religious freedom around the globe for a three day in-person event in Washington D.C., July 13-15, with a virtual option for participation. Kathy will also speak during the virtual event.

For more information and tickets to the in-person summit, visit https://irfsummit.com/. To register for the virtual summit (free), click here.

To participate in and/or learn more about the charity auction, email contact@religiousfreedomandbusiness.org

by Kent Johnson, J.D., Senior Corporate Advisor, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Part of the blog series, Authenticity & Connection

The most common concern I hear about the religious diversity movement is this: “Will I be pushed to compromise my core beliefs? Will I need to agree that everyone’s spiritual truth claims are equally valid?”

On this, some helpful lessons can be gleaned from the cultural melting pot in the US.

The “melting pot” was at high boil when my father’s parents emigrated from Norway. Within one generation, they had changed our name to the Americanized “Johnson,” learned English, formed societies to help later-arriving Norwegian immigrants “fit in,” started playing baseball, moved out of the tight Norwegian community on Staten Island, saw their children marry into families that had come to this land on the Mayflower, and fought for the US in a World War.

But it wasn’t all about conformity to US norms. One of the key principles that Dad’s parents adopted – indeed, one of the prime reasons they chose to leave their native country for the US – was that of freedom: freedom to advance through hard work and industry beyond the social and economic class to which they were born; freedom to worship and live in accordance with their conscience; in short, freedom to build a new future in the New World.

It wasn’t easy (though many will rightly point out that assimilation was far harder – often impossible – for immigrants who weren’t European. Also, for many blacks, emigration wasn’t voluntary, and it certainly wasn’t undertaken to advance their freedom).

Looking back, it seems to me that the melting pot of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries was unproductively constraining, even for Europeans. The richness and wisdom of many cultures was lost. The values of freedom were unnecessarily compromised.

The issues presented by growing diversity remain significant today, especially in our workplaces. My chosen residence is Houston; a metro area that has surpassed New York City and Los Angeles as the nation’s most diverse. More than 142 languages are spoken here. Fully one quarter of Houstonians are foreign-born. It’s not just Houston. Workplaces are becoming even more diverse, as suppliers, customers, and “friends” all over the world are increasingly dealing with one another.

The fact of growing religious diversity in particular requires that we find additional ways to address the tension between freedom to be different on the one hand and the need for trusting engagement in our workplaces on the other. Many faiths embrace exclusive truth claims about things that really matter. These inconsistent propositions cannot all be true in the same sense, at the same time. For instance, the Muslim and the Christian have fundamentally different views of the nature of man’s relationship with the divine, and the practical implications of that relationship in their everyday work life. Views of ultimate truth differ widely among atheists, agnostics and people of various faiths.

One theoretical response is to limit engagement among different faiths. To stay in our respective corners. But the option of living cloistered existences, engaging exclusively with those whose faith doctrines precisely match our own, is unrealistic at best. And the option of prohibiting faith-oriented communications fosters resentment, distrust, judgmentalism, discord and fear.

Thankfully, as I’ve pointed out in an earlier post, there are significant shared values on which to build deep connections among people of varied beliefs, without compromise. A set of agreed, common principles can help companies develop a form of diversity and inclusion that respects differences; one that doesn’t force the worst, most intrusive and narrowing conformity like a big indiscriminate melting pot.

In the next two blog installments I’ll reflect more on lessons we can glean from the best and the worst of the “melting pot” experiences in the US. I’ll flesh out implications of a form of “Covenantal Pluralism” [advocated by Chris Seiple and others]. The idea is to seek personal agreement – or “covenant” – around general principles that clear the way for authentic and positive connection while doing no damage to employees’ consciences and core beliefs.

In 1896 my grandparents made a covenant with the US: They would come and work hard and honestly. They’d learn the English language and gradually give up some of their native culture, in order to gain the benefits that would come from US citizenship. But they would NOT give up their core beliefs. In fact, the covenant included assurance from the US that they’d remain free to bring their core beliefs into this new land, and to practice those beliefs. Similar freedoms – and I’d argue more – should be accorded to our employees today as they enter this new land of diversity at work.

I hope you’ll join us as we unpack this further in coming weeks.

Members of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are invited to join our discussion on how faith ERGs can be good allies to people with varying abilities and Disability ERGs.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington DC

Three top business leaders will address the virtual IRF Summit on July 16th, in a plenary presentation. They will discuss how and why religious freedom is not only a benefit to business and economies, but also how business itself is a place where religious freedom is built as people from different faiths and beliefs work together for common goals.

The virtual IRF Summit is free and open to all. Registration is required.

This virtual event will have special panels exploring both the workings of IRF Roundtables and IRF Business Roundtables around the world as well as launch new global initiatives in support of freedom of religion or belief (FORB).

This event will also include selected sessions from the IRF Summit* that show how religious freedom is for everyone, everywhere, all the time, as stated in Article 18 of the UDHR.

Speakers include Kathy Ireland, Founder, CEO Kathy Ireland Worldwide; Ingrid Vanderveldt, DELL’s first Entrepreneur in Residence, and CEO of EBW; and King Husein, CEO, Span Construction & Engineering, Inc. The discussion is moderated by Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights.

Register NOW!

* The IRF Summit 2021 takes place July 13-15 in Washington, DC. The inaugural IRF Summit aims to expand the coalition for religious freedom in a wide variety of countries, connect resources with religious freedom advocates, highlight the stories of those who are persecuted for their beliefs, and build political support for the global religious freedom movement.

by Kent Johnson, J.D., Senior Corporate Advisor, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Part of his regular blog, Authenticity & Connection

Guided by principles of my faith, I recently “retreated” for about 3 weeks, and disconnected from day-to-day work, in order to focus on my relationship with God and with my family, my friends and my work on religious freedom in business. So glad I did.

The Judeo-Christian tradition in particular prescribes times for periodic, quiet reflection and re-connection with one’s core identity and life purpose. Many other faiths encourage related practices, including times for quiet mindfulness, solitude, self-examination and connection with the divine. (I’d love to hear stories of your faith-driven reflections on work and life if you’re willing).

Businesses everywhere stand to benefit from their employees’ times of retreat and reflection.

I’ll get a bit personal here. My recent time of retreat provided a window for me to exit from the incessant onslaught of daily worries that come at me from several directions. But at first there was concern: Would the products of my persistent efforts – my “works in progress” – erode due to my neglect? Would our focus on authenticity and connection dissolve? Would my close colleagues at home and abroad think I had forgotten them?

Then, over time, my disengagement freed me to apprehend the fact that “it’s not all about me.” (Some of you are chuckling, I know, at the idea that I could be so self-absorbed as to think I was central to all this).

What washed my anxiety away more than anything was simple laughter with children. After two and a half weeks I began to see that the looming worldwide distrust and rancor are surmountable – without me.

I tend to be my own most critical and demanding overseer. I had recently authored a blog on the need to acknowledge “being wrong;” yet I needed time in quiet reflection before that principle could truly dwell deeply in me, and cause me to let myself off the hook in certain areas of my life. In place of fretfulness, a childlike, renewed calling to kindness swept away my self-imposed requirement to be right. By forgiving others, I was freed from anxiety. By accepting and experiencing forgiveness myself, I sensed an even deeper and more wonderful release. By quietly listening to my Lord and taking more time to meditate on scripture, I was reminded of my core identity and God’s sufficiency.

I return to my calling of religious freedom in business with renewed energy, fervor and light. (OK, those who know me will say I’ve always had fervor… but now it’s more deeply informed and enabled by peace).

Now, none of this is a new revelation. One might say I should’ve learned this long ago. Fact is, I did. Again and again. But deep truths that bring peace must be brought to remembrance again and again. That’s one of the reasons that periodic “retreat” is so necessary and so transformative, time after time. It’s when we forget that we become anxious. And we’re prone to forget. We need reminding.

Seasons of tension are inevitable. And they can be constructive. At certain points in my career as a senior lawyer in a large multinational company, I worked under the authority of senior leaders who were very anxious themselves; people who imposed harsh tension on everyone around them. In such situations, I sensed that my personal (and, I believe, spiritual) responsibility was to “stand in the gap” to prevent destructive anxiety from being transferred to those who reported to me. This entailed daily leaps of faith; not only to shield others, but to resist fears that my supervisor would disapprove, or misinterpret my downstream attitude as a lack of needed urgency, while addressing what was truly needful. To those of you who labor under such a tension-inflicting authority, my heart goes out. But I can say with confidence that it’s entirely possible to stand as an island of peace in that seemingly relentless storm. And to emerge stronger, and even more filled with peace. The goal for many of us isn’t to avoid the storms and avoid tension; it’s to engage the storms and respond to tension with love.

Today I’m working with a truly wonderful leader, the founder and President of our Foundation, Brian Grim. This man genuinely models peace in all storms. He’s unflappable. He’s inspirational. I’m very thankful for that. But even under his leadership, I need these reflective times; deep times which can usher up reminders to keep from imposing my own personal storm on myself.

Peace. Depth. Rest. Thankfulness. These are some of the rich hallmarks of faith at work.

Blessings to you all!

RFBF is thrilled to announce that the Cannes Film Festival’s Afrique Pavillion accepted A Different Way, a film by Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook & Lauren Merkley, who were our 2019 Empower Women Film Competition Grand Prize winners! This inclusion is thanks to being submitted by Terra Renee, CEO and Founder of African American Women in Cinema.

In the film, Rev. Dr. Ambassador Suzan Johnson Cook shares her experience as the first female chaplain for the NYPD and how interfaith relationships were essential in fostering hope and rebuilding a city after the events of 9/11.

Amb. ‘Sujay’ served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom from April 2011 to October 2013. She has served as a policy advisor to President Bill Clinton and was the first female senior pastor in the 200-year history of the American Baptist Churches USA and a close friend of Coretta Scott King.

Lauren Merkley is a documentary filmmaker and photographer passionate about capturing the beauty of people and stories in their own environment. She seeks to share the good in the world and believes in the power of film to touch audiences across the world.

And a special thanks to our Film Competition partner, Empower Women Media for the work in helping women have impact through media!

Our upcoming 2021 film competition will demonstrate how women’s rights and freedom of belief are inseparable, and when these rights are respected, that’s good for societies and economies. So, please join us Aug. 22 at 11am EDT for the 4th annual Empower Women Media’s and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s International Film Competition and Festival. This is an official Dare to Overcome event.

Antisemitism has mutated over time and appears today in many different forms and among all parts of society.

With the recent rise in antisemitic attacks, the topic of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s July 1st faith-and-belief ERG community call is a discussion on the new antisemitism with Prof. Asher Maoz and Google’s Nicole Rahimzadeh.

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities. – working definition, International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)

Professor Asher Maoz is the Founding Dean of the Peres Academic Center Law School. He was for many years on the Faculty of Law at Tel-Aviv University, where he taught Constitutional Law, State and Religion, Freedom of Speech, Family Law, and Succession Law. Professor Maoz holds the degrees LLB and LLM, both summa cum laude (Hebrew University), M Comp L (University of Chicago), JSD (Tel-Aviv University) and Doctor Honoris Causa (Ovidius University, Romania).

See prepared comments by Prof. Asher Maoz, Founding Dean of the Peres Academic Center Law School.

Nicole Rahimzadeh is an Administrative Business Partner at Google and part of the leadership in the Jewglers (Jewish Googlers), part of Google’s Inter Belief Network.

Summary of recommendations by Nicole Rahimzadeh:

— Adopt a consistent approach to tackling and condemning all forms of hate against all minorities, including antisemitism.

— Make it clear what constitutes antisemitism and take a consistent clear stand against it when it shows up (e.g. adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism can help, and consult AJC or ADLfor advice).

— Include antisemitism in any ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ discussions and trainings for the HR team and employees. Education is key.

— Create an ERG (Employee Resource Group) for Jewish employees:

–– The ERG can support and be there for each other during the spikes of antisemitism attacks.

–– ERGs help to amplify and hear the voices of the Jewish employees – especially important when specific issues arise in the company affecting the group directly.

According to IHRA, contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace, and in the religious sphere could, taking into account the overall context, include, but are not limited to:

• — Calling for, aiding, or justifying the killing or harming of Jews in the name of a radical ideology or an extremist view of religion.
• — Making mendacious, dehumanizing, demonizing, or stereotypical allegations about Jews as such or the power of Jews as collective — such as, especially but not exclusively, the myth about a world Jewish conspiracy or of Jews controlling the media, economy, government or other societal institutions.
• — Accusing Jews as a people of being responsible for real or imagined wrongdoing committed by a single Jewish person or group, or even for acts committed by non-Jews.
• — Denying the fact, scope, mechanisms (e.g. gas chambers) or intentionality of the genocide of the Jewish people at the hands of National Socialist Germany and its supporters and accomplices during World War II (the Holocaust).
• — Accusing the Jews as a people, or Israel as a state, of inventing or exaggerating the Holocaust.
• — Accusing Jewish citizens of being more loyal to Israel, or to the alleged priorities of Jews worldwide, than to the interests of their own nations.
• — Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.
• — Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation.
• — Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis.
• — Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis.
• — Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel.