Brian Grim speaks on plenary addressing: Accommodation of religion and belief in the working environment: contemporary challenges in the public and the private sectors.

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) is an official stakeholder in the All Part Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB).

Originally published by APPG FoRB*

In parliament, the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation held a meeting with companies from around the UK along with Jim Shannon MP, Baroness Verma (House of Lords) and Brendan O’Hara MP. After brief introductions from parliamentarians, each organisation shared how they were achieving the standards of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation’s innovative REDI Index. The REDI Index is a standard set for Religion Equity Diversity and Inclusion within organisations to encourage a more faith-inclusive working environment.

Jim Shannon MP opened the meeting with remarks on the importance of spreading a focus on religious freedom in business to new business sectors, creating new norms and making this issue a real priority for businesses across the United Kingdom and beyond. Baroness Verma also spoke about the important of being collectively inclusive of all faith groups and shaping the narrative around faith in the workplace differently than how it is often perceived (i.e. as a source of division, contention, and hidden agendas). Instead we can recognize that showing respect for religion in the workplace is part enabling employees to be their whole selves and give themselves more fully to their work.

Emma Pace of Baringa shared how they use kindness within the organisation to promote inclusivity, including setting up an interfaith network within the organisation and advertising these efforts on their website, whilst Alex Gold of OVO shared how they fostered a multifaceted culture of belonging across metrics like gender, neurodiversity, generation, and religion. Mr. Gold also discussed OVO’s efforts (as a retailer) to hold third-party providers accountable for respect for religion in the work place as well.

Bruce Owen spoke on behalf of Equinix, stating how when you talk about faith in business it encourages a space where people can do the very best work of their careers. We also heard from Oliver Pawle, Binna Kandola and Vinrod Subramanian on the various topics surrounding FoRB and Business.

Overall, takeaways included recalling the growing evidence that business success criteria like productivity and retention are demonstrably related to freedom of religious expression at work, and the importance for business leaders to assemble and discuss contemporary challenges more often, especially as there are growing misconceptions and tensions about religious expression in the workplace. Instead, with a full focus on creating space for employees to be their full selves across religious as well as other dimensions, we can create a culture and environment of peace and productivity.

* The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for International Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is one of the Largest APPG’s at Westminster. Our purpose is to raise the profile and the general awareness of international Freedom of Religion or Belief as a human right among parliamentarians, government, media and the general public. Learn more here.

By Brian Grim

It was an honor to be the special guest at the Autumn gathering of the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy’s EDI Forum hosted at JP Morgan Chase and attended by diversity leaders from half a dozen global financial organisations with offices at Canary Wharf.

I was able to give an overview of our Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index, which is designed to support organisations looking to foster Faith Inclusion in the Workplace.

The EDI Forum is co-chaired by Nina Goswami (pictured taking the selfie), Head of Inclusion UK for Clifford Chance (one of the world’s largest law firms), and Alanna Harris, Lead Chaplain at  the Canary Wharf Multifaith Chaplaincy. The next REDI Index opens in January. Here’s the link for more information.

Image shows: Selfie with the forum attendees around a board table with a skyline view of London.

Pearn Kandola’s Antisemitism and Islamophobia at Work report (2024) is a comprehensive study in which over 1000 Muslim and Jewish employees participated, either through in-depth focus groups or their survey, to shine a light on their experiences of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the workplace since October 7th 2023.

Late last year, Pearn Kandola published their groundbreaking Religion At Work (2023) report, the largest of its kind. It explored the experiences of people of faith in the workplace, highlighting the difficulty for employees of any religion to express their faith at work.

Released in November 2023, a question they were increasingly faced with as time went on was the impact on Muslim and Jewish employees, in particular, since October 7th. However, the data for this momentous report was gathered and analysed before the current Israel-Gaza conflict, which could tell little to answer this question.

As a result, Pearn Kandola carried out a new piece of research, designed to look at the:

• – Extent to which Jewish employees experience antisemitism in the workplace;
• – Extent to which Muslim employees experience Islamophobia in the workplace;
• – Impact of the Israel-Gaza conflict on them
• – Actions that organisations can take to ensure people feel safe and included in workplaces

The research was in two parts:

Firstly, a survey was carried out in June 2024 in which 500 Jewish and 500 Muslim employees participated, followed by in-depth interviews with 20 people, 10 of each faith.

The report closes with key recommendations for employers to better support Muslim and Jewish employees by research author Professor Binna Kandola OBE.

To read the report, visit their website and enter your details to download a copy.

Brian Grim, Ph.D.

On  February 26, 2024, UN Secretary-General António Guterres raised the alarm that Human Rights, the ‘Bedrock of Peace’ are under attack worldwide:

“Human rights are the bedrock of peace. Today, both are under attack. We meet at a time of turbulence for our world, for people, and for human rights. First and foremost, conflicts are taking a terrible toll as parties to war trample on human rights and humanitarian law. At the local level and online, many communities are riven with violent rhetoric, discrimination and hate speech. Add to that an information war. A war on the poor. And a war on nature.

“All these battles have one thing in common: they are a war on fundamental human rights. And in every case, the path to peace begins with full respect for all human rights — civil, cultural, economic, political and social, and without double standards. Because building a culture of human rights is building a world at peace.”

If we wait until children are grown to teach human rights, it may be too late. But theoretical or intellectual human rights education is not enough. It must be connected to skills that reinforce not only the value of these rights but also their utility in building sustainable, prosperous societies and opportunities for all individuals to thrive.

The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, through its Dare to Overcome global initiative is taking action to advance human rights knowledge and practice among secondary school students. We are doing so in such a way that combines practical knowledge of the rights with skills that not only reinforce the human rights but also provide useful soft business skills that are tangible resources for everyone in whatever line of work they engage in.

Currently, we are piloting such an initiative in India with major universities, including the MIT World Peace University in Pune.

The Dare to Overcome Human Rights, Business Skills & Peace Secondary School Curriculum, which is an adaptation of the Colega curriculum developed and deployed internationally by the Geneva Office for Human Rights Education (GO-HRE).

For example, in teaching Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” The curriculum puts it in a paraphrased version accessible to student:

Article 1: Right to equality. You are born free and equal in dignity and rights to every other human being. You have the ability to think and to tell right from wrong. You should treat others with friendship.

The activities are then designed to demonstrate this right through stories, song and skills development. The business skill for Equality is “Active Listening.” This recognizes that to truly be an active listener requires listening to others as an equal, and that being an active listener is a practical way to put the right of equality to practice. And in terms of business, whether it’s operating a street stall or running a major corporation, being an active listener is a skill that allows you to take in all viewpoints and gain a better understanding of risks and opportunities.

The soft business skill of collaboration is useful in teaching and practicing the concept of equal and unalienable rights. When collaboration with others who may be different from ourselves is viewed as unnecessary, then it is easy to treat others as unnecessary. But by demonstrating that we are capable of attaining more by working together, it is easier to see why equal and unalienable rights apply to all.

Discrimination can be conscious or unconscious. Either way, it block us from seeing and benefitting from the ideas an strengths of others. We drive this home through a networking activity that show that despite similarities, we are surrounded by diversity in ages, preferences, family makeups, backgrounds and cultures. Seeing ourselves as part of this diversity not only helps highlight our own strengths but allows us to see the strengths of others and how this brings benefit to the whole.

The right to live, to be free and to feel safe, for students, includes freedom from bullying. The business skill focuses on conflict resolution, a skill that can be practiced and is a not only beneficial in any work environment or business, but also to peace itself. Conflict resolution is how we solve problems in a way where everyone gets what they need and is treated kindly. This is a skill we need at home, school, and work.

The right to marriage and a family is one that also involves a commitment to supportive and loving relationships. The challenge of providing such an environment is one that relies on the soft business skill of teamwork. As the saying goes, teamwork makes the team work. Of course, that easier to say than do and using an exercise that demonstrates that a seemingly impossible task for an individual becomes possible through teamwork.

Our world is filled with people of different religious beliefs, faiths and worldviews. All people are free to hold their beliefs and practices without fear of discrimination or criticism. They are also free to join with others or even to change their beliefs as long as there is no coercion or pressure. One way to appreciate and engage on this right is the soft business skill of curiosity. By listening to things that matter to other people and learning about new things, we’re practicing curiosity. Curiosity is a skill that will help us be better friends and work well with people who believe differently than we do. It’s also an important skill when doing business with those who have different beliefs than we might have.

Freedom of expression ensures the right to find out things and share what you think with others, by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way as long as the information is not damaging to you or to others. The business skill of verbal communication is not only the art of clear expression, but also thoughtful speech. Is the speech both true and kind?

The right to legal recognition means that you have the right to have your birth legally registered, and be recognized as a person before the law, including your right to a name, a nationality and family connections. In this lesson we introduce the skill of problem-solving by asking the students what they already know about it, and helping them see its usefulness in all areas of life. The skill is developed by practicing problem-solving in a real-life situation where someone’s birth was not legally registered.

In exploring Freedom from Child Labor, the emphasis is on having the right to work, to choose your work, and to work in good conditions, including protection from work that is dangerous to health or development, that interferes with education or that might lead people to take advantage. It is not always straightforward to assess whether work falls under the category of prohibited child labor or if the work is acceptable. Analysis is an important skill in all areas of life an work. In this lesson we practice the skill of analysis, which is a way of investigating things. We look at different stories of children working and analyze if they are examples of child labor.

Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. According to UDHR, education should prepare you for life and encourage you to respect your parents and your country, as well as other nations and cultures. You have a right to learn about your rights. And according to UDHR Article 29, we all have a duty to the other people in your community to protect their rights and freedoms, including the right to education. It takes resiliency to fulfill our duty to protect others’ human rights. Resiliency means we keep trying, even if something is hard or doesn’t work at first. This lesson ends with one of the more challenging exercises showing that with resiliency, a problem can be solved.

By 2030, it is estimated that India will have more than 90 million people joining the workforce. This skill-based curriculum will help develop cohorts of holistic, lifelong learners who are not only equipped with relevant skills for the evolving workplaces of the future but are also flexible, innovative leaders ready to take on the unknown challenges of tomorrow’s world.

A new report by AVPN (Asian Venture Philanthropy Network) finds that faith, and the values, belief systems, moral codes, and religious doctrines, that underlie it, shape much of philanthropy not only across the world, but also in Asia.

This new report launches an ongoing initiative by AVPN to unpack faith and giving in Asia, develop learning opportunities and provide a platform for collective action for social investors across the region, regardless of their faith alignment or lack thereof.

Some observations from the report include:

• — Knowledge of faith-aligned giving in Asia is still limited despite a sizeable, and growing, community of faith-aligned givers.
• — The region is the birthplace of several of the world’s most influential and enduring faith traditions and remains a focal point for several religious communities, with a vast majority of its population claiming to be religiously affiliated across Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and other folk or traditional religions.
• — Asia is home to more than one-third of the world’s billionaires and is witnessing the largest transfer of wealth between first- and second-generation wealth-holders in history.
• — This convergence of growing wealth and faith alignment is consequential as these faiths—and the philosophies and principles derived from them—continue to guide the generosity, charity, and social responsibility of billions in the region.
• — Unlike the more visible and vocal philanthropic endeavours often seen in the West, Asian funders, both faith-aligned or otherwise, tend to prefer discretion, often giving without seeking recognition or publicity.

Download the full report here.

The role of faith and spirituality in providing meaning at work

By Brian Grim

This month a Wall Street Journal headline declared Young People Are Taking Over the Workplace, and That’s a Problem for Bosses. The article, noting that Gen Z workers are expected to outnumber baby boomers in the U.S. workforce this year, asserts “If only their bosses could understand them. Companies find their youngest employees the most difficult to work with, surveys show.”

Of the top reasons managers find GenZ difficult to work with, two are related to spiritual health: lack of effort and lack of motivation.

McKinsey Health Institute’s survey of 41,000 people worldwide finds that — regardless of age, country, or religious beliefs — spiritual health matters to many.

According to McKinsey, “Spiritual health. enables people to integrate meaning in their lives. Spiritually healthy people have a strong sense of purpose. They feel a broad sense of connection to something larger than themselves, whether to a community, a calling, or to a form of divinity. Spiritual health helps people feel rooted and mindful in the present moment. … We note that strong spiritual health does not necessarily imply the adoption of religious beliefs, in general, or any specific dogma.”

Indeed, “having meaning in one’s life, a sense of connection to something larger than oneself, and a sense of purpose” is not only associated with strong mental, social, and physical health, strong spiritual health is also associated with increased motivation and effort.

Related to GenZ’s, McKinsey Health Institute’s 26-country survey found the vast majority of respondents said  that spiritual health is “somewhat” to “extremely” important to them. However, based on statements about purpose and meaning. GenZ is the generation with the lowest level of spiritual health by significant margins.

Among Millennials, GenX and Baby Boomers, GenZ is the least likely to report having meaning in life (63%), finding purpose in work (58%), and having personal beliefs that give the strength to face difficulties (57%).

By comparison, more than 70% of Millennials, GenX and Baby Boomers report having meaning in life; more than 60% find purpose in work, and have personal beliefs that give strength to face difficulties.

McKinsey Health Institute argues that social, public, and private stakeholders can and should find ways to “help people find purpose and space to reflect on their lives.” This not only includes employers finding ways to help people find meaning in their work, but meaning in life which gives meaning to work.

This is a consequential issue, as my daughter, Melissa, and I found in our widely-cited research on how faith is indispensable in preventing and recovering from substance abuse. Key findings from our study include:

• — Faith Reduces Risk, Helps Long-Term Recovery, Saves Lives
• — Provides $316 billion annually in savings to U.S. economy
• — Authors Warn that Declining Religiosity is National Health Concern 
• — Perception that Religion Can’t Answer Today’s Problems Don’t Match Reality

Businesses that adopt faith-friendly policies and provide opportunities for employees to form formal affinity groups around faith and belief, provide chaplains to provide compassionate care, as well as provide designated spaces for reflection, meditation and prayer are best equipped to address the management problem the Wall Street Journal identifies.

Fortunately, religiously inclusive, faith-friendly workplaces are on the rise.

America’s biggest companies are embracing religiously inclusive workplaces at a faster pace than ever before, according to the 2024 Corporate Religious Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (REDI) Index and Monitor, released by the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF).

The REDI report finds that 429 (85.8%) Fortune 500 companies now mention or illustrate religion as part of their broader commitment to diversity, more than double the number in 2022 (202 companies, or 40.4%). The study also found a 68% increase in the number of Fortune 500 companies showcasing that they have faith-oriented employee business resource groups (EBRGs), rising from 37 companies in 2022 to 62 in 2024.

This is not only good for employees and employers but also for society. Stay tuned as we continue to monitor these trends in 2025.

India’s Jamia Millia Islamia gives diversity and inclusion institutional legs

By Brian Grim

“Without freedom there can be no progress,” said former US Ambassador to the UN Andrew Young. My first contact with Andrew Young was just after he was mayor of Atlanta. He hosted the first group of young Kazakh entrepreneurs that I helped send to the US soon after the USSR was dissolved.

I was there as the new Kazakh president Nazarbaev embraced religious freedom at the founding of that new country (see end of my TEDx Talk), but India embraced religious freedom at its founding and in its Constitution, resulting also in the embrace of institutions such as Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI or Jamia University). Both Kazakhstan and India have had challenges to religious freedom in the intervening years, but institutions like JMI in New Delhi provide added institutional resilience.

Indeed, Jamia Milia Islamia (JMI) is not only a national university, but it is a top one, securing a place as one of the top three universities of India in the coveted 2024 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings. JMI not only has been recognized for its diverse academic offerings and strong emphasis on research, but also the university’s efforts in fostering an inclusive and innovative academic environment.

Just as the rankings were released last month, I had the opportunity along with Dr. Farha Iman to meet Prof. Mohammad Shakeel, JMI Vice Chancellor, to discuss a partnership between our Dare to Overcome initiative and the university (he’s second from right in the picture). A key project of interest is piloting a human rights and business skills training course that could eventually be supported by India’s widespread Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

A first step in the partnership was a webinar lecture I gave on September 5th to the students preparing for careers in Human Resources Management from JMI’s Department of Social Work on corporate religious equity, diversity and inclusion.

Diversity, equity and inclusion will be featured at the global edition of our annual Dare to Overcome business and peace symposium and awards in New Delhi, December 8-9, 2024, with a special roundtable on the CSR human rights initiative.

You can see a brief history of Dare to Overcome below, as well as a video synopsis of last year’s inaugural event in India.

Please join us if you’re able to come to New Delhi!

• — Panel: Faith and Belonging in the Workplace
• — When? 17 September 2024
• — Time? 10am UK/Ireland | 11am Central Europe
• — Join? zoom