By Brian Grim

Greetings from Washington DC and from all my colleagues and partners at the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation.

On May 21, in Washington, in recognition of the success of the pilot Human Rights & Business Skills curriculum, which I will briefly describe in a moment, we will be conferring the Global Business & Interfaith Peace Gold Medal to MIT-World Peace University’s Executive President, Dr. Rahul V. Karad at our Fortune 500 Dare to overcome conference..

Dr. Rahul Karad is carrying on the noble and world-changing work of Revered Professor Dr. Vishwanath D. Karad, established the university’s guiding principle based on the teachings of India’s Noble Son Swami Vivekananda, “The union of science and spirituality will bring peace and harmony to mankind.”

I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Dr. R.M. Chitnis, MIT-WPU Vice Chancellor, for his enthusiastic support of this initiative, without which it would not have been possible. And the expert support of MIT World Peace University School of Education department head Dr Shalini Tonpe ensured our success. Thank you to both of you!

So … Last month, I had the tremendous opportunity to observe four of the 10 schools in the Pune region that participated in the “Human Rights & Business Skills” secondary school curriculum pilot. MIT World Peace University School of Education professors and student teachers supplemented the curriculum, which is based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, with parallel articles from the revered Indian Constitution along with business skills that reinforce and apply the human rights.

Before my visit to the schools, School of Education professors and student teachers kicked off the week with a roundtable demonstrating how they adapted the curriculum to the Indian context and piloted the curriculum.

The Roundtable conference began with Asst Prof Rahul Landge delivering a comprehensive report on the implementation of human rights curriculum, which was piloted across different schools of Pune city. The report provided valuable insights into curriculum’s execution, identified opportunities for growth, highlighted the challenges encountered, and included series of accountable recommendations for enhancing future efforts. This review played a crucial role in assessing the curriculum’s impact and its adaptability within diverse educational settings.

The human rights were very well received, and each of the 10 school principals were especially attracted to the practical business skills tied to higher values. Asst Prof Priya Kale, as seen in the photo, shows that while none of the schools has a business skills curriculum and only four are aware of such a curriculum, they all would like to implement such a curriculum in their schools.

The team’s student teachers demonstrated as part of the roundtable four of the 10 human rights lessons that they piloted in the fall: Freedom of Religion, Protection from Child Labor, Right to Marriage and Family, and Freedom from Bullying.

In the Schools

The class teacher at Anjuman Islam Peer Mohamed High School – Pune, an all-girls Muslim school (pictured below, bottom right), gave a ringing endorsement after the demonstration lesson, Protection from Child Labor. She and the chief school administrator invited us to implement the curriculum on an ongoing basis. I was particularly impressed to see how well students and teachers from different backgrounds — Muslim, Hindu and Christian — worked together joyfully and productively. It was a wonderful demonstration of India’s national motto Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “the world is one family”.

At a Pune school for underprivileged students, the Bharati Vidyapeet School, the pilot was on the fundamental human right to Marriage and Family. The class was executed effectively, with a variety of engaging activities designed to raise awareness about this right. Students actively participated in role-playing exercises, group discussions and case studies, which helped them explore marriage laws, family dynamics and personal freedoms.

A highlight was the performance of one of the 10 original songs written by one of the Hindu student teachers. He partnered with a Christian student teacher (both pictured) to write the songs to go with each of the 10 lessons.

At a prep school attached to MIT WPU, the pilot class on Religious Freedom was animated through “gamification” – using games and competition to motivate learning. In one game, teams competed to see who could find the most similarities between India’s multiple religions. My minor but really fun part was to come on stage and hand out the awards.

The final demonstration pilot was at a tutoring center giving evening classes for underprivileged students. The center is an act of love by a husband and wife team who offer daily coaching classes on English and math as well as other subjects as needed. The lesson was one that hits close to home for these students: Freedom from Bullying.

The Impact and Next Steps

Comments from students ranged from, “I didn’t realize we had universal rights at birth,” to coming up for strategies on how to combat discrimination.

We are working towards sustainability and expansion of the initiative across India and worldwide through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding. Indian companies must spend a minimum of 2% of their average net profit over the preceding three years on CSR activities.

The results were overwhelmingly positive, and with Corporate Social Responsibility funding, we can see the real potential to sustain and expand this initiative not only across India and but throughout the world.

I congratulate the MIT Would Peace University for developing the world’s first business skills curriculum that reinforces and applies human rights. This is truly a recipe for peace and prosperity. Thank you!

6th Annual Fortune 500 Faith@Work ERG Conference

By Brian Grim

Join us in Washington DC for the 6th Annual Fortune 500 Faith@Work ERG conference, May 20-22, 2025 (register here). We’re thrilled to be back at the Catholic University’s Busch School of Business for the 6th year!

We have an exciting and growing list of sponsors including DELL Technologies, Equinix, Merck, American Airlines, Coca-Cola Consolidated, ServiceNow, among others.

In the weeks leading up to the conference, I’ll be introducing the exciting elements of the program. This week, meet two of our keynotes!

Super Habits

Each year, our most popular keynote has been by the Busch School’s Dean Andrew Abela. This year promises to be the best yet, as he unpacks the ancient yet modern secrets to a successful life (and business).

Everyone registered gets a free copy of his new book, Super Habits: The Universal System for a Successful Life.

Harvard’s Arthur C. Brooks says, “A rich blend of social science and ancient wisdom, Andrew Abela’s Superhabits shows how strengthening our virtues leads to well-being. This beautiful book is a must-read for anyone in pursuit of the better life.”

Brighter Days

Get ready for a fun, authentic and inspiring keynote from my friend and colleague, Patrick Regan, OBE.

Patrick’s new book, Brighter Days: 12 Steps to Strengthening Your Well-being, couldn’t be more relevant with all the disruption and divisiveness swirling about. It empowers readers to embrace their struggles while equipping them with the tools needed for a healthier, more fulfilling future. Discover that you are not alone in your journey, and get ready to look forward to brighter days ahead!

Patrick is a sought after mental health provider and founder of three successful NGOs. Boris Johnson gave him the London Peace Award for his work in the prevention of knife crime and the late Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an OBE for his services to young people.

This conference is part of our global Dare to Overcome initiative that builds religious freedom for all by expanding the space where people’s faiths and beliefs have a place at the table. In a growing number of companies, this is through faith-oriented Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or chaplaincy programs.

“As the Jewish holiday of Purim begins, I shared my thoughts on combatting #antisemitism in the workplace,” Brian Grim.

The results of a troubling new report about the workplace atmosphere for Jewish people is setting off alarm bells. CBN’s Raj Nair is joined by Brian Grim, the President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, to break down the upsetting details.

Employee networks, resource groups and communities are good for business 

• ERGs are growing
• ERGs shape strategy
• ERGs drive change
• ERGs build belonging
• ERGs enhance careers
• ERGs drive innovation

This new report further strengthens the business case for ERGs across their organizations. Among the 10 most common areas of impact shown in the chart below, key business benefits of ERGs include that they create support networks and safe spaces, advocate for employee benefits and well-being, and ERGs create support networks and safe spaces, advocate for employee benefits and well-being, and positively influence recruitment and retention of diverse talent.

Overview

The “Global ERG Impact Report” by Radius Networks underscores the significant role Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) play in modern organizations. Based on a comprehensive survey initiated in early 2023, which included hundreds of global organizations and interviews with 75 HR or Network Leads, the findings are compelling. Notably, 99% of respondents acknowledged the positive impact of employee networks on their organizations, 94% recognized their influence in driving change, and 93% felt that these networks enhanced their personal sense of belonging.

The report features case studies from prominent companies such as EY, Google, HSBC, Tesco, and Ericsson, illustrating how ERGs contribute to organizational success. These groups are instrumental in shaping strategies, fostering inclusive cultures, and promoting employee development. For instance, at the University of Sunderland, staff networks have been pivotal in retaining talent by building a sense of belonging and ensuring employees feel valued.

Beyond internal benefits, ERGs also drive external impact by connecting organizations with diverse customer bases and contributing to societal change. The report highlights initiatives ranging from facilitating discussions on faith and finance in the Asia-Pacific region to promoting social mobility in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. These examples demonstrate the extensive reach and influence of ERGs in fostering more inclusive communities both within and outside organizational boundaries.

Join the UK Faith@Work network for engaging reflections on Ramadan, Holi, Purim, and Lent. If you haven’t registered for the monthly series, you can do so here.

• Thursday, 13th March, 1-1:30pm UK (9-9:30am ET; 6-6:30am PT)
• Monthly Zoom (register here)

Featured speakers are Moushin Sikder, Co-lead for the Ethnicity and Culture Network at SSE; Jag Jethwa, Lead BA and member of the Ethnicity and Culture Network at SSE; Naomi Kraus, co-founder and board member of Jewish ERGs; and Brian Grim, President of RFBF and senior advisor for Faith@Work UK.

Ramadan, Holi, Purim, and Lent are significant religious observances being celebrated this month. Ramadan is a holy month in Islam marked by fasting from dawn to sunset, prayer, reflection, and charity. Holi, a Hindu festival, is known as the “Festival of Colors,” celebrating the arrival of spring, love, and the victory of good over evil with vibrant festivities. Purim, in Judaism, commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman’s plot in ancient Persia, celebrated with feasting, costumes, and charity. The Fast of Esther, or Ta’anit Esther, is a Jewish fast that takes place on the day before Purim. Lent, observed by Christians, is a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and repentance leading up to Easter, symbolizing Jesus’ time of sacrifice in the desert.

A replica of the tribute to Lou Groen displayed on the wall of the McDonald’s franchise at 5425 West North Bend Road in Cincinnati, where he created the Filet-O-Fish sandwich. (Credit: Erica Shadoin.)

Article by John Lavenburg, Crux

Summary

By Brian Grim, full article on Patheos

The Trump administration is removing Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) programs from government agencies. Critics of DEI argue that these initiatives can sometimes prioritize surface-level diversity over merit, leading to hiring and promotions based more on identity than qualifications.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump established a White House Faith Office tasked with safeguarding religious communities. Its responsibilities include identifying instances where the executive branch fails to uphold constitutional and federal protections for religious liberty.

One unintended consequence of eliminating DEI programs has been the negative impact on religious liberty. As federal agencies discontinued their DEI initiatives, many faith-based programs for government employees, which were supported by DEI, were also shut down. …

Read full article on Patheos.

America’s success is largely driven by the active contributions of religious communities. In fact, religion generates nearly $1.2 trillion in socio-economic value for the U.S. economy each year—equivalent to the world’s 15th largest national economy, surpassing roughly 180 other countries.

To uphold this vital economic and social asset, the Administration’s America First agenda should reconsider policies that weaken this unique strength of the nation.

Religion in a Changing Workplace, by Elaine Howard Ecklund, Denise Daniels, and Christopher P. Scheitle (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024)

• Review by: Akpan Ubong-Abasi and Rachel C. Schneider
• Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance
• Rice University

A new book Religion in a Changing Workplace draws on over 15,000 surveys and 300 in-depth interviews to investigate the multifaceted role of religion in United States workplaces. The culmination of five years of research, the book explores religion’s role in the lives of workers—how it can contribute to a sense of meaning and purpose at work, but also how it can be a source of conflict and discrimination—and the implications for an increasingly religiously pluralistic workplace.

Many workplace leaders avoid addressing religion explicitly for fear of conflict. But Ecklund, Daniels, and Scheitle argue that ignoring religion’s presence at work can cause more harm than good. This is the case because many employees want to express or practice their faith at work as part of bringing their authentic selves to work, and they feel excluded or stifled if discouraged from doing so. Further, faith is often deeply connected to one’s sense of purpose and meaning around work. This means that expressing one’s whole self at work, including one’s faith, can encourage a sense of organizational belonging and commitment. Finally, religion/spirituality can also be a resource for dealing with workplace conflict and stress, ultimately providing positive coping tools.  At the same time, faith in the workplace must be navigated thoughtfully to avoid marginalization and discrimination between individuals and groups.

Because the workplace is one of the few places in society where individuals get to meet people of different religions and interact with those who are different from them, there is the possibility for both negative and positive interactions. However, Ecklund and her coauthors make a compelling case that it is time for leaders to stop neglecting religion at work out of fear or ignorance. Rather, employees and employers should see religion as a form of workplace diversity that can support beneficial outcomes on multiple levels, if accommodated in nuanced ways.  Over the course of ten chapters, the authors then draw on their expertise in sociology and business management to offer a clear but nuanced picture of how people are grappling with religion in the workplace. They discuss opportunities for religion to integrated into the workplace ways to serve works and organizations. Finally, they provide guidance to organization leaders about how they can support religious expressions at workplaces while respecting the identities of all religious and non-religious identities.

This book is for policymakers, employers, employees, and managers who want to learn how to integrate and attend to religion in the workplace using the best available data. It is also a great resource for sociologists, religious studies, and scholars of organization and management.

A huge asset of this book is that it gives insight into workers in many different occupations and organizational levels think about (and experience) faith in the workplace in positive and negative ways. The book shows that many employees are looking for clarity about ways to express their faith without violating laws or company or company policies. At the same time, individuals and groups experience religious conflict and discrimination in the workplace often in informal ways that many policies do not address. Thus, the authors draw on their research to encourage organizations and business leaders to develop thoughtful policies around expressing and accommodating faith in workplaces that can promote healthy pluralism. In challenging workplace leaders to listen to the voices and experiences of workers of all types, the authors of this book compellingly show how workplaces can become spaces where all people can thrive. The hope is for future workplaces where religion and spirituality are not seen as problems to be solved but assets to creating healthy organizational cultures.

The research in this book was conducted before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a period that pushed workplace leaders to pay greater attention to the everyday experiences of employees. One overlooked dimension in these conversations has been issues of religious freedom, belonging, and inclusion. Ultimately, this book makes the strong case that religion has to be part of the conversation if we are to create workplaces that serve both workers and businesses well.