Diversity and Inclusion

Despite meaningful advances in the recognition and protection of fundamental religious freedoms in many parts of the world, certain segments of society usually realize the benefits of social progress only with significant delay. This chapter will consider both the historical challenges and recent advances attained in upholding the religious freedoms and accommodating the sometimes diverse religious practices of individuals in restricted or institutional settings such as prisons, the military, and state-operated medical facilities. While much of the present discussion is primarily based on the experiences of the United States during the past forty years, largely parallel progress has occurred in the democratic societies in western Europe. Clearly the United States is not the only model, and its protections of religious freedom in institutional settings have not always been ideal. Nevertheless, illuminating the US system is particularly valuable. Because it generally takes a separationist and neutral approach in church-state matters, its widespread accommodations in this arena illustrate the need for government flexibility in these circumstances as well as some ways that states can accommodate individuals’ religious needs in institutional settings without discriminating against minority or less-popular religions.

Religious Intolerance, America, and the World: A History of Forgetting and Remembering

Commentators on religious freedom disagree on the rationale for its protection. This question of why we protect religious freedom is important because it influences the manner and scope of the protection of religious freedom by the state. The legal philosopher Timothy Macklem argues, in line with some fideistic approaches to the study of religion, that the value of ‘faith’– of belief without reason to believe – justifies the protection of religious freedom. This paper offers a critique of Macklem's account. It argues that this account is inconsistent with a correct view of the nature of reasons, that it overestimates the circumstances in which faith is valuable, that it fails adequately to consider the connections between faith and false beliefs, and that its conclusions imply a much weaker protection of religious freedom than is common in liberal states. This paper also indicates aspects of faith that are valuable, beyond those discussed by Macklem. It is hoped that it will contribute to the debate on the value of faith as well as the broader debate on the justification of religious freedom.

ABSTRACT: Half the population of the world to this day still has not experienced religious freedom. Religious persecution often still occurs at many places in the world. Research studies show that there is a direct correlation between religious freedom and economic prosperity. "Prosperity is the result of freedom, therefore the best way to improve the economic prosperity of a nation is to ensure freedom for its citizens." This article will first elaborate models of the relationship between church and state, and then explain the basic principle of the Bible regarding religious freedom. It further explains why incarceration of religious freedom or of conscience by the state is wrong, despite the reasons of protecting its citizens from false religion or from a cult. This paper will also explore religious persecution from the time of early church until the birth of Protestantism, and then speaks about the struggle and the protection of religious freedom. Furthermore this article goes into what underlies the constitutional protection of religious freedom in America, and then browse through the struggle and the protection of religious freedom as a struggle of the world. KEY WORDS: religious freedom, religious conflict, heresy, early church, Protestantism, religious freedom in the United States of America.

ESG considerations are increasingly becoming an important issue in investment decisions, influencing investor behaviour and long-term financial performance. This paper explores how environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices affect investor intentions and behaviour among publicly traded companies in Zimbabwe. Using Stakeholder Theory, the study focused on individual investors on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, employing an explanatory design and quantitative approach. A self-administered questionnaire yielded 309 valid responses. Results reveal that environmental practices (path estimate = 0.296) and social practices (path estimate = 0.304) significantly influence stock purchase intentions, while governance practices (path estimate = 0.095) do not show a significant impact. Additionally, stock purchase intentions strongly predict actual stock purchase behaviour (path estimate = 0.716). The study recommends that Zimbabwean companies should prioritise and communicate their environmental and social practices to attract investors, as these factors notably influence stock purchase intentions. While governance practices are important on their own, they are most effective when integrated into a comprehensive ESG framework that aligns environmental, social, and governance efforts towards sustainable organisational performance. It is recommended that companies use big data to strengthen ESG disclosures and drive investor action.

Religious freedom is of fundamental significance among human rights, because it reaches beyond the temporal. It derives from human dignity. The European Court of Human Rights infers from Article 9 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (religious freedom) an obligation for states to provide legalprotection to religious communities and their members as well as objects of religious worship. Criminal law instruments for the protection of religious freedom are accordingly permissible. The paper presents 12 European national legislations that contain relevant criminal law regulations. They provide for punishment for violating the order of religious services and rites, objects of religious worship, as well as religious dogma and doctrine. These approaches are compared to Polish provisions in this respect. A comparative legal analysis has revealed that Poland has significantly weaker protection of religious acts, as well as objects and sites of religious devotion, compared to other countries’ legal systems. This lower standard of protection at the legislative level is confirmed in the adjudicatory practice of Polish courts. Crime criteria stipulated in Articles 194 and 195 of Poland’s Criminal Code, such as the “malicious” character of the perpetrator’s behaviour required for punishment for disrupting or “offending religious feelings”, as a condition for being held culpable for insulting an object of religious worship or site designated for the public performance of religious rites, ensure in effect the impunity of the perpetrators of these deeds. Their adjudicatory interpretation tends to grant those manifesting their hostility to religious faith and doctrine the right to disturb religious services and insult objects of religious devotion. As such the citizens’ bill “in defence of Christians”, which envisages the elimination of these criteria and the introduction of a protection of religious freedom, deserves recognition.

The article considers the relationship between Christianity and the law in Australia beginning with the arrival of the First Fleet and the declaration of the Swan River Colony. It examines in some detail the influence of the Western legal tradition and of Christianity on the jurisprudence relating to one elemental aspect of Western society marriage. It considers the make-up of contemporary Australia, contemporary attitudes to religion and the relationship between law and religion in Australia. The article concludes that the once close relationship between law and religion may be better described today not as a trial separation but as an acrimonious divorce. The article argues that conflict between Christianity and the law is increasing to the extent that there is a need for law reform to provide greater protection of religious freedom. At the time this article was written the legislative protection of religious freedom remained in a state of flux. Following the redefinition of marriage on 15 November, 2018 a review into religious freedom, the Ruddock Review, has taken place but the Report has not been publicly released. Instead the recommendations have been initially selectively, mischievously and manipulatively leaked to the press. Despite the evidence presented in this article of a need for a more adequate legislative framework for the protection of religious freedom, the response to the recommendations of the Ruddock Review to date can only cause scepticism as to the likelihood that any such framework is likely to be introduced in this county in the near future.

Purpose - This research explores the impact of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices on employee performance and well-being in private higher education institutions in Bandung, West Java. It seeks to provide insights into how effective ESG integration can enhance organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Methodology - A quantitative approach employing Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analyzed the relationships among constructs: environmental practices, social practices, governance practices, and the dependent variable, employee performance and well-being. Data were collected from 270 respondents through stratified random sampling across various administrative roles in 138 private higher education institutions. Findings- The results showed that environmental practices positively impact employee performance and well-being, with social practices also contributing. Governance practices mediate and amplify these effects. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating sustainable practices into organizational strategies to improve employee outcomes and overall institutional performance. Originality—This study explores the impact of ESG practices on employee performance in private higher education institutions, focusing on sustainability to enhance engagement and productivity. Unlike previous research, which focused primarily on corporate sectors or public universities, it emphasizes the unique challenges of private institutions, particularly in Bandung, offering new insights into governance practices as mediators.

This article examines the evolution of participatory governance in mining and how stakeholder inclusion impacts mining project development. The article is based on a historical case study of mining licensing in Finland and the data includes archival materials, official documents, media texts, and supporting interviews. The article finds that the institutional complexity of the governance processes has increased throughout time as more permits, public institutions and rightsholder groups have been introduced as part of the licensing process. As the stakeholder inclusion has expanded to include virtually anyone, only those groups who hold a particular position by law are able to have meaningful participation and are included in the decisions. This has profound implications for the principles of participatory governance and stakeholder inclusion. These findings contribute to the stakeholder engagement literature by theorising upon the difference of rightsholding and stakeholding for inclusion and participation in governance processes and the role of state for provision of rights.

This study examines the effects of environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices on consumer brand identification and brand loyalty in the cosmetics industry. A structured questionnaire was developed based on validated scales from past studies after which the data was collected from female customers of cosmetic brands in Malaysia. In total, 307 valid responses were obtained from the respondents and analysed via the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The analysis revealed that environmental and governance practices were important predictors of consumer brand identification and positively affected brand loyalty. Furthermore, brand identification was found to mediate the effect of environmental and governance practices on brand loyalty. In contrast, the effect of social practices on brand identification was found to be insignificant and no mediating effect of brand identification was observed between social practices and brand loyalty. This study makes significant contributions to practice by making a strong business case for ESG to be adopted as a legitimate corporate strategy in fostering band identification and brand loyalty. The study also enriches the literature on ESG practices, brand identification and loyalty with new insights from the cosmetics industry in Malaysia; an area that has not received much scholarly attention till date.

Religious Intolerance in America: A Documentary History

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices have gained increasing attention among companies in Malaysia as they strive to meet the expectations of stakeholders, especially investors. This study aims to environmental, social and governance (ESG) practice reported in the public-listed companies and the similarities among the industry sectors and to investigate the relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and corporate financial performance. Grounded in Stakeholder Theory, this study employs descriptive and correlation analysis to assess the correlation between independent and dependent variables. A comprehensive content review of secondary data from the annual reports of selected public-listed companies in Malaysia was conducted, with data thoroughly documented in a meticulously prepared checklist. The sample consists of 41 public-listed companies across 10 distinct industry sectors. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 29. The findings revealed that Malaysian public-listed companies typically implemented structured environmental, social and governance practice (ESG) practices in Malaysia which are perceived to influence corporate financial performance. The analysis demonstrates an insignificant weakly negative relationship between environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and corporate financial performance. Despite several limitations, this study offers recommendations for future research and practice.

This research paper explores the intersection of cultural violence in peace studies and social practices in India, aiming to provide a comparative analysis of these concepts. Drawing on Johan Galtung's framework, cultural violence is examined as comprising values, beliefs, symbols, language, and traditions that perpetuate or justify violence. In the context of India, various social practices, including caste discrimination, gender inequality, religious intolerance, and communal violence, serve as manifestations of cultural violence. Through a theoretical framework grounded in peace studies, this paper analyses the role of cultural violence in hindering peacebuilding efforts and perpetuating conflict. Additionally, it investigates the cultural, historical, and structural factors contributing to the perpetuation of harmful social practices in India. By comparing and contrasting cultural violence with Indian social practices, this paper highlights the interconnectedness between the two and explores strategies for addressing these issues in peacebuilding and social change initiatives. Through case studies and examples, the paper illustrates how cultural violence operates within specific social contexts in India and identifies successful interventions aimed at transforming these practices. Ultimately, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities of cultural violence and social practices in India and offers insights for promoting peace and social justice in the region.

The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. It is doubtful whether meditation is included in the protection of religious freedom. Traditionally, meditation has been used as a means to achieve religious goals. Modern meditation is losing its religiosity. In other words, modern meditation is changing into secularity, popularity, and industrialization. The secularization of meditation calls for a reinterpretation of the concept of religion. The concept of meditation is no longer limited to religion. Meditation is an expansion of an open concept in which the religious dimension and the secular dimension correspond or separate. Meditation cannot be embraced as a religion and set as a uniform protection area for religious freedom. The state should consider the scope of religion to protect religious freedom. There is no agreed upon constitutional definition. A constitutional answer to this is required. This is because a new interpretation is needed for peaceful coexistence between the two different concepts under the constitutional order. The constitutional issues regarding meditation are largely organized into three categories. First, is meditation a religion? Second, what is the concept of meditation in the constitution? Third, what is the relationship between freedom of religion and meditation? It is possible to try an effective constitutional interpretation of religious freedom by dividing it into religious meditation and secular meditation. In the case of religious meditation, it is a means to the only end pursued by religion. Unlike this, in the case of secular meditation, a reasonable constitutional interpretation must be premised in that it is a practice of life to internally experience the various purposes of each person. This study considers whether it is legitimate to regard meditation with religiousness as the realm of freedom of religion, but in the case of meditation with secularity, as the realm of freedom from religion. To prove this, the concept of religion and meditation, and freedom of religion and freedom from religion in the Constitution were distinguished and explored. The specific content of freedom from religion was reviewed by grafting the concept of meditation on the freedom of unbelief, freedom of non-religious activities, freedom of non-religious assembly and assembly, and the limits of freedom from religion. And, tentatively named 'freedom of religious meditation' and 'freedom of secular meditation' derived from freedom of religion and freedom from religion are presented. The purpose of this study is to suggest the direction of legal interests by setting the concept of religion and meditation in the Constitution and the scope of protection of the basic rights of religious meditation and secular meditation that may conflict through the interpretation of the Constitution.

The eighteenth-century American founders believed that religion is special and deserves special constitutional protection, and that all peaceable faiths must be drawn into the constitutional process and protection. The founders introduced six constitutional principles for the protection of religious freedom – freedom of conscience, free exercise of religion, religious pluralism, religious equality, separation of church and state, and no federal establishment of religion. Since the 1940s, the US Supreme Court has upheld these religious freedom principles in more 170 cases, albeit unevenly of late. Moreover, in recent years religious freedom has come under sharp popular and academic attack, particularly as religious pathologies have come to light and religious freedom claims have clashed with sexual liberty claims. This chapter calls for a return to the first principles of religious freedom for all, at home and abroad, and for a new balance between religious freedom and other fundamental rights claims.