St Mary's to Hold Seminar on Religious Freedom and Business

The School of Management and Social Sciences (MSS) at St Mary’s University, Twickenham is to explore how religious freedom effects business, society and the poor in a seminar on Tuesday 3rd February. Brian Grim, President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, is to present a guest lecture on The Socio-Economic Benefits of Religious Freedom; discussing how religious freedom helps reduce corruption, increase peace, reduce harmful regulation, limit discrimination and yield more diversity and growth. Religious Freedom is a key ingredient in peace and stability, which is particularly important for businesses that benefit the most vulnerable because, where stability exists, there is more opportunity to invest and conduct normal and predictable business operations, especially in new and emerging markets. Brian has observed that, according to a 2014 study published in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion, religious freedom is one of three factors significantly associated with global economic growth. The same study finds a positive relationship between religious freedom and 10 of the 12 pillars of global competitiveness, as measured by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index. He is a leading expert on international religious demography and the socio-economic impact of restrictions on religious freedom and is responsible for developing the Government Restrictions on Religion Index and the Social Hostilities Involving Religion Index. The free public seminar will be held at St Mary’s Strawberry Hill campus from 6pm on Tuesday 3rd February. To confirm your place at the event, please contact Siobhan Cockrill on siobhan.cockrill@stmarys.ac.uk.