Public Square Resource: Pledge to Respect Freedom of Expression and Belief
Purpose:
To ensure that the company publicly commits to never use corporate resources to support advocacy or causes that threaten free speech or religious freedom.
Model Policy Language:
- Recognizing the religious and ideological diversity of stakeholders:
[Insert Name] recognizes that our [customers/sellers/creators/users/employees/ shareholders/stakeholders] hold diverse religious and ideological beliefs about a wide array of issues.
- Pledge to respect stakeholders’ fundamental freedoms of speech and religion in the public square:
To respect the religious and ideological diversity of our customers and external stakeholders, [Insert Name] commits to avoid [supporting any/taking a public position on any] (Choose A and/or B)
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- organization, legislation, advocacy campaign, legal action, (or) regulatory action, that would undermine our [customers’/sellers’/creators’/users’/employees’/stakeholders’] freedom of expression or freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).
- controversial social or political issues.
Application:
Companies should incorporate equivalent language on their public websites or in publicly accessible ESG/CSR reports.
To avoid supporting legislation, legal action, or causes that pose risks to free speech and religious freedom, companies should develop close working relationships with NGOs that specialize in defending these liberties, both domestically and globally. Firms should also consult stakeholders with diverse religious and ideological views before taking stands on social and political issues.
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