Race (human categorization)

• DURHAM, N.C., Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading business consulting firm Clarkston Consulting announced today the launch of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE+I) website , which will track the firm's progress toward its 10-year DE+I goals.
• The site will serve as the home for communicating our progress, the challenges we run into, and how we're moving this initiative forward."
• Clarkston's 10-year DE+I goals were developed in partnership with our Diversity Council and senior leaders in the firm.
• Within each of these four 10-year DE+I goals, there are three- and five-year short-term goals that tie into specific objectives within the broader 10-year goals, helping to ensure accountability and progress.

• CARMEL, Ind., Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Syra Health Corp. (NASDAQ: SYRA) ("Syra Health" or the "Company"), a healthcare company addressing some of healthcare's most significant challenges by providing innovative services and technology solutions, today announced that it is expanding its reach beyond state and local government agencies to now include supplying its products, services, and solutions to the federal government.
• "Expanding our business at the federal level is a natural next step for Syra Health," said Dr. Deepika Vuppalanchi, CEO, Syra Health.
• Syra Health currently has 13 active contracts across 12 states nationwide, supplying state and local governments with clinical staffing, mental and behavioral health solutions, and population health services.
• "We have a strong foundation of health and medical services, solutions, and clinical staffing that allow us to expand into the federal market," said Sandeep Allam, Executive Chairman and President, Syra Health.

• The spate of Quran-burning incidents followed an act of desecration by far-right activist Rasmus Paludan on Jan. 21, 2023, in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
• On Aug. 25, Denmark’s government said it would “criminalize” desecration of religious objects and moved a bill banning the burning of scriptures.
• As a scholar of European studies, I’m interested in how modern European societies are trying to navigate the fine line between freedom of expression and the need to prevent incitement of hatred; a few are introducing laws specifically addressing hate speech.

Death penalty for insulting God and church

• For instance, the Danish Code from 1683 punished people by cutting off their tongue, head or hands.
• In 1636, English Puritan settlers in Massachusetts instituted the penalty of death for blasphemy.
• Advocating for a strict separation of church and state, France became the first country to repeal its blasphemy law in 1881.

European landscape of blasphemy laws

• Several countries in Europe retain blasphemy laws, but their approaches are highly varied.
• Often the laws may not prevent present-day acts like dishonoring of religious texts.
• Austria and Switzerland have laws quite similar to Germany’s in this regard.
• This case later went up to the European Court of Human Rights, which supported the Viennese court’s decision.

Contemporary debate

• A few countries are introducing new legislation to curb hate speech against religious communities.
• Sweden passed a hate speech law in 1970 protecting racial, ethnic, religious and sexual minorities.
• Because of the existing hate speech law focusing on incitement against minorities rather than religions, the activist received a fine from the police.

A global challenge

• Even in the U.S., there’s an ongoing debate about the boundaries of free speech.
• The First Amendment of the Constitution allows free speech, which some can interpret as the right to burn holy books.
• Scholar of law and religion Jane Wise suggested that the U.S. could follow the English example by banning hate speech.
• As societies change, I believe it has become important to recognize when freedom of speech has turned into promoting hatred.

• MENLO PARK, Calif., June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global consulting firm Protiviti has again been named to the Seramount list of Best Companies for Multicultural Women .
• The annual list, which is based on in-depth demographic data gathered from participating organizations via an application comprised of nearly 600 questions, honors 80 top companies in the United States that create and use best practices in hiring, retaining and advancing multicultural women.
• Seramount's Best Companies for Multicultural Women tracks corporations' progress in creating cultures that encourage multicultural women to join and rise through the ranks.
• In 2022, Protiviti was recognized by Seramount as a Best Company for Dads and one of the 75 Top Companies for Executive Women.