Explicitly Religious Activities Prohibited. (1) Explicitly religious activities include activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, prayer, or proselytization.
Explicitly Religious Activities Prohibited. Explicitly religious activities include activities that involve overt religious content such as worship, religious instruction, prayer, or proselytization. The recipient must not engage in explicitly religious activities as part of the programs or services directly funded with financial assistance from USAID. If the recipient engages in explicitly religious activities, the activities must be offered separately, in time or location, from any programs or services directly funded by this award, and participation must be voluntary for beneficiaries of the programs or services funded with USAID assistance. These restrictions apply equally to religious and secular organizations. All organizations that participate in USAID programs, as recipients or subawardees, including religious ones, must carry out eligible activities in accordance with all program requirements and other applicable requirements governing USAID-funded activities. Notwithstanding the restrictions of b.(1) and (2), a religious organization that participates in USAID-funded programs or services: May retain its independence and may continue to carry out its mission, including the definition, development, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial assistance from USAID to support or engage in any explicitly religious activities or in any other manner prohibited by law; May use space in its facilities, without removing religious art, icons, scriptures, or other religious symbols; and May retains its authority over its internal governance, and may retain religious terms in its organization’s name, select its board members on a religious basis, and include religious references in its organization's mission statements and other governing documents. Implementation in accordance with the Establishment Clause: Nothing in this provision shall be construed as authorizing the use of USAID funds for activities that are not permitted by Establishment Clause jurisprudence or otherwise by law. Discrimination Based on Religion Prohibited: The recipient must not, in providing services, discriminate against a program beneficiary or potential program beneficiary on the basis of religion or religious belief, refusal to hold a religious belief or a refusal to attend or participate in a religious practice. A religious organization's exemption from the Federal prohibition on employment discrimination on the basis of religion, set forth in Sec. 702(a) of the Civil Ri...
