Global Ethic and politics

 
The Global Ethic theme aims to produce a change of mentality among those active in global politics. The Foundation contributes to this goal with its publications, conferences, lectures, and educational events.
  

 
InterAction Council
 
Since 1996 Hans Küng has been an adviser to the InterAction Council of former heads of state and government, under the honorary chairmanship of former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. In 1997, in a long process of consultation with Helmut Schmidt, a draft text for a "Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities" was drawn up.
  
-›› Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities • pdf

In 2007, in cooperation with the Global Ethic Foundation, a meeting of experts of the InterAction council was held in Tübingen to discuss the topic "World religions as a factor in world politics" in preparation for the annual meeting of the IAC. In addition to Hans Küng and international experts from the field of inter-religious dialogue, former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, and the former prime ministers of Sweden (Ingvar Carlsson), Australia (Malcolm Fraser), and Jordan (Abdelsalam Majali) took part.

 
Global Ethic at the United Nations
   
The year 2001 marked an influential high point in the development of the Global Ethic theme. At the highest political level, on the initiative of the UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, it found entry into the agenda of the United Nations as a new paradigm of international politics.
  

 
After the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 people all over the world have been convinced that a "clash of civilizations" must be avoided at all costs. Intercultural rapprochement has thus become a need of highest political urgency.
 
Already in 1998, on the recommendation of President Khatami of Iran, the UN General Assembly had proclaimed 2001 to be the "United Nations' Year of Dialogue between the Cultures".
 
-›› Excerpt of Chatamis speech from September 21, 1998 • pdf
-›› “Group of Eminent Persons” • pdf
 
UN General Secretary Kofi Annan convoked a "Group of Eminent Persons", which included Hans Küng. Kofi Annan declared: "The UN Dialogue of Cultures represents a new paradigm of international relations, no longer based on the assumption that diversity constitutes a threat, but rather founded on the realization that diversity is an integral component of growth and progress ... When war is born initially in the minds of men, then the conviction that diversity constitutes a threat represents the seed of war."
  
The goal set before the group was to identify the principles for a new paradigm of international relations characterized by dialogue and understanding on the basis of values shared across cultural divisions, in short, on the basis of a Global Ethic.
  
From 8 to 9 November 2001, the 56th UN General Assembly discussed this project and the authors of the report had the opportunity to make statements to the assembly. Hans Küng gave a programmatic statement. The report of the expert group was published under the title "Crossing the Divide. Dialogue among Civilizations".
  
-›› Hans Küngs programmatic statement • pdf
    
On 9 November 2001, the General Assembly passed a resolution entitled "Global Agenda for the dialogue among civilizations"
  
-›› The resolution • pdf
 
In that resolution, nine articles describe in detail the goals, the principles and the participants in this dialogue. Then, in a second part, a global agenda and a comprehensive plan of action are laid down.
  
To mark the conclusion of the UN Year of Dialog among Civilizations, the Global Ethic Foundation's exhibition "World Religions - Universal Peace - Global Ethic" was put on display at the UN General Headquarters in New York.
   
With the UN Resolution of November 2001 and the report "Crossing the Divide", the Global Ethic theme has found entry into the highest levels of international politics.
 
-›› LIterature on Global Ethic

The Politics Symposium in Tübingen 2002
 
The interdisciplinary symposium "A new Paradigm for International Relations? Ethical Challenges for the Shaping of Global Politics" was devoted to the discussion of the significance of the Global Ethic theme for political science, philosophy, and social studies. The contributions were published in "Friedenspolitik. Ethische Grundlagen internationaler Beziehungen".

 

-›› Literature on Global Ethic
  
The Global Ethic Lectures
  
Since 2000, the Global Ethic Foundation together with the University of Tübingen has sponsored the series of Global Ethic Lectures, in which prominent persons from diverse areas of public life reflect upon the Global Ethic theme from their own perspectives. The following lectures have been held to date:
  
The previous Global Ethic Lectures:
 
-›› 2000: Tony Blair, English Prime Minister,
"Values and the Power of Community"
 
-›› 2002: Mary Robinson, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights,
"Ethics, Human Rights and Globalization"
 
-›› 2003: Kofi Annan, UN General Secretary,
"Do we still have universal values?"
 
-›› 2004: Horst Köhler, German Federal President,
"Why should others concern us?"
 
-›› 2005: Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate,
"The Contribution of Islam to a Global Ethic"
 
-›› 2006: Jacques Rogge, IOC-President,
"Global Sports and Global Ethic"
 
-›› 2007: Helmut Schmidt, former German Chancellor,
"On a politician's ethics"
 
-›› 2009: Desmond Tutu, former Archbishop and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate,
"Global Ethic and Human Dignity: An African perspective"
 
-›› 2010: Stephen K. Green, former Group Chairman of HSBC Holdings plc,
"Global Economy – Global Ethic"