Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration is an interfaith community declaration, drafted initially by Dr. Hans Küng, in cooperation with the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions staff and Trustees and experts. Drawing on many of the world's religious and spiritual traditions, the community declaration identifies four essential human affirmations as shared principles essential to a fair global ethic.
Commitment to a culture of non-violence and respect for life
Commitment to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order
Commitment to a culture of tolerance and a life of truthfulness
Commitment to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men and women
This Declaration was signed at the Parliament of the World's Religions gathering in 1993 by more than 200 leaders from 40+ different faith traditions and spiritual communities. Since 1993 it has been signed by thousands more leaders and individuals around the world. As such, it offers common ground for people to agree and to cooperate for the good of all humankind and the sustainability of our planet.
Because of unequal geographic population growth and international economic inequalities I would add another commitment to a civic priority to serve and respect the human rights of the most vulnerable populations living among us around the globe. Especially financial aid and community support for refugees and survivors of natural disasters, to provide clean water, eliminate extreme poverty, educate the poor, care for the sick, and protect people marginalized and/or discriminated against by established societies and megacorporate international interests.
I thought we were making real progress until the problems with human rights violations started after 9/11 because our economic priorties shifted. The pre emptive military strikes loudly condemned by both Catholic Popes and practically ignored by our American Bishops were carried out by American leaders bombing in 4 soverign countries. They have wasted our tax money on massive death and destruction, human rights violations and environmental damage to our fragile planet's sustainabilty than at any other time since the Vietnam war.
We want more affordable health care, not more warfare or destruction of our earth's natural resources and raw materials.
