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TOWARDS

A GLOBAL ETHIC(AN IN I T I A L DE C L A R AT I O N)

1993 Parliamentof the World’s Religions

August 28 - September 5, 1993Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

TT his interfaith declaration is the result of a two-year consultation among more than two hundred

scholars and theologians representing the world’scommunities of faith.

On September 2-4, 1993, the document was discussed byan assembly of religious and spiritual leaders meeting aspart of the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions inChicago. Respected leaders from all the world’s major

faiths signed the declaration as individuals, agreeing thatit represents an initial effort: a point of beginning for a

world sorely in need of ethical consensus.

The Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religionsand the persons who have endorsed this text offer it to

the world as an initial statement of those rules for livingon which the world’s religions agree.

We invite additional endorsements fromwomen and men everywhere.

© 1993, Council for a Parliament of the World’s ReligionsPost Office Box 1630

Chicago, Illinois, 60690-1630 U.S.A.

This document may be reproduced and distributed with permission.

TOWARDS

A GLOBAL ETHIC(AN IN I T I A L DE C L A R AT I O N)

OUTLINE:

A. The Declaration of a Global Ethic

B. The Principles of a Global Ethic

I. No new global order without a newglobal ethic!

II. A fundamental demand: Every humanbeing must be treated humanely.

III. Irrevocable directives.

1 Commitment to a Culture of Non-violence

and Respect for Life.

2 Commitment to a Culture of Solidarity and a

Just Economic Order.

3 Commitment to a Culture of Tolerance and

a Life of Truthfulness.

4 Commitment to a Culture of Equal Rights

and Partnership Between Men and Women

IV. A Transformation of Consciousness!

11 9 9 3 P A R L I A M E N T O F T H E W O R L D ’ S R E L I G I O N S

T O W A R D S A G L O B A L E T H I C A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R • 1 9 9 3

TThe world is in agony. The

agony is so pervasive andurgent that we are compelled

to name its manifestations so that thedepth of this pain may be made clear.

Peace eludes us … the planet is beingdestroyed … neighbors live in fear …women and men are estranged fromeach other … children die!

This is abhorrent!

We condemn the abuses of Earth’secosystems.

We condemn the poverty that stifles life’spotential; the hunger that weakens thehuman body; the economic disparitiesthat threaten so many families with ruin.

We condemn the social disarray of thenations; the disregard for justice whichpushes citizens to the margin; theanarchy overtaking our communities;and the insane death of children fromviolence. In particular we condemnaggression and hatred in the name ofreligion.

But this agony need not be.

It need not be because the basis for anethic already exists. This ethic offers thepossibility of a better individual andglobal order, and leads individuals away

from despair and societies away fromchaos.

We are women and men who haveembraced the precepts and practices ofthe world’s religions:

We affirm that a common set of corevalues is found in the teachings of thereligions, and that these form the basisof a global ethic.

We affirm that this truth is alreadyknown, but yet to be lived in heart andaction.

We affirm that there is an irrevocable,unconditional norm for all areas of life,for families and communities, for races,nations, and religions. There alreadyexist ancient guidelines for humanbehavior which are found in theteachings of the religions of the worldand which are the condition for asustainable world order.

We Declare:

We are interdependent. Each of usdepends on the well-being of the whole,and so we have respect for thecommunity of living beings, for people,animals, and plants, and for thepreservation of Earth, the air, water andsoil.

THE DECLARATION OF A GLOBAL ETHIC

2 1 9 9 3 P A R L I A M E N T O F T H E W O R L D ’ S R E L I G I O N S


We take individual responsibility for allwe do. All our decisions, actions, andfailures to act have consequences. We must treat others as we wish others

to treat us. We make a commitment torespect life and dignity, individualityand diversity, so that every person istreated humanely, without exception.We must have patience and acceptance.We must be able to forgive, learningfrom the past but never allowingourselves to be enslaved by memories ofhate. Opening our hearts to oneanother, we must sink our narrowdifferences for the cause of the worldcommunity, practicing a culture ofsolidarity and relatedness.

We consider humankind our family. Wemust strive to be kind and generous. Wemust not live for ourselves alone, butshould also serve others, never forgettingthe children, the aged, the poor, thesuffering, the disabled, the refugees, andthe lonely. No person should ever beconsidered or treated as a second-classcitizen, or be exploited in any waywhatsoever. There should be equalpartnership between men and women.We must not commit any kind of sexualimmorality. We must put behind us allforms of domination or abuse.

We commit ourselves to a culture ofnon-violence, respect, justice, and peace.We shall not oppress, injure, torture, orkill other human beings, forsakingviolence as a means of settlingdifferences.

We must strive for a just social andeconomic order, in which everyone hasan equal chance to reach full potentialas a human being. We must speak andact truthfully and with compassion,dealing fairly with all, and avoidingprejudice and hatred. We must notsteal. We must move beyond thedominance of greed for power, prestige,money, and consumption to make a justand peaceful world.

Earth cannot be changed for the betterunless the consciousness of individualsis changed first. We pledge to increaseour awareness by disciplining our minds,by meditation, by prayer, or by positivethinking. Without risk and a readinessto sacrifice there can be no fundamentalchange in our situation. Therefore wecommit ourselves to this global ethic, tounderstanding one another, and tosocially beneficial, peace-fostering, andnature-friendly ways of life.

We invite all people, whether religious or not,

to do the same.



OOur world is experiencing a

fundamental crisis: A crisis inglobal economy, global ecology, andglobal politics. The lack of a grandvision, the tangle of unresolvedproblems, political paralysis, mediocrepolitical leadership with little insight orforesight, and in general too little sensefor the commonweal are seeneverywhere: Too many old answers tonew challenges.

Hundreds of millions of human beingson our planet increasingly suffer fromunemployment, poverty, hunger, and thedestruction of their families. Hope for alasting peace among nations slips awayfrom us. There are tensions between thesexes and generations. Children die,kill, and are killed. More and morecountries are shaken by corruption inpolitics and business. It is increasinglydifficult to live together peacefully in ourcities because of social, racial, andethnic conflicts, the abuse of drugs,organized crime, and even anarchy.Even neighbors often live in fear of oneanother. Our planet continues to beruthlessly plundered. A collapse of theecosystem threatens us.

Time and again we see leaders andmembers of religions incite aggression,fanaticism, hate, and xenophobia–eveninspire and legitimize violent and

bloody conflicts. Religion often ismisused for purely power-political goals,including war. We are filled withdisgust.

We condemn these blights and declarethat they need not be. An ethic alreadyexists within the religious teachings ofthe world which can counter the globaldistress. Of course this ethic providesno direct solution for all the immenseproblems of the world, but it doessupply the moral foundation for a betterindividual and global order: A visionwhich can lead women and men awayfrom despair, and society away fromchaos.

We are persons who have committedourselves to the precepts and practices ofthe world’s religions. We confirm thatthere is already a consensus among thereligions which can be the basis for aglobal ethic–a minimal fundamentalconsensus concerning binding values,irrevocable standards, and fundamentalmoral attitudes.

I. No new global order without a newglobal ethic!

We women and men of various religionsand regions of Earth therefore addressall people, religious and non-religious.

THE PRINCIPLES OF A GLOBAL ETHIC



We wish to express the followingconvictions which we hold in common:

• We all have a responsibility for a betterglobal order.

• Our involvement for the sake ofhuman rights, freedom, justice, peace,and the preservation of Earth isabsolutely necessary.

• Our different religious and culturaltraditions must not prevent ourcommon involvement in opposing allforms of inhumanity and working forgreater humaneness.

• The principles expressed in this GlobalEthic can be affirmed by all personswith ethical convictions, whetherreligiously grounded or not.

• As religious and spiritual persons webase our lives on an Ultimate Reality,and draw spiritual power and hopetherefrom, in trust, in prayer ormeditation, in word or silence. Wehave a special responsibility for thewelfare of all humanity and care forthe planet Earth. We do not considerourselves better than other women andmen, but we trust that the ancientwisdom of our religions can point theway for the future.

After two world wars and the end of thecold war, the collapse of fascism andnazism, the shaking to the foundationsof communism and colonialism,humanity has entered a new phase of its

history. Today we possess sufficienteconomic, cultural, and spiritualresources to introduce a better globalorder. But old and new ethnic, national,social, economic, and religious tensionsthreaten the peaceful building of a betterworld. We have experienced greatertechnological progress than ever before,yet we see that world-wide poverty,hunger, death of children,unemployment, misery, and thedestruction of nature have notdiminished but rather have increased.Many peoples are threatened witheconomic ruin, social disarray, politicalmarginalization, ecological catastrophe,and national collapse.

In such a dramatic global situationhumanity needs a vision of peoplesliving peacefully together, of ethnic andethical groupings and of religionssharing responsibility for the care ofEarth. A vision rests on hopes, goals,ideals, standards. But all over the worldthese have slipped from our hands. Yetwe are convinced that, despite theirfrequent abuses and failures, it is thecommunities of faith who bear aresponsibility to demonstrate that suchhopes, ideals, and standards can beguarded, grounded, and lived. This isespecially true in the modern state.Guarantees of freedom of conscienceand religion are necessary but they donot substitute for binding values,convictions, and norms which are validfor all humans regardless of their socialorigin, sex, skin color, language, orreligion.



We are convinced of the fundamentalunity of the human family on Earth. Werecall the 1948 Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights of the United Nations.What it formally proclaimed on the levelof rights we wish to confirm and deepenhere from the perspective of an ethic:The full realization of the intrinsicdignity of the human person, theinalienable freedom and equality inprinciple of all humans, and thenecessary solidarity and interdependenceof all humans with each other.

On the basis of personal experiences andthe burdensome history of our planet wehave learned

• that a better global order cannot becreated or enforced by laws,prescriptions, and conventions alone;

• that the realization of peace, justice,and the protection of Earth dependson the insight and readiness of menand women to act justly;

• that action in favor of rights andfreedoms presumes a consciousness ofresponsibility and duty, and thattherefore both the minds and hearts ofwomen and men must be addressed;

• that rights without morality cannotlong endure, and that there will be nobetter global order without a global ethic.

By a global ethic we do not mean aglobal ideology or a single unifiedreligion beyond all existing religions,

and certainly not the domination of onereligion over all others. By a globalethic we mean a fundamental consensuson binding values, irrevocable standards,and personal attitudes. Without such afundamental consensus on an ethic,sooner or later every community will bethreatened by chaos or dictatorship, andindividuals will despair.

II. A fundamental demand: Everyhuman being must be treatedhumanely.

We all are fallible, imperfect men andwomen with limitations and defects. Weknow the reality of evil. Preciselybecause of this, we feel compelled forthe sake of global welfare to expresswhat the fundamental elements of aglobal ethic should be–for individuals aswell as for communities andorganizations, for states as well as forthe religions themselves. We trust thatour often millennia-old religious andethical traditions provide an ethic whichis convincing and practicable for allwomen and men of good will, religiousand non-religious.

At the same time we know that ourvarious religious and ethical traditionsoften offer very different bases for whatis helpful and what is unhelpful for menand women, what is right and what iswrong, what is good and what is evil.We do not wish to gloss over or ignorethe serious differences among theindividual religions. However, they



should not hinder us from proclaimingpublicly those things which we alreadyhold in common and which we jointlyaffirm, each on the basis of our ownreligious or ethical grounds.

We know that religions cannot solve theenvironmental, economic, political, andsocial problems of Earth. However theycan provide what obviously cannot beattained by economic plans, politicalprograms, or legal regulations alone: Achange in the inner orientation, thewhole mentality, the "hearts" of people,and a conversion from a false path to anew orientation for life. Humankindurgently needs social and ecologicalreforms, but it needs spiritual renewaljust as urgently. As religious or spiritualpersons we commit ourselves to thistask. The spiritual powers of thereligions can offer a fundamental senseof trust, a ground of meaning, ultimatestandards, and a spiritual home. Ofcourse religions are credible only whenthey eliminate those conflicts whichspring from the religions themselves,dismantling mutual arrogance, mistrust,prejudice, and even hostile images, andthus demonstrate respect for thetraditions, holy places, feasts, and ritualsof people who believe differently.

Now as before, women and men aretreated inhumanely all over the world.They are robbed of their opportunitiesand their freedom; their human rightsare trampled underfoot; their dignity isdisregarded. But might does not makeright! In the face of all inhumanity our

religious and ethical convictionsdemand that every human being must betreated humanely!

This means that every human beingwithout distinction of age, sex, race, skincolor, physical or mental ability,language, religion, political view, ornational or social origin possesses aninalienable and untouchable dignity,and everyone, the individual as well asthe state, is therefore obliged to honorthis dignity and protect it. Humansmust always be the subjects of rights,must be ends, never mere means, neverobjects of commercialization andindustrialization in economics, politicsand media, in research institutes, andindustrial corporations. No one stands"above good and evil"–no human being,no social class, no influential interestgroup, no cartel, no police apparatus, noarmy, and no state. On the contrary:Possessed of reason and conscience,every human is obliged to behave in agenuinely human fashion, to do goodand avoid evil!

It is the intention of this Global Ethic toclarify what this means. In it we wish torecall irrevocable, unconditional ethicalnorms. These should not be bonds andchains, but helps and supports forpeople to find and realize once againtheir lives’ direction, values,orientations, and meaning.

There is a principle which is found andhas persisted in many religious andethical traditions of humankind for



thousands of years: What you do not wishdone to yourself, do not do to others. Or inpositive terms: What you wish done toyourself, do to others! This should be theirrevocable, unconditional norm for allareas of life, for families andcommunities, for races, nations, andreligions.

Every form of egoism should be rejected:All selfishness, whether individual orcollective, whether in the form of classthinking, racism, nationalism, or sexism.We condemn these because they preventhumans from being authenticallyhuman. Self-determination and self-realization are thoroughly legitimate solong as they are not separated fromhuman self-responsibility and globalresponsibility, that is, fromresponsibility for fellow humans and forthe planet Earth.

This principle implies very concretestandards to which we humans shouldhold firm. From it arise four broad,ancient guidelines for human behaviorwhich are found in most of the religionsof the world.

III. Irrevocable directives.

1 Commitment to a Culture of Non-violence and Respect for Life.

Numberless women and men of allregions and religions strive to lead livesnot determined by egoism but bycommitment to their fellow humans and

to the world around them. Nevertheless,all over the world we find endlesshatred, envy, jealousy, and violence, notonly between individuals but alsobetween social and ethnic groups,between classes, races, nations, andreligions. The use of violence, drugtrafficking and organized crime, oftenequipped with new technicalpossibilities, has reached globalproportions. Many places still are ruledby terror "from above;" dictators oppresstheir own people, and institutionalviolence is widespread. Even in somecountries where laws exist to protectindividual freedoms, prisoners aretortured, men and women are mutilated,hostages are killed.

a) In the great ancient religious andethical traditions of humankind wefind the directive: You shall not kill!Or in positive terms: Have respect forlife! Let us reflect anew on theconsequences of this ancientdirective: All people have a right tolife, safety, and the free developmentof personality insofar as they do notinjure the rights of others. No onehas the right physically orpsychically to torture, injure, muchless kill, any other human being.And no people, no state, no race, noreligion has the right to hate, todiscriminate against, to "cleanse," toexile, much less to liquidate a"foreign" minority which is differentin behavior or holds differentbeliefs.



b) Of course, wherever there arehumans there will be conflicts. Suchconflicts, however, should beresolved without violence within aframework of justice. This is true forstates as well as for individuals.Persons who hold political powermust work within the framework ofa just order and commit themselvesto the most non-violent, peacefulsolutions possible. And they shouldwork for this within an internationalorder of peace which itself has needof protection and defense againstperpetrators of violence. Armamentis a mistaken path; disarmament isthe commandment of the times. Letno one be deceived: There is nosurvival for humanity without globalpeace!

c) Young people must learn at homeand in school that violence may notbe a means of settling differenceswith others. Only thus can a cultureof non-violence be created.

d) A human person is infinitelyprecious and must beunconditionally protected. Butlikewise the lives of animals andplants which inhabit this planet withus deserve protection, preservation,and care. Limitless exploitation ofthe natural foundations of life,ruthless destruction of the biosphere,and militarization of the cosmos areall outrages. As human beings wehave a special responsibility –especially with a view to future

generations–for Earth and thecosmos, for the air, water, and soil.We are all intertwined together inthis cosmos and we are alldependent on each other. Each oneof us depends on the welfare of all.Therefore the dominance ofhumanity over nature and thecosmos must not be encouraged.Instead we must cultivate living inharmony with nature and thecosmos.

e) To be authentically human in thespirit of our great religious andethical traditions means that inpublic as well as in private life wemust be concerned for others andready to help. We must never beruthless and brutal. Every people,every race, every religion must showtolerance and respect–indeed highappreciation–for every other.Minorities need protection andsupport, whether they be racial,ethnic, or religious.

2 Commitment to a Culture ofSolidarity and a Just EconomicOrder.

Numberless men and women of allregions and religions strive to live theirlives in solidarity with one another andto work for authentic fulfillment of theirvocations. Nevertheless, all over theworld we find endless hunger, deficiency,and need. Not only individuals, butespecially unjust institutions andstructures are responsible for these



tragedies. Millions of people arewithout work; millions are exploited bypoor wages, forced to the edges ofsociety, with their possibilities for thefuture destroyed. In many lands the gapbetween the poor and the rich, betweenthe powerful and the powerless isimmense. We live in a world in whichtotalitarian state socialism as well asunbridled capitalism have hollowed outand destroyed many ethical and spiritualvalues. A materialistic mentality breedsgreed for unlimited profit and a graspingfor endless plunder. These demandsclaim more and more of thecommunity’s resources without obligingthe individual to contribute more. Thecancerous social evil of corruptionthrives in the developing countries andin the developed countries alike.

a) In the great ancient religious andethical traditions of humankind wefind the directive: You shall notsteal! Or in positive terms: Dealhonestly and fairly! Let us reflectanew on the consequences of thisancient directive: No one has theright to rob or dispossess in any waywhatsoever any other person or thecommonweal. Further, no one hasthe right to use her or hispossessions without concern for theneeds of society and Earth.

b) Where extreme poverty reigns,helplessness and despair spread, andtheft occurs again and again for thesake of survival. Where power andwealth are accumulated ruthlessly,

feelings of envy, resentment, anddeadly hatred and rebellioninevitably well up in thedisadvantaged and marginalized.This leads to a vicious circle ofviolence and counter-violence. Letno one be deceived: There is noglobal peace without global justice!

c) Young people must learn at homeand in school that property, limitedthough it may be, carries with it anobligation, and that its uses shouldat the same time serve the commongood. Only thus can a just economicorder be built up.

d) If the plight of the poorest billionsof humans on this planet,particularly women and children, isto be improved, the world economymust be structured more justly.Individual good deeds, andassistance projects, indispensablethough they be, are insufficient. Theparticipation of all states and theauthority of internationalorganizations are needed to buildjust economic institutions.

A solution which can be supportedby all sides must be sought for thedebt crisis and the poverty of thedissolving second world, and evenmore the third world. Of courseconflicts of interest are unavoidable.In the developed countries, adistinction must be made betweennecessary and limitless consumption,between socially beneficial and non-



beneficial uses of property, betweenjustified and unjustified uses ofnatural resources, and between aprofit-only and a socially beneficialand ecologically oriented marketeconomy. Even the developingnations must search their nationalconsciences.

Wherever those ruling threaten torepress those ruled, whereverinstitutions threaten persons, andwherever might oppresses right, weare obligated to resist–wheneverpossible non-violently.

e) To be authentically human in thespirit of our great religious andethical traditions means thefollowing:

• We must utilize economic and politicalpower for service to humanity insteadof misusing it in ruthless battles fordomination. We must develop a spiritof compassion with those who suffer,with special care for the children, theaged, the poor, the disabled, therefugees, and the lonely.

• We must cultivate mutual respect andconsideration, so as to reach areasonable balance of interests, insteadof thinking only of unlimited powerand unavoidable competitive struggles.

• We must value a sense of moderationand modesty instead of anunquenchable greed for money,prestige, and consumption. In greed

humans lose their "souls," theirfreedom, their composure, their innerpeace, and thus that which makesthem human.

3 Commitment to a Culture ofTolerance and a Life ofTruthfulness.

Numberless women and men of allregions and religions strive to lead livesof honesty and truthfulness.Nevertheless, all over the world we findendless lies and deceit, swindling andhypocrisy, ideology and demagoguery:

• Politicians and business people whouse lies as a means to success;

• Mass media which spread ideologicalpropaganda instead of accuratereporting, misinformation instead ofinformation, cynical commercialinterest instead of loyalty to the truth;

• Scientists and researchers who givethemselves over to morallyquestionable ideological or politicalprograms or to economic interestgroups, or who justify research whichviolates fundamental ethical values;

• Representatives of religions whodismiss other religions as of little valueand who preach fanaticism andintolerance instead of respect andunderstanding.

a) In the great ancient religious andethical traditions of humankind we



find the directive: You shall not lie!Or in positive terms: Speak and acttruthfully! Let us reflect anew on theconsequences of this ancientdirective: No woman or man, noinstitution, no state or church orreligious community has the right tospeak lies to other humans.

b) This is especially true

• for those who work in the mass media,to whom we entrust the freedom toreport for the sake of truth and towhom we thus grant the office ofguardian. They do not stand abovemorality but have the obligation torespect human dignity, human rights,and fundamental values. They areduty-bound to objectivity, fairness, andthe preservation of human dignity.They have no right to intrude intoindividuals’ private spheres, tomanipulate public opinion, or todistort reality;

• for artists, writers, and scientists, towhom we entrust artistic and academicfreedom. They are not exempt fromgeneral ethical standards and mustserve the truth;

• for the leaders of countries, politicians,and political parties, to whom weentrust our own freedoms. When theylie in the faces of their people, whenthey manipulate the truth, or whenthey are guilty of venality orruthlessness in domestic or foreignaffairs, they forsake their credibilityand deserve to lose their offices and

their voters. Conversely, publicopinion should support thosepoliticians who dare to speak the truthto the people at all times;

• finally, for representatives of religion.When they stir up prejudice, hatred,and enmity towards those of differentbelief, or even incite or legitimizereligious wars, they deserve thecondemnation of humankind and theloss of their adherents.

Let no one be deceived: There is noglobal justice without truthfulness andhumaneness!

c) Young people must learn at homeand in school to think, speak, andact truthfully. They have a right toinformation and education to beable to make the decisions that willform their lives. Without an ethicalformation they will hardly be able todistinguish the important from theunimportant. In the daily flood ofinformation, ethical standards willhelp them discern when opinions areportrayed as facts, interests veiled,tendencies exaggerated, and factstwisted.

d) To be authentically human in thespirit of our great religious andethical traditions means thefollowing:

• We must not confuse freedom witharbitrariness or pluralism withindifference to truth.



• We must cultivate truthfulness in allour relationships instead ofdishonesty, dissembling, andopportunism.

• We must constantly seek truth andincorruptible sincerity instead ofspreading ideological or partisan half-truths.

• We must courageously serve the truthand we must remain constant andtrustworthy, instead of yielding toopportunistic accommodation to life.

4 Commitment to a Culture ofEqual Rights and PartnershipBetween Men and Women

Numberless men and women of allregions and religions strive to live theirlives in a spirit of partnership andresponsible action in the areas of love,sexuality, and family. Nevertheless, allover the world there are condemnableforms of patriarchy, domination of onesex over the other, exploitation ofwomen, sexual misuse of children, andforced prostitution. Too frequently,social inequities force women and evenchildren into prostitution as a means ofsurvival–particularly in less developedcountries.

a) In the great ancient religious andethical traditions of humankind wefind the directive: You shall notcommit sexual immorality! Or inpositive terms: Respect and love oneanother! Let us reflect anew on the

consequences of this ancientdirective: No one has the right todegrade others to mere sex objects,to lead them into or hold them insexual dependency.

b) We condemn sexual exploitation andsexual discrimination as one of theworst forms of human degradation.We have the duty to resist whereverthe domination of one sex over theother is preached–even in the nameof religious conviction; whereversexual exploitation is tolerated,wherever prostitution is fostered orchildren are misused. Let no one bedeceived: There is no authentichumaneness without a livingtogether in partnership!

c) Young people must learn at homeand in school that sexuality is not anegative, destructive, or exploitativeforce, but creative and affirmative.Sexuality as a life-affirming shaper ofcommunity can only be effectivewhen partners accept theresponsibilities of caring for oneanother’s happiness.

d) The relationship between womenand men should be characterized notby patronizing behavior orexploitation, but by love,partnership, and trustworthiness.Human fulfillment is not identicalwith sexual pleasure. Sexualityshould express and reinforce a lovingrelationship lived by equal partners.



Some religious traditions know theideal of a voluntary renunciation ofthe full use of sexuality. Voluntaryrenunciation also can be anexpression of identity andmeaningful fulfillment.

e) The social institution of marriage,despite all its cultural and religiousvariety, is characterized by love,loyalty, and permanence. It aims atand should guarantee security andmutual support to husband, wife,and child. It should secure the rightsof all family members.

All lands and cultures shoulddevelop economic and socialrelationships which will enablemarriage and family life worthy ofhuman beings, especially for olderpeople. Children have a right ofaccess to education. Parents shouldnot exploit children, nor childrenparents. Their relationships shouldreflect mutual respect, appreciation,and concern.

f) To be authentically human in thespirit of our great religious andethical traditions means thefollowing:

• We need mutual respect, partnership,and understanding, instead ofpatriarchal domination anddegradation, which are expressions ofviolence and engender counter-violence.

• We need mutual concern, tolerance,readiness for reconciliation, and love,instead of any form of possessive lustor sexual misuse.

Only what has already been experiencedin personal and familial relationshipscan be practiced on the level of nationsand religions.

IV. A Transformation ofConsciousness!

Historical experience demonstrates thefollowing: Earth cannot be changed forthe better unless we achieve atransformation in the consciousness ofindividuals and in public life. Thepossibilities for transformation havealready been glimpsed in areas such aswar and peace, economy, and ecology,where in recent decades fundamentalchanges have taken place. Thistransformation must also be achieved inthe area of ethics and values!

Every individual has intrinsic dignityand inalienable rights, and each also hasan inescapable responsibility for whatshe or he does and does not do. All ourdecisions and deeds, even our omissionsand failures, have consequences.

Keeping this sense of responsibility alive,deepening it and passing it on to futuregenerations, is the special task ofreligions.



We are realistic about what we haveachieved in this consensus, and so weurge that the following be observed:

1 A universal consensus on manydisputed ethical questions (from bio-and sexual ethics through massmedia and scientific ethics toeconomic and political ethics) willbe difficult to attain. Nevertheless,even for many controversialquestions, suitable solutions shouldbe attainable in the spirit of thefundamental principles we havejointly developed here.

2 In many areas of life a newconsciousness of ethicalresponsibility has already arisen.Therefore we would be pleased if asmany professions as possible, suchas those of physicians, scientists,business people, journalists, andpoliticians, would develop up-to-date codes of ethics which wouldprovide specific guidelines for thevexing questions of these particularprofessions.

3 Above all, we urge the variouscommunities of faith to formulatetheir very specific ethics: What doeseach faith tradition have to say, forexample, about the meaning of lifeand death, the enduring of sufferingand the forgiveness of guilt, aboutselfless sacrifice and the necessity ofrenunciation, about compassion andjoy. These will deepen, and makemore specific, the already discernibleglobal ethic.

IIn conclusion, we appeal to all

the inhabitants of this planet.Earth cannot be changed for the betterunless the consciousness of individualsis changed. We pledge to work for suchtransformation in individual andcollective consciousness, for theawakening of our spiritual powersthrough reflection, meditation, prayer, orpositive thinking, for a conversion of theheart. Together we can movemountains! Without a willingness totake risks and a readiness to sacrificethere can be no fundamental change inour situation! Therefore we commitourselves to a common global ethic, tobetter mutual understanding, as well asto socially beneficial, peace-fostering,and Earth-friendly ways of life.

We invite all men and women,whether religious or not,

to do the same.

Notes:

Councilfor a

Parliamentof the

World's Religions

Post Office Box 1630Chicago, Illinois 60690-1630

U.S.A.

Office: 70 East Lake Street, Suite 205Telephone: 312 629-2990 • Fax: 312 629-2991/3552e-mail: [email protected] • web site: www.cpwr.org

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