NAVIGATION

NAVIGATION

PWR | CELEBRATING | 25 Years Towards a Global Ethic | Saturday 29 December 2018

[Edited extract from public address]

The Global Ethic is uniquely special for its articulation of shared moral principles found broadly across both historic and new religious and spiritual traditions. And it is profound in its simplicity.

The visionary and diverse religious leaders who drafted the Global Ethic to prepare for the centenary Parliament of the World's Religions in 1993 produced a landmark document that would call to:

  • Spiritual and religious leaders and scholars
  • Practitioners of spiritual and religious teachings around the world, and also, 
  • Those who identify with secular moral philosophies
Respect for life, economic justice, truth and compassion, and women's rights - the original four directives*- illuminated our pathways to achieving peace, justice and sustainability for 25 years. And we recommit to these principles in our resolve to make 2019 our most impactful year yet.

*During our evening plenaries last month in Toronto, the Parliament screened a selection of videos capturing the commitments of each directive. We invite our friends around the world to enjoy and celebrate them with your own friends and family:

But this story doesn't end here.

For this year's Parliament, we knew that revisiting the Global Ethic would be incomplete without a new directive, so we created it. Through consulting diverse religious leaders and scholars (including Hans Küng and many of the original 1993 drafters), Parliament staff and board leadership worked for more than a year to produce:
The Fifth Directive premiered at the Climate Action Assembly of the 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto last month with a stunning introduction from Rabbi David Rosen and recitation delivered by members of the Parliament's Climate Action Task Force including David Hales, Imam Saffet Catovic, Gopal Patel, Dianne Dillon-Ridgley, and Dr. Myriam Renaud, Principal Investigator and Director of the Parliament's Global Ethic project.

As we resolve to advance these five directives in 2019, please join us with your affirmation of our shared moral principles and signal your support with an online gift.
Tax-deductible donations for American Citizens for the year 2019 can be made to the Parliament of the World's Religions anytime online.

Donations help not only uplifts our hearts - it helps to bring interfaith cooperation to communities worldwide. For this we share our utmost gratitude, and extend our warmest wishes to you as we embark upon a new year of elevating peace, justice and sustainability together, we send you peace, joy, love, and hope.

With gratitude, 
The Parliament Staff

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