Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 24

A CALL TO OUR GUIDING INSTITUTIONS
DECEMBER • 9 9
The Call to I GOVERNMENT
On the basis of personal experience and the burdensome history of our planet we have learned:
A
that a better global order cannot be created or enforced by laws, prescriptions, and conventions alone;
We envision a world in which ... universal human rights and responsibilities,
grounded in fundamental ethical and moral principles, are upheld; .the structures of power are accountable to and serve
the needs of all generations; ...our leaders are worthy of public trust; ... peace within and among nations is the rule and
not the exception; ... the great decisions in human affairs are made with
a thoughtful care for the future of the planetary community.
• that the realization of peace,
justice, and the protection of Earth depends on the insight and readiness of men and women to act justly;
• that action in favor of rights and freedom presumes a consciousness of responsibility and duty, and that therefore both the minds and hearts of women and men must be addressed;
• that rights without morality
cannot long endure and that there will be no better global order without a global ethic.
Among the noblest functions of government is securing for its citizens their individual and collective well-being. This end can only be achieved through the honoring and safeguarding of human dignity and the constructive mediation between individual freedoms and collective action. When government succeeds in this purpose, it assures the social, political, and ecological integrity of the community.
Towards a Global Ethic:
An Initial Declaration
1993 Parliament of the World's
Religions • Chicago
Mere laws, prescriptions, and conventions alone cannot achieve a better social order. Freedom, justice, and peace rest on a common, enduring regard for the equal and inalienable rights of all people. What is required is that we as citizens live by a shared ethic that clarifies our mutual concerns and common values while transcending narrowly defined boundaries and interests.
Nowhere is the need for such a shared ethic more apparent than in international relations. Today, our world is a field of competing nations. For the world to become a true community, we must work toward a profound affirmation of global interdependence, moving beyond the present model of tenuously
1999 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS Jain Education Interational 2010-03