Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

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

Page 4

A CALL TO OUR GUIDING INSTITUTIONS
DECEMBER . 99
From the Global Ethic to A Call to Our Guiding Institutions
INTRODUCTION
Earth cannot be changed for the better unless the consciousness of individuals is changed first.... [And without risk and a readiness to sacrifice there can be no fundamental change in our situation. Therefore we commit ourselves to this global ethic, to understanding one another, and to socially beneficial, peace-fostering, and nature-friendly ways of life. We invite all people, whether religious or not, to do the same.
Towards a Global Ethic: An Initial Declaration 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions. Chicago
We find ourselves at a moment when people everywhere are coming to recognize that the world is a global village. The perils and promises of this new reality bring to mind several ancient understandings: that human beings are interdependent and responsible for the care of the Earth; that we are each worthy of a meaningful life and obliged to help the human community toward a life of peace and dignity; that the choices shaping a just, peaceful, and sustainable future are choices we must make together. Unique to this moment is the possibility of a new level of creative engagement between the institutions of religion and spirituality and the other powerful institutions that influence the character and course of human society.
What is needed now is a persuasive invitation to our guiding institutions to build new, reliable, and more imaginative partnerships toward the shaping of a better world. In the face of unprecedented challenges to the well-being of the Earth and its people, a clear, calm call to such creative engagement may be the harbinger of a new day. As we find new ways to cooperate with one another, an unprecedented process of transformation can unfold, and new hope can emerge.
At the threshold of a new century and a new millennium, therefore, and on the occasion of the 1999 Parliament of the World's Religions in Cape Town, South Africa, the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions (CPWR) extends such an invitation: A Call to Our Guiding Institutions.
1999 PARLIAMENT OF THE WORLD'S RELIGIONS
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