Activities
of the year 2006 |
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| Activities
2006 as pdf |
Continuity and innovation – these are the keywords that describe
the activities of the Global Ethic Foundation in the year 2006. Time-tested
activities and programmes continued to be pursued, but also new promising
contacts developed in various regions of the world, and, new partners
in cooperation have opened up new thematic areas. Thus continuity and
innovation are reflected in this yearly report. |
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The
future of the Foundation
Since December 2006, a joint “strategic group” representing the German
and Swiss foundations has been giving thought to the question of how the Global
Ethic Foundation can continue to fulfil its diverse tasks over the middle- and
long-term range and of how it can respond to new challenges. Reference is to
the content of the work, as well as to the finances. |
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Global Ethic International
An important event for the Global Ethic project occurred during the 8th
World Conference on Religion and Peace in Kyoto, Japan (WCRP
VIII, 26–29, August, 2006). The more than 500 delegates to the
world-wide inter-religious organisation “Religions for Peace” (RfP,
formerly WCRP) agreed almost unanimously to make the Declaration
toward a global ethic (Chicago 1993) the ethical basis for the
work of their organisation. Prof. Küng and Dr. Gebhardt took part
in the conference. Prof. Küng held one of the principal lectures
before an audience of some 2000 participants in the solemn opening
meeting.
Promising new contacts have emerged in South America,
which are expected to give birth to concrete activities and pilot projects
in 2007:
• Brazil: Starting with the UNISINOS University in Sao
Leopoldo (mediated by Prof. Paolo Soethe, Curitiba), contacts have been made
to other institutions active in the area of ethic, religion and the economy.
• Columbia: Here too, contact began on an academic basis
(Carlos Paz, lawyer and project promoter in Bogota) but has since reached out
to include businessmen as well.
• Mexico: Here a Global Ethic Foundation Mexico has already
been officially established by the businessman and philanthropist Gerardo Martinez
Cristerna.
In Russia, the idea of a global ethic was presented
to a symposium at the University of Perm/Ural attended
by academic experts from all parts of Russia. Prof. Küng was invited
to speak and the Philosophy Department produced a Russian translation
of the Global Ethic Declaration.
In Rumania, in connection with the publication of
the Rumanian translation of Prof. Küng’s book Judaism, public
events with Prof. Küng were held at the University of Cluj-Napoca and
at the Rumanian Cultural Institute in Bucharest.
Further international engagements brought Prof. Küng to the Dead
Sea in Jordan (for a meeting of the InterAction Council of
Former Heads of State and of Government) as well as to Lausanne, Madrid, Santander, Milan,
and Nimwegen. Within Germany, Prof. Küng held
important lectures at the computer fair CEBIT in Hannover,
at an educational congress in Ulm, at the “Nuremberg
Forum” on inter-religious pedagogy in Nuremberg,
at the Karl-Rahner-Academy in Cologne, at an international
congress “100 Years since the discovery of the Alzheimer Disease” in Tübingen,
and at the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Berlin.
Prof. Karl-Josef Kuschel, Vice President of the Foundation,
at the invitation of the German / East Asian Scientific Forum of the University
of Tübingen, took part in a symposium in Hong Kong. In
addition to his regular teaching duties at the University of Tübingen,
he also held a guest lecture at the University of Basel, as
well as various lectures in several German cities, among them Münster, Berlin (at
the Iranian Embassy), Saarbrücken (at the Catholic Congress), Munich, Mannheim and Kiel (“Day
of the Religions”).
Dr. Stephan Schlensog, alongside his diverse organisational,
conceptual and logistic tasks as General Secretary of the Foundation, has also
held lectures throughout Germany. He is principally responsible for the conception
and realisation of the Internet learning program and for putting together a
workbook for use in the schools.
Dr. Günther Gebhardt, alongside his work as personal
assistant to Prof. Küng, has been active as a lecturer or conference moderator
in diverse German cities, among them Munich, Nuremberg, Bamberg, Stuttgart, Offenburg,
as well as in Graz (“Day of Creation”) and in
two conferences in Innsbruck, among them an interdisciplinary
symposium “Ethics in the Age of Globalisation”. Together with Prof.
Küng, he took part in the 8th Congress of Religions for Peace in Kyoto,
Japan.
Dr. Martin Bauschke, representative of the Foundation in Berlin
and the new federal states (50%) took charge of the travelling exhibition “World
Religions – Universal Peace – Global Ethic” in various cities
of northern and eastern Germany and held lectures in schools and in meetings
of diverse secular and religious institutions, among others in Münster, Chemnitz, Marburg and Glasgow.
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The Global Ethic Lecture 2006
The 6th Global Ethic Lecture at the University of Tübingen was held on 10
May. The President of the International Olympic Committee, Dr. Jacques
Rogge, addressed the topic “Global Sport and Global Ethic” and
engaged in a subsequent dialogue with Prof. Küng. Shortly before the Soccer
World Championship matches in Germany, his energetic plea for fairness in sports
was particularly appropriate. Jacques Rogge’s lecture can be found on the
website of the Global Ethic Foundation (www.weltethos.org) and can be purchased
as a DVD at the Internet Shop of the Foundation. |
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Global
Ethic and scholarship
At two scholarly forums arranged by the Foundation in Tübingen, the global
ethic idea was put to discussion in a broad interdisciplinary context:
(1) In a Scientific Working Group Global Ethic, which met on
12–13 May, a dozen experts from the fields of theology, philosophy, developmental
biology and diverse areas of ethics discussed questions related to the “genesis
of morality”.
(2) A Symposium “Natural Science and Religion”,
which was held at the University of Tübingen from 6–8 July, brought
together German and Swiss experts from theology and various branches of the natural
sciences. With Hans Küng’s book Der Anfang aller Dinge (The Beginning
of All Things) as their starting-point, they discussed questions of cosmology,
the origin of life and the origin of mankind. The foundation’s partner
of cooperation was Prof. Dr. Rolf Emmermann, Chairman of the Board of the GeoForschungsZentrum
Potsdam. The introductory statements dealing with 10 themes can be downloaded
from the website of the Global Ethic Foundation www.weltethos.org.
In Fall 2006, Dr. Stephan Schlensog was able to publish his
comprehensive study of the paradigm shifts in the history of Indian religions
in the Piper Verlag as a “sequel to Prof. Küng’s religion trilogy” (see “new
publications”). For this study, Dr. Schlensog was awarded his doctorate
by the University of Tübingen’s School of Catholic Theology.
In the Winter Semester 2006/07, in the “Studium generale” programme, Prof.
Karl-Josef Kuschel presented a series of lectures on Islam under the
topic “World Religions in Literature”. In addition, he deepened his
research on Thomas Mann, where Literature and Global Ethics come to meet. He
published a monograph Weihnachten bei Thomas Mann (Christmas with Thomas
Mann) by Patmos Verlag in Düsseldorf and, for the Rotary Movement,
he held two lectures on Thomas Mann, the Rotarian Ethic and Global Ethic.
Dr. Markus Weingardt completed his research project The
Peace Potential of Religions in Violent Political Conflicts. This study,
financed by the Berghof Foundation and supported by Dr. Gebhardt of the Global
Ethic Foundation, shows how religiously motivated agents successfully intervened
in resolving violent conflicts in over 30 case studies from around the world.
It will be published by the Kohlhammer Verlag Stuttgart in 2007 under the title Religion – Macht – Freiheit
(Religion – Power – Freedom).
Dr. Hans-Martin Schönherr-Mann, professor of political
philosophy in Munich, has virtually completed his book Weltethos in philosophischer
Perspektive (Global Ethics in Philosophical Perspective). It is expected
to be published in Spring 2008, by the Piper Verlag, Munich.
Rabbi Dr. Walter Homolka, Potsdam, has announced his readiness
to write a book on the topic Global Ethic in Jewish Understanding. Likewise,
the Muslim religious educator Rabeya Müller has agreed
to write a book on Global Ethic in Muslim Understanding. |
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New
publications and translations
• Stephan Schlensog, Der Hinduismus. Glaube, Geschichte, Ethos,
by Piper in Munich.
• Hans Küng, Der Anfang aller Dinge appeared in Italian
translation by Rizzoli in Milan.
English (The Beginning of All Things. Science and Religion)
and French versions are in preparation.
• Hans Küng, Tracing the Way. Spiritual Dimensions of the World
Religions is now available in a Czech version by CDK in Brno.
• The film Exploring the tracks of the World Religions is now
available in a Japanese version by Maruzen in Tokyo.
• Hans Kung, Judaism has appeared in Romanian by Hasefer in Bucharest.
• Hans Küng, Islam appeared in Dutch by Ten Have in Kampen
and Spanish by Trotta in Madrid. An English version is planned for April 2007
by Oneworld in Oxford.
• Hans Küng, A Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics appeared
in a Georgian version.
• Hans Küng / Karl-Josef Kuschel, ed., Wissenschaft und Weltethos appeared
in Spanish by Trotta in Madrid.
• Hans Küng, Wozu Weltethos? appeared in German in a revised
and updated form by Herder in Freiburg/Breisgau and in Portuguese by Loyola,
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
• Karl-Josef Kuschel, Wie die sich begegnenden Kulturen ethische Grundlagen
finden können … Zum Diskurs zwischen Joseph Ratzinger, Jürgen
Habermas und Hans Küng appeared as Themenheft 1/2006 in Politische
Studien.
• The Declaration toward a Global Ethic can now be downloaded
in 15 languages as a PDF-document from the website of the Global Ethic Foundation:
(www.weltethos.org).
In addition, in the course of 2006, members of the Foundation’s
team contributed articles on the global ethic theme to various journals,
collections and other publications. |
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Global ethic in education and the schools
The members of the Foundation’s team have again been active in
a multitude of educational presentations in collaboration
with various secular and religious partners and especially in teacher
training sessions. Besides the Tübingen team composed
of Dr. Stephan Schlensog, Dr. Günther Gebhardt, and Dr. Markus
Weingardt, the following persons deserve special mention: Dr. Martin
Bauschke (Berlin), religion teacher Walter Lange (Castrop-Rauxel).
Privatdozent Johannes Rehm (Bamberg, now Nuremberg), Dr. Christel Hasselmann
(Hannover), Dr. Helga Offermanns (Wiesbaden), Anke Gehrt-Woitzik and
Katrin Ziesecke (Leipzig) and Prof. em. Dr. Hermann Häring (formerly
Nimwegen, now Tübingen). In the training of Protestant religion
teachers at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Prof. Dr. Johannes
Lähnemann has, over the years, given much emphasis to the global
ethic idea. Now following his retirement in Summer 2006, he continues
to be active in this field.
The dates for lectures and teacher-training conferences by our team
members can all be found listed on the website of the Foundation.
The development of a German language Workbook Global Ethic with
teaching materials and draft lessons for dealing with the global ethic
theme in school education has made good progress in the course of this
year. Working on this project, under the direction of Dr. Schlensog,
is a team of teachers composed of Walter Lange, Anke Gehrt-Woitzik
and Katrin Ziesecke with contributions from other teachers as well.
This ring-book production comprising over 200 pages is expected to
appear in Fall 2007. |
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Global
Ethic on the Internet
With an average of 2500 entries a day, and growing steadily, the Internet presence
of the Foundation (www.weltethos.org and
the school server www.schule-weltethos.de)
is on the way to becoming the Foundation’s most important communication
medium. Likewise, the Internet Shop, where one can purchase a broad assortment
of educational materials, media and books, is increasingly popular. Shipping
is free within Germany.
The Foundation’s French website has been thoroughly revised
in this year thanks to the Swiss Global Ethic Foundation working under the leadership
of lic. phil. Guido Baumann with the assistance of Dr. Gebhardt and Julia Willke.
The new version is considerably enlarged and stylistically improved.
The work on an interactive Internet learning programme, A Global
Ethic Now, has made considerable progress. Under the direction of Dr. Schlensog,
this is the work in particular of Julia Willke M.A., who has been specially hired
for the task. From Autumn 2008 on, it is hoped to have ready (in both English
and German) this learning platform, which will deal with global ethic, the world
religions, the global ethic theme in politics and the economy, and the questions
of values generally. |
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The
Exhibition “World Religions – Universal Peace – Global
Ethic”
The booklet for the exposition is now available in German, English, French, Italian,
Spanish, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia. The travelling exhibition in its diverse
versions continues to enjoy great popularity, especially in Germany and Switzerland.
• In Germany, it has been shown in Arnstadt, Breitenbrunn,
Aalen, Essen, Emden, Zeitz, Zwenkau, Bersenbrück, Siegen, Wittmund, Dortmund,
Münster, Rottweil, Hamburg (at 2 sites), Wolfenbüttel, Brück,
and Datteln. The necessary arrangements for the exposition have been made particularly
by Dr. Martin Bauschke (Berlin) and Walter Lange (Castrop-Rauxel).
• In Switzerland, under the organisation of lic. phil.
Guido Baumann, the exhibition has been shown in Davos, Biel/Bienne, Porrentruy,
La Chaux-de-Fonds, St. Gall, Lausanne, Neuchâtel, Romanshorn, Nyon, and
Morges.
• In Great Britain, coordinated by Rev. Alan Race (Leicester),
it has been shown in London (at two sites), Newcastle, and Brighton. |
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Global
Ethics Foundations in Various Countries
The Global Ethics Foundations in Switzerland, Austria, and the Czech Republic,
in accordance with their own specific orientation, have likewise carried out
various activities in the areas of education, schooling, and academic reflection.
In Switzerland, the principal emphasis of the Foundation has
been in the French language area. The inauguration of a school competition dealing
with the global ethic theme under the title “Main dans la main” (www.mdlm.ch)
in Neuchâtel on 30 August attracted considerable attention in the media.
The contest will be judged by a representative jury of experts and will end on
25 May 2007, with the awarding of the prizes in Lausanne. For the coordination
of these and other educational activities, the executive director of the Global
Ethic Foundation Switzerland, lic. phil. Guido Baumann has been responsible.
Unfortunately, he plans to terminate his work of the Foundation in the middle
of 2007, when he will take on a new task in Thailand. In the meantime, the business
office of the Foundation has been moved to the renowned, inter-religiously oriented
Lassalle-Haus in Bad Schönbrunn near Zug.
The Global Ethic Initiative Austria (www.weltethos.at)
has again organized a lecture series at the University of Vienna from 9 October,
2006 to 29 January, 2007, under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Erwin Bader. For
this well attended lecture series with the title “Global Ethic and Globalisation”,
15 speakers from Austria and other countries were engaged. General Secretary
Mag. Edith Riether organised a special working group “ethics education” to
contribute to the efforts to introduce ethics teaching in Austrian schools. Independently
of the Global Ethic Initiative, the “Innsbruck Forum for Scientific Research
on the Global Ethic Project” under the direction of Prof. Dr. Helmut Reinalter
has organised in Innsbruck from 13 to 14 October a symposium under the title “Ethic
in an Age of Globalisation”, in which among others Dr. Günther Gebhardt,
Prof. Hermann Häring, and Prof. Hans-Martin Schönherr-Mann took part.
In the Czech Republic, Senator Dr. Karel Floss, founder and
chairman of the Czech Global Ethic Foundation, celebrated his 80th birthday.
He continues to promote the global ethic idea especially in political and academic
circles and in meetings organised by the Procopius Centre in Sazava, which he
heads. And he is in the process of making contacts with those responsible for
school education. At the initiative of the Czech Global Ethic Foundation, the
books Tracing the Way and Bridges to the Future. An Initiative of
Kofi Annan have appeared in Czech translations.
In Mexico, a new Global Ethic Foundation was founded this year
(see above under “Global Ethic International”. For March 2007, several
events with Prof. Küng are planned in the country. |
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Awards
On 2 December 2006, Prof. Küng received the Lev
Kopelev Prize for Peace and Human Rights 2006, “for
his untiring engagement for a better understanding between the religions
of the world”. In her laudation, Micheline Calmy-Ray,
Foreign Minister of Switzerland, called for a “cosmo-political
ethic” as the foundation for living together and for political
activity. The speech can be read on the homepage of the Global Ethic
Foundation. |
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Friends of the Foundation
Since the first years of the Foundation, interested persons have been
able to join an organisation known as “The Friends of the Global
Ethic Foundation” with a nominal yearly membership fee and
thus have been kept informed about the work of the foundation. This
organisation has been led by Mr. Volker Hollman (Tübingen).
Now, however, comprehensive, up-to-date information about the Foundation
is available free on the Internet. And the payment of membership
fees by the friends of the Foundation has proven unreliable. Thus
the work of looking after the Friends organization has proven disproportionally
laborious and unproductive, not the least financially. For this reason,
the Board of the Foundation has decided to dissolve the Friends organisation
at the end of 2007. We hope this decision will be understood by all
members, and we thank Mr. Hoffmann heartily for his reliable engagement
over the many years.
Further information about the Global Ethic Foundation, its on-going
activities and current publications, as well as working materials and
a comprehensive bibliography can be found on the Internet under www.weltethos.org.
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Thanks to the Advisors of the Foundations
We wish to extend our special gratitude to the advisors of our Foundations
in Germany and Switzerland. The Board of Advisors Germany has supported
the Foundation in word and deed since the very beginnings. Unfortunately,
one of the most important advisors, Prof. Dr. Norbert Kloten, economist
at the Tübingen University, died this year. The current members
of the Advisory Board are: Dr. Peter Adolff (company member of the
Robert Bosch Industrie-Treuhand KG) Prof. Dr. Heinz Dieter Assmann
(Director of the Juristisches Seminar of the University of Tübingen),
Dr. Wolfram Freudenberg (Freudenberg Stiftung), Dr. Siegfried Jaschinski
(Chairman of the Board of the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg),
Prof. Horst Köhler (German Bundespräsident – his
membership rests during his term of office), Dr. Nicola Leibinger-Kammüller
(Chairwoman of the Management of the Trumpf GmbH + Co KG), Dr. h.c.
Erwin Teufel MdL (former Minister President of Baden-Württemberg),
Prof. Dr. h.c. Reinhold Würth (Chairman of the Board of the
Würth-Group).
Only a few years ago, a Board of Advisors was established in Switzerland
for the Swiss Foundation. Its members are: lic. iur. Hans Ambühl
(General Secretary of the Conference of Cantonal Education Directors),
former Ständerätin Christine Beerli (Directress of the Fachhochschule
Biel), lic. oec. Adrian Gut (CEO Horizon21 Management Services), Dr.
Erwin Koller (retired Department Director of Swiss Television), Prof.
Dr. Klaus Leisinger (President and CEO of the Novartis Foundation for
Sustainable Development), Prof. Dr. Frido Mann (theologian and author),
former Ständerat Prof. Dr. Gilles Petitpierre (University of Geneva),
Prof. Dr. Alois Riklin (University of St. Gall), Dr. Robert Sutz (former
General Director of the UBS).
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Our Team
In 2006 as in the past, all of the diverse activities of the Global
Ethic Foundation could only be carried out thanks to the immense
engagement of the entire team. Particular thanks go to the secretariat
with the Chief Secretary Inge Baumann aided on a part-time basis
by her predecessor Eleanore Henn. Foundation Assistant Anette Stuber-Rousselle,
M.A., is principally responsible for the preparation of extensive
manuscripts and for keeping the bibliography up to date. Dr. Markus
Weingardt is responsible for book-keeping, but also serves as a speaker
on occasion. Julia Willke, M.A., has been hired particularly for
the work on the Internet learning programme. Valuable practical work
is done by our student assistants, Carina Geldhauser (till Autumn
2006) and Ulf Günnewig (since Autumn 2006) and our high-school
student helper Katja Flatters.
The Global Ethic Foundation takes this opportunity to thank all of
its friends and supporters for their valuable contributions so indispensable
for the Foundation. Even the smallest contribution constitutes a large
assistance for the work of our Foundation.
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Tübingen, February 2007
Dr. Günther Gebhardt
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