History and foundations
The Global Ethic Project
Hans Küng was convinced that all religions and cultural traditions share certain fundamental ethical values. He developed this conviction further over decades of academic work, which led, in 1995, to the founding of the Global Ethic Foundation in Tübingen, Germany.
On this page, you’ll find out more about the history of the Global Ethic project, from Hans Küng’s first ideas in the 1980s, through the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic, to the Foundation’s work today.
Hans Küng was convinced that all religions and cultural traditions share certain fundamental ethical values. He developed this conviction further over decades of academic work, which led, in 1995, to the founding of the Global Ethic Foundation in Tübingen, Germany.
On this page, you’ll find out more about the history of the Global Ethic project, from Hans Küng’s first ideas in the 1980s, through the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic, to the Foundation’s work today.
Global Ethic in 2 Minutes
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More InformationWhat is Global Ethic?
Global Ethic refers to a basic ethical consensus that holds across religions and cultures. All the major religions and philosophical traditions share certain values:
- Humanity and reciprocity (the Golden Rule)
- Non-violence and respect for life
- Justice and solidarity
- Truthfulness and tolerance
- Equal rights and partnership
- Ecological responsibility
These principles are set out in the 1993 Declaration Toward a Global Ethic. The document was drafted under Hans Küng’s leadership and adopted by hundreds of religious and non-religious representatives at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago.
"Without a basic consensus concerning certain values, norms and attitudes, living together in a humane society becomes impossible, no matter whether the community is large or small."
FROM 1984 TO TODAY
What began as an idea for a book is now an international initiative. Here are the key milestones of the Global Ethic Project.
1984
Hans Küng publishes the book "Christianity and World Religions." It's his first comprehensive engagement with Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism; a volume on Chinese religions would follow in 1999. In the epilogue, he writes: "No peace among the nations without peace among the religions." The phrase becomes the guiding motto of the Global Ethic project.
1989
UNESCO Symposium "No World Peace without Religious Peace" in Paris. This is the first time Hans Küng presents what will become the Global Ethic project's agenda at UN level.
1990
Küng's foundational book "Projekt Weltethos" (published in English as "Global Responsibility: In Search of a New World Ethic") appears and is translated into 17 languages. Hans Küng speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos about global ethical standards.
1993
The Second Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago adopts the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic. Drafted under Hans Küng's leadership, it's the first ethical foundation shared by the world's religions. For further information on the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic, click on the year 1993.
1995
Thanks to the financial support of Karl Konrad Graf von der Groeben, the Global Ethic Foundation is founded in Tübingen. One year later, the Swiss Global Ethic Foundation is established in Zurich.
1997
On the initiative of Hans Küng and former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, the InterAction Council puts forward the proposal for a Universal Declaration of Human Responsibilities, to complement the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
1999
At the 3rd Parliament of the World's Religions in Cape Town, the Chicago Declaration is given more concrete form.
2000
British Prime Minister Tony Blair opens the Global Ethic Talks series with his speech "Values and the Power of Community," jointly hosted by the Global Ethic Foundation and the University of Tübingen.
2001
The Global Ethic project reaches the United Nations. Hans Küng presents the Global Ethic programme to the UN General Assembly.
2003
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivers the 3rd Global Ethic Speech at the University of Tübingen.
2009
Under the leadership of the Global Ethic Foundation, business ethicists and practitioners from the corporate world draw up the "Global Business Ethic Manifesto." It's presented to the public in New York and Basel, and published under the same title in 2010.
2012
Thanks to the initiative of entrepreneur Karl Schlecht, a long-standing supporter of the Global Ethic idea, the Global Ethic Institute opens at the University of Tübingen, having been founded the year before. This affiliated institute of the University of Tübingen is supported by the Global Ethic Foundation and financed by the Karl Schlecht Foundation.
2013
Hans Küng hands over the presidency of the Global Ethic Foundation to Eberhard Stilz, President of the Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg.
2016
The coalition agreement of the newly elected Grün/Schwarz (politically: green/black) state government of Baden-Württemberg names the Global Ethic Foundation as a trailblazing organisation in the dialogue between religions and cultures. Since then, the Foundation has carried out a series of successful joint projects with various state ministries.
2018
25 years after Chicago: at the 8th Parliament of the World's Religions in Toronto, the Declaration Toward a Global Ethic is extended with a directive on sustainability.
2021
Hans Küng, founder of the Global Ethic project and founding president of the Foundation, dies on 6 April in his Tübingen flat, after a long illness.
2022
Prof. Dr. Bernd Engler, formerly President of the University of Tübingen, takes over the presidency of the Global Ethic Foundation in October.
2023
The "Hans Küng Outstanding Contribution to The Global Ethic Award" is presented for the first time, to Dr Stephan Schlensog, long-time Managing Director of the Global Ethic Foundation. With the award, the Parliament of the World's Religions honours Hans Küng's achievements, as well as people who have made a special contribution to spreading and implementing the Global Ethic project.
2024
Lena Zoller becomes Managing Director of the Global Ethic Foundation.
2025
The Foundation marks its 30th anniversary. The 16th Global Ethic Speech is given by journalist and Middle East expert Natalie Amiri. The Foundation moves into Hans Küng's former home in Tübingen.
THE GLOBAL ETHIC PROJECT TODAY
The idea is just as relevant today as it was in 1993. Today, the Global Ethic project is carried forward by the Global Ethic Foundation, the Global Ethic Institute in Tübingen, and partner organisations in Switzerland and Austria.
You can find out more about the people and initiatives behind the Global Ethic project today here.
→ The Global Ethic Project Today
- 1993: Parliament of World’s Religions
- 1995: Manfred Grohe
- 1997: Private
- 1999: Global Ethic Foundation
- 2000: Manfred Grohe
- 2001: United Nations
- 2003: Manfred Grohe
- 2011: Image Credits
- 2012: Weltethos-Institut
- 2012: Karl Schlecht
- 2013: Image Credits
- 2016: State government of Baden-Württemberg
- 2018: Global Ethic Foundation
- 2021: Erich Sommer
- 2022: Global Ethic Foundation/Nino Strauch
- 2024: Global Ethic Foundation/Philipp Sigle
- 2025: SÜDWEST PRESSE Neckar-Alb/Martin Brunner