2. October 2023
Global Ethic at the Parliament of World Religions
From August 14th to 18th, the ninth “Parliament of the World’s Religions” took place in Chicago, marking the very place where Hans Küng’s “Declaration Toward a Global Ethic” was adopted. Since then, the Parliament of the World’s Religions has evolved into a global interreligious organization, hosting eight more such events around the world since 1993, known as the “Parliament of World’s Religions.”
A CELEBRATION OF TOLERANCE AND DIVERSITY
Over 7,000 visitors from more than 95 countries and representing over 210 traditions gathered at the Chicago McCormick Center on the shores of Lake Michigan. Among them was our General Secretary, Dr. Stephan Schlensog. For him, the diversity of religious practices and the natural openness, tolerance, and willingness to engage in dialogue among participants were incredibly inspiring and almost overwhelming. Just as impressive was the variety of topics discussed in hundreds of events, where religiously engaged individuals deliberated on current challenges facing religions and global society or shared their spiritual traditions with one another.
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UNIFYING THEME: GLOBAL ETHIC
The theme of “Global Ethic” ran through the entire event. In workshops and panel discussions, in which Stephan Schlensog also participated, the principles and directives of the Global Ethic were discussed, as well as their relevance in light of current global challenges. Additionally, various avenues for implementing the Global Ethic in different contexts were explored. Dr. Myriam Renaud, Director of the Global Ethic Project at the event, aptly summarized this:
„It was impressive to see how, thirty years on, the Parliament's 1993 document, "Towards a Global Ethic," generated a lot of buzz during this year's convening. Whether in casual conversations or on social media, a lot of people talked about how, although most of us don't share the same beliefs, we agree on the basic values and principles expressed in the document. They appreciated how this clear statement can serve as a conversation-starter and help people connect, whether they come from different religions or the same religion, or are not religious at all.“
"THE HANS KÜNG AWARD" ESTABLISHED AT THE PARLIAMENT
Leading up to this year’s Parliament, the organizers made a special decision to honor Hans Küng, the initiator of the Global Ethic concept, for his significant contributions to the field of Global Ethic. They did so by introducing “The Hans Küng Outstanding Contribution to The Global Ethic Award,” which will be presented at every Parliament starting from this year. This award serves as a reminder of Hans Küng’s exceptional contributions to the Global Ethic theme and the creation of the Global Ethic Declaration. It will be granted to international figures who have made outstanding efforts in developing, disseminating, and implementing the Global Ethic concept. The inaugural recipient of this award is Dr. Stephan Schlensog, who received this distinction in a dignified ceremony on the first day of the Parliament.
