|
Roundtable
6:
Inter-Religious
Groups and Spiritual Leaders
(revised
January 03, 2002) |
Introduction
(in
french)
Under
the impact of rapid social and cultural change,
there is great moral confusion in the world. Indeed
the loss of moral vision and conviction are factors
that have contributed to growing ecological decline,
social exclusion and increased conflict throughout
the world. The decade-long Earth Charter consultation
process revealed that people everywhere are searching
for moral direction and want to participate in
the construction of a new moral vision. The transformative
efforts of the world’s religions can contribute
immensely to the development of a global ethic
for a humane and sustainable future. The central
objective of the Religious and Spiritual Leaders
Roundtable is to assess how the wisdom of the
world’s religions can be integrated into
global efforts to catalyse necessary changes in
ethical attitudes towards nature and humanity.
Session
One: The Ethics-Related Obstacles and Challenges
to Achieving Sustainable Development
- Bucknell
University Historian of Religion Mary Evelyn
Tucker notes that the central ethical challenge
underlying many world religions is how to
de-centre the human as dominant over nature,
and yet re-centre the human as responsible
for nature's continued sustainability. What
are the key challenges and obstacles preventing
this transition? What are the obstacles and
impediments which currently prevent the world
religions from catalysing the necessary changes
in our ethical attitudes towards nature and
humanity?
-
John Hoyt, former CEO of the Humane Society
and President of the Centre for Respect for
Life and the Environment, asserts that the
great challenge facing humankind in the next
millennium is whether or not we can formulate
and promulgate ethical principles sufficient
to address the causes and consequences of
increased materialism and systematic devaluation
of the natural world. What are the specific
ethical challenges that should be addressed
in this context?
-
Professor Steven C. Rockefeller, Chair of
the Earth Charter Drafting Committee notes
that under the impact of rapid social and
cultural change, there is great moral confusion
in the world. Indeed the loss of moral vision
and conviction are factors that have contributed
to growing ecological decline, social exclusion
and increased conflict throughout the world.
The decade-long Earth Charter consultation
process revealed that people everywhere are
searching for moral direction and want to
participate in the construction of a new moral
vision. What are the specific challenges that
currently impede societies’ clarification,
assertion and implementation of their own
new moral visions and values?
Session
Two: The Role of Fundamental Ethical Principles
and Values in Promoting Sustainable Development
- Historian
of religion Thomas Berry has pointed out that
what is needed is a comprehensive re-evaluation
of human-earth relations. What ethical framework
is needed to promote a creative equilibrium
between humans and nature that will ensure
sustainable, peaceful and just futures for
all?
-
Professor Tucker also asserts that the complexity
and urgency of the environmental crisis is
such that a multidisciplinary approach will
be critical to ensure a profound rethinking
of the relation of humans to the natural world.
What are the ethical norms needed to catalyse,
inform and support that rethinking? And what
form should the multidisciplinary approach
take?
-
Professor Steven C. Rockefeller, Chair of
the Earth Charter Drafting Committee provides
useful insights into the role and importance
of ethics. He asserts that "from the
point of view of society, ethics provide a
set of values and principles that promote
cooperation and the common good. On the other
hand, commitment to ethical values promotes
the growth of the self because it leads to
identification of the self with the larger
natural and human community to which one belongs."
What is the potential role of the world's
religions in helping to articulate and shape
the necessary ethical values that will perform
the dual function noted above by Professor
Rockefeller?
-
The Earth Charter makes clear that the only
long-term answer to the problem of terrorism
is to build a global culture of tolerance,
non-violence and peace. What are the other
norms that must promoted alongside these ethical
values?
-
Dieter Hesel, Director of the Ecumenical
Program on Ecology, Justice and Faith highlights
the four basic norms of ecojustice as: solidarity;
ecological sustainability; sufficiency; and
socially just participation. What are the
other ethical norms needed to advance economic
and social justice imperatives?
Session
Three: Policy Recommendations for Action
and Implementation
- The
Earth Charter is a product of a global dialogue
on fundamental values and principles for sustainable
living. It sets forth the integrated ethical
vision that is urgently needed. How can Governments
best translate the norms and principles enshrined
in the Earth Charter into concrete national
legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks?
-
What new initiatives are needed to contribute
to the articulation of new sustainability
ethics, which are better grounded in religious
and spiritual traditions?
-
Similarly, what are the mechanisms and institutional
arrangements needed to effect systematic changes
within the religious and spiritual traditions
in order to stimulate long-term transformation
regarding attitudes towards the environment?
Session
Four: Political Strategies for Johannesburg and
Beyond
- What
are the strategies needed to stimulate the
interest and concern of religious leaders
as well as students and professors of religion
in seminaries and universities in the run-up
to Johannesburg and beyond?
-
What are the strategies needed to link the
transformative efforts of the world's religions
to the larger international movements towards
a global ethic for a humane and sustainable
future?
-
Similarly, what are the strategies needed
place disciplines in dialogue with each other,
and specifically to link the transformative
efforts of the world's religions with other
visionary leaders within such disciplines
as: the ecological sciences, public policy,
economics, business, health and education
and media in the run-up to Johannesburg and
beyond.
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