Highlights of this newsletter: Global Ethics Forum 2014 Putting Ethics into Action Ethical Dilemmas in the Information Society GEPP Executive Summer School on Global Environmental Policy The online version with pictures is also available on the Globethics.net website. With best regards, The Globethics.net Team EDITORIAL: Teodorina Lessidrenska GLOBETHICS.NET LIBRARIES New collections: Humanistic Management Center and Hindu Ethics African Law Library presented at African Governance Conference in Rabat/Morocco GLOBETHICS.NET NETWORK Putting Ethics into Action CONFERENCES/PROJECTS Global Ethics Forum 2014 Ethical Dilemmas in the Information Society: How Codes of Ethics Help to Find Ethical Solutions GEPP Executive Summer School on Global Environmental Policy with Globethics.net Participation PUBLICATIONS Des Églises sans corruption sont possibles NEWS FROM THE REGIONAL PROGRAMMES New director Globethics.net India ************************************************************* EDITORIAL by Teodorina Lessidrenska At Globethics.net the beginning of the New Year 2014 was marked by the Global Ethics Forum (GEF) 2014 Conference in Bangalore, India. I personally found it deeply moving and inspiring to start the year with a traditional Indian lighting of the lamp ceremony. Together with 200 other people gathered at the GEF we put our minds and hearts into an honest open discussion about and search for answers to one of the greatest problems of our times – the growing inequality in all its forms and dimensions. My meetings with the nominees of the GEF 2014 ‘My Choice for Equality’ campaign; the faces and voices of the nominees, each telling us their unique story - stories of ordinary individuals who have taken extraordinary actions against inequality; and the beautiful faces and perfect movements of the blind dancers at the closure of day one of the Conference, are just a few among many unforgettable memories I brought with me from the Forum. Reducing inequalities in society is central to poverty reduction. It is a necessity that will determine our current and future economic growth, stability and sustainable economic development. But above all, it is everyone’s and our shared responsibility to take action to ensure that all human beings have the right to live in dignity. For all of you who attended the GEF 2014, in person or through the webcast, I would like to thank for your participation and I hope the forum has been an inspiring, interesting and enriching experience, one that has offered you an opportunity to meet new and interesting people, and to take part in discussions and evolving new initiatives. It was a pleasure meeting you in Bangalore and having your input as part of the GEF 2014 Conference discussions. Finally, I would like to take the opportunity to extend my best wishes to all members and supporters of Globethics.net for a peaceful, healthy, abundant year, filled with goodness and positive change. I look forward to continuing the conversation we started at the GEF via e-mail, phone, and through the Globethics.net website. Let us all follow Ghandi’s words to “Be the change that you want to see in the world” so we can join our forces and take action towards a better world. With warmest regards and best wishes, Teodorina Lessidrenska, Programme Executive Business Ethics GLOBETHICS.NET LIBRARIES New collections: Humanistic Management Center and Hindu Ethics New collections are available in the libraries: New! Humanistic Management Center Collection (DV). This collection contains articles and chapters of books published by the Humanistic Management Center, an independent organisation who mission is to provide thought leadership, higher education offers and services to move towards a more humanistic economic model. The collection contains selected chapters, research articles, journalistic pieces and presentations from the Center. Launch! of the Hindu Ethics Collection (CG). This new and unique collection with more than 1400 articles was launched at the Global Ethics Forum in Bangalore/India on 3 January 2014. The detailed classification structure with over 300 categories is the result of scientific work with specialists on the ethical philosophy of Hinduism. It includes classical foundational, holy texts, the different orthodox systems, texts from Hindu institutions, associations and schools. It can also be sorted by themes of applied ethics such as Hindu economic ethics, environmental ethics, political ethics or bioethics. More information can be found in the short presentation of the concept, structure and methodology. Thanks are due to the specialists in Hindu ethics, Vikas Prabhu from the Globethics.net India regional programme and to Programme Executive Online Ethics Library, Ignace Haaz for their work in developing the collection. African Law Library presented at African Governance Conference in Rabat/Morocco How can governance be strengthened by economic development? This was the key topic of the second Annual Days of Governance in Africa (Journées Annuelles de Gouvernance en Afrique JAGA). Governance in management of natural resources and in mobilizing African financial resources for development have been two of the five topics. The conference was held from 27-30 January 2014 in Rabat Morocco, organized by ARGA, the Organization for Governance in Africa and supported among others by the African Innovation Foundation AIF. The African Law Library, presented by AIF with Globethics.net, was shown as a contribution to governance with its commitment to free access to law. GLOBETHICS.NET NETWORK Putting Ethics into Action As a participant of the Forum of Ethics and Responsibilities, Globethics.net would like to share the experience of a group looking at the ethical commitments of social justice organisations. Nina Gregg is the representative of the Forum of Ethics and Responsibilities for the United States and organised the workshop ‘Putting Ethics into Action’, in October 2013 in New Mexico. The ‘Putting Ethics into Action’ workshop brought together staff and members of more than twenty advocacy, activist and policy organisations in New Mexico for a full day of conversations, panels and experiential workshops about institutionalising representation, democratic decision-making, transparency and other hallmarks of ethical practice. Concrete examples of codes of ethics were distributed and explained. These codes can be found in the full report. Globethics.net is preparing a new collection in 2014 that will include codes of conduct for different professions. Stay tuned for more information in the upcoming months. CONFERENCES/PROJECTS Global Ethics Forum 2014 The Global Ethics Forum Conference on 3-5 January 2014 at the Indian Institute of Management in Bangalore, India, brought together more than 150 participants and 50 speakers from all continents and called for more ‘Equality in an Unequal World’. It focussed on the challenge of inequality against the background of global economic, financial, environmental, political and leadership crises. We live in a world of contradictions, especially so in India where we have 1 million engineers but 16 million kids who are not in school; 70 per cent of our healthcare facilities are in cities while 70 per cent of our population lives in villages and small towns. Hence inequality as a theme of the conference is very relevant. We should look at combining profits and principles to create progress, said Mr Shibulal, CEO and Co- Founder of Infosys and Co-Chair of the Global Ethics Forum in his opening remarks on Friday 3 January. Ms Kumud Srinivasan, President of Intel India, underlined the need for cooperation of the private, public and NGO sectors in addressing inequalities. In her presentation entitled Doing the Right Thing Right, Ms Srinivasan explained why the rising tide (of growth) is not lifting all boats. At best, inequality is demotivating; at worst it is dangerously destabilizing. We need to focus on inclusive growth by levelling the playing field. We can achieve this with technology in the hands of all, good governance for sustainability, innovation and social entrepreneurship for prosperity, and public private partnerships, she observed. The Global Ethics Forum 2014 built on the success of the first (2009), second (2011) and third (2012) Global Ethics Forums and on the 2013 GEF Public Forum and Expert Meeting. The 2014 Conference also made pioneering steps beyond the established GEF conference model by introducing a number of distinct new features: It was the first GEF conference that took place outside of Geneva; The plenary sessions were webcasted live on Friday 3 January and on Saturday 4 January from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, India to the whole world; For the first time it used the social media as part of the GEF process - the GEF 2014 social media campaign mobilised the Globethics.net and GEF constituencies globally to give their input to the GEF 2014 call for nominations ‘My Choice for Equality’; It was the first GEF conference focused on a specific theme – inequality and equality, as a part of the on-going debate on the role of values, ethics and CSR in the transition to a more sustainable planet, society and economy. Conference participants looked for the contribution to equality in concrete sectors such as gender equality, the sharing economy as new economic models, fair trade relations of BRICS countries especially with Africa, more transparency in religious organisations, equal access to natural resources, new ways of holistic business education, spirituality for sustainability, innovation ethics, ethical principles, the role of small and medium enterprises and of social media. Special attention was given to fair trade relations between China, India and Africa, with the presence of a Chinese delegation of entrepreneurs, academics and public officials in Bangalore. The GEF 2014 Conference Report will be available on the GEF web page by the end of April 2014 at the latest. Photos and selected video material from the Conference will be put up at the beginning of February on the GEF 2014 conference web pages. The first GEF social media campaign received numerous testimonials from all over the world, describing the heroic efforts of ordinary individuals who have taken extraordinary actions against inequality. The GEF 2014 Conference gave recognition to each of the nominees by posting their photos and stories on the GEF 2014 Wall of Equality and a number of nominees were invited in person to share their experiences with participants at the GEF Conference in Bangalore. Conference participants also discussed the Globethics.net draft Declaration on Principles of Equality and Inequality for a Sustainable Economy. The draft declaration presented at the GEF 2014 conference will be posted on the GEF website in mid- February 2014. During a three month long public consultation period, the Globethics.net will collect comments and input on the Declaration with the aim to finalise the Declaration for submission to the United Nations and other institutions in the autumn of 2014. We would like to thank the sponsors of the GEF 2014 Conference; Infosys, Intel and the Fourth Wave Foundation for their invaluable support and contributions to the success of GEF 2014. We are thankful to our co-organisers, the Centre for Corporate Governance and Citizenship and IIMB and the Center for International Business Ethics (CIBE) in China for their commitment and efforts. Special thanks go to the GEF international Co-chairs: Mr S.D. Shibulal, CEO and Co-Founder, Infosys, India; Prof. Judge Mervyn King, Chairman of the International Integrated Reporting Committee (IIRC); and Mr Walter Fust, Swiss Ambassador and President of Globethics.net. Finally I would like to extend also my personal special thanks to the IIMB and CIBE teams, and especially to Manasa Britto, Lucy Howe Lopez and to other colleagues at Globethics.net who worked hard and non-stop during the holidays on preparations for the GEF 2014. Forthcoming Conference: Ethical Dilemmas in the Information Society: How Codes of Ethics Help to Find Ethical Solutions The conference will be held from14-15 August 2014 near Geneva/Switzerland. Registrations will open soon on our website. It is organized by Globethics.net with the Intenational Federation of Library Associations IFLA/FAIFE. The call for papers in preparation for the conference on Ethical Dilemmas in the Information Society: How Codes of Ethics Help to Find Ethical Solutions is now closed and we are happy to share the conference programme. The programme includes four keynotes speakers and three parallel workshops for participants to choose from. The idea behind the Conference originated in August 2012 when library associations from more than 60 countries developed and approved a national code of ethics for librarians. The Governing Board of the International Federation of Library Associations and institutions (IFLA) approved the new IFLA Code of Ethics for Librarians and Other Information Workers. Globethics.net took part in its elaboration. Read the related news story. Although the international Code has now been launched and accepted as an official policy of IFLA, the IFLA Committee on Freedom of Access to information and Freedom of Expression (FAIFE) considers that the work should continue. A code of ethics must be a living document and ways have to be found to implement ethics and ethical reflection more deeply in the day-to-day work carried out in libraries and archives. GEPP Executive Summer School on Global Environmental Policy with Globethics.net Participation GEPP “Executive Summer School on Global Environmental Policy”, organised by the University of Geneva, in partnership with UNEP and participation of Globethics.net, will be held (for the third time) from 31st August to 12th September 2014. The modules of this transdisciplinary programme bridge the gap between scientific knowledge and concrete decision-making, problem-solving and negotiation skills. It aims to bring together not more than 25 selected participants with diverse origins and professional backgrounds, including decision makers from the public and private sectors, and non-governmental organisations. The Globethics.net Director Prof. Christoph Stückelberger provides the module on “Environmental Ethics and Social Justice”. The closing date for applications is 30th April 2014. More information about GEPP, including the programme of the Executive Summer School held in September 2013, can be consulted at unige.ch/gepp/ess. PUBLICATIONS “Des Églises sans corruption sont possibles” is the French version of the book “Corruption free churches are possible” of Christoph Stückelberger, Executive Director of Globethics.net. It is now available at globethics.net/publications. The book is also available in Tamul, the Indian language in South India. “Des Églises sans corruption sont possibles” est la version française du livre “Corruption free churches are possible” de Christoph Stückelberger, Directeur Exécutif de Globethics.net. Le livre est maintenant disponible ici globethics.net/publications. Il existe également une version en Tamul, la langue indienne de l’Inde du Sud. NEWS FROM THE REGIONAL PROGRAMMES New director Globethics.net India Dr Paulachan Kochappilly, Professor of moral theology at Dharmaram College in Bangalore/India has been announced as the successor to Dr Saju Chackalackal as Director of the Globethics.net India regional programme. The announcement took place during the Global Ethics Forum 2014 Conference in Bangalore from 3-5 January 2014. Dr Chackalackal, President of Dharmaram College, has led the India programme since its inception in September 2010 along with co-directors, Rev. Jacob Belly, Executive Director of the Asian Centre for Peace and Development in Coimbatore and Dr Vasanthi Srinivasan, Chair of the Centre for Corporate Governance and Citizenship at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Feb 2014 00:19:37 +0000
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