Global Ethic Foundation   Prof. Dr. Hans Küng, President
  Declaration of a Global Ethic   Hans Küng 
  Declaration of a Global Ethic   Leonard Swidler 

"Ethics Statements of Human Activities and Professions," particularly on an international level, e.g., business, labor, law 

"Ecological Ethics," especially though not only as expressed in the emerging Earth Charter and related efforts, such as the  Boston Research Center for the 21st Century and  the Earth Network

1) By its very nature "A Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic" focuses on the basic ethical principles that can be declared common to all major religious and ethical traditions. Hence, unlike the various "Ethics Statements of Human Activities and Professions," "A Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic" must be broad and general. At present there are available two such drafts, one originally drawn up by Hans Küng (and subsequently endorsed in 1993 by the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago) and one by Leonard Swidler. The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS is working to improve, and possibly synthesize, them.  

Additional versions of "A Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic" from across the globe, as well as diverse religious and ethical traditions are also being encouraged. Once they have been coordinated they will yield a broad Consensus Declaration arrived at from "below" as well as "above." Even if the precise wording of one of the present drafts were finally agreed on (likely or unlikely as that may be), it is vital that as many different groups as possible work through the issues (perhaps using the two present drafts as starting points) and express their ideas in precise written words, thereby both contributing to the final draft, and taking ownership of it. This latter "taking ownership" is essential in developing strategies to gain widespread approval, which will be necessary before implementation can reasonably be hoped for.  

2) "Ethics Statements of Human Activities and Professions" are frequently already on record. To be applicable beyond their original domain, they need to be inventoried, categorized, collated, analyzed and correlated to the emerging "Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic" and "Earth Charter." 

The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS serves as a center for such collection, sorting, and analysis. By its nature, this process contributes to the necessary ongoing updating and improving of already existing and approved ethics statements. In addition, human activities and professions which do not yet have sufficiently internationally developed and accepted statements of ethics are encouraged by The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS to launch or intensify such efforts. Collaboration with the United Nations and various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) is especially important in the work of this area.  

3) Statements of various "Ecological Ethics" already exist and have been largely inventoried, collated and analyzed by the Earth Council, which is far advanced in the production of an "Earth Charter." The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS works to coordinate the developments in the areas of the "Universal Declaration of a Global Ethic" and the "Ethics Statements of Human Activities and Professions" with the activity of the Earth Council, particularly the drafting, distribution, wide acceptance, and implementation of the "Earth Charter."  

The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS is sponsored by a not-for-profit (501c3) organization associated with the Global Dialogue Institute, the Institute for Interreligious, Intercultural Dialogue, and the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, located at Temple University, a state-related university in Philadelphia, PA 19122. The Center, the Institutes, and the Journal are directed by Leonard Swidler, Professor of Catholic Thought and Interreligious Dialogue at Temple University.  

The CENTER FOR GLOBAL ETHICS operates an e-mail discussion forum. To subscribe, send the following e-mail message to: listserv@listserv.temple.edu:  subscribe g-ethic (your) firstname lastname.  
You can take a look at some of our ongoing discussion in the Temple Listserv Archive site for the Global Ethic Project.