Globalisation for the Common Good
= Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative
URL = http://www.globalisationforthecommongood.info/
Description
By Kamran Mofid:
"The Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative began in 2002 at a conference in Oxford, UK.
Since then, the GCG International Conference has become an annual event, traveling across the globe to Saint Petersburg, Dubai, Nairobi & Kericho, Honolulu, Istanbul and Melbourne; while the 2009 conference is scheduled to take place at Loyola University, Chicago. These multi-disciplinary conferences have been lively and productive affairs, in which scholars, politicians, theologians, journalists, peace activists, and students from many diverse faiths and cultural backgrounds have come together to discuss the ways in which the world’s religious and social communities can help promote peace and justice. They have given rise to numerous collaborations, many books and academic papers, as well as the establishment of the online Journal of Globalisation for the Common Good.
We believe that the rich heritage of the world’s religions have much to offer in promoting global peace, justice, and human well-being. While globalisation is often conceived in terms of impersonal economic and market forces, we believe that in breaking down the barriers between cultures it also provides the possibility for productive inter-religious and inter-cultural encounters. We seek to celebrate religious diversity while seeking to overcome ideological divisions to harness the wealth of the world’s diverse spiritual and ethical traditions to create a sense of common purpose that can enable us to build social and economic policies that are truly humane and life-enhancing. We look forward to being able to play a part in what we hope is a fruitful period of inter-religious dialogue which will see peace, justice, and human well-being realized across the world.
We live in difficult and troubling times, facing unprecedented global challenges in the areas of climate change and ecology, banking, credit and subprime mortgage lending, soaring cost of energy and food, hunger and infectious disease, international relations and cooperation, peace and justice, terrorism and war, armaments and unprecedented violence, crime and insecurity. It is precisely in times like these – unstable and confusing though they may be – that people everywhere need to keep their eyes on the better side of human nature, the side of love and compassion, rather than hatred and injustice; the side of the common good, rather than selfishness, individualism and greed. How well we succeed in changing our world for the better, so that we can build a world that is just, free and prosperous for all, will depend on our collective capacities to mobilise interest and master enthusiasm around our common vision and collective action. This call to action should be heard loud and clear by people everywhere." (http://www.kosmosjournal.org/kjo/readers/globalisation-for-the-common-good.shtml)