The Practices of Global Ethics ─ Historical Backgrounds, Current Issues and Future Prospects

Examines diverse expressions of global ethics as social practices developed in response to global crises

The Practices of Global Ethics takes a unique look at global ethics: not as mere written statements but as a set of practices undertaken by thousands of organisations and hundreds of thousands of people to shape the normative trajectory of human affairs.

Looking at statements of global ethical principles including The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Earth Charter and the Rio Documents, this book positions them as the outcomes and expression of ongoing practices. Offering innovative, critical and thoughtful analyses of ethical practices since World War II, the book examines efforts to promote human rights; foster ecological responsibility; end genocide; reduce global poverty; encourage responsible and sustainable international business practices; cultivate understanding and collaboration amongst the world's religions among other worldwide endeavours.

Frederick Bird is Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Waterloo, Canada and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Concordia University, Montreal, where he was Professor of Religion and A Concordia Research Chair in Comparative Ethics. His previous publications include International Business and the Challenges of Poverty in the Developing World (Palgrave, 2004).

Sumner B. Twiss is Distinguished Professor of Human Rights, Ethics and Religion at Florida State University and Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at Brown University. He is former co-editor of theAnnual of the Society of Christian Ethics (now the Journal of Christian Ethics) and theJournal of Religious Ethics. Previous book publications includeExplorations in Global Ethics: Comparative Religious Ethics and Interreligious Dialogues (Perseus, 2000).

Kusumita P. Pedersen is Professor Emerita of Religious Studies at St Francis College and a trustee of the Council for the Parliament of World's Religions. She is the author of several dozen articles and book chapters and edited a special issue of CrossCurrents: "Asceticism Today" (2008).

Clark Miller is Associate Director of Consortium Science, Policy & Outcomes, Arizona State University

Bruce Grelle is Professor and Director of the Religion and Public Education Project in the Department of Comparative Religion and Humanities at California State University, Chico. He is co-editor ofExplorations in Global Ethics: Comparative Religious Ethics and Interreligious Dialogue (Perseus, 2000).