Global Values in Religious Organisations 403It is all very well to assert, for example, that human dignity, as the
foundation for understandings of equality, is grounded in deeply held
religious understandings of creation, or that peace is a deeply religious
principle, but it is important to take into account other sources and inspi-
rations. Geography, economic disparities, and psychology, among many
other factors, influence the practical reality of inequalities and conflict,
as well as circumstances of harmony and good will. The religious roots
of ethical principles can serve well as a lodestar and, for many, an inspi-
ration, necessary as a historical explanation, but not sufficient in them-
selves as an explanation and a foundation for a system of values and
ethics that can bind and direct.
31.2 Search for Common Values
The second idea looks to a search for common values and ethical
principles amidst the rich diversity and seeming tensions that character-
ize world religions. This idea is the grounding in large part for the vital
work of interreligious dialogue and action that seeks to sooth tensions
and build cohesive societies amidst rich diversity. Its goal and insight is
to highlight, as a force for peace, the power of what is held in common,
in contrast to what pulls people and communities apart. The notion of
universality is a critical element of the UDHR, reflecting the hypothesis
that notwithstanding the Tower of Babel of cultural, language, and reli-
gious diversity there are solid common values that can be translated into
practice. Theologian Hans Kung is among the scholars who have looked
explicitly to the religious foundations for these universal principles, ex-
ploring religious traditions widely and drawing from them a set of val-
ues that he calls the “Global Ethic.”^308 Other efforts that draw on reli-
308
Küng’s formulation of a global ethics is presented in many different forms
including exhibitions inter alia at the International Monetary Fund and the
World Economic Forum. One detailed presentation is in Hans Küng (1998), A
Global Ethic for Global Politics and Economics, Oxford University Press.