Ernst Klatte, Germany PtC-Germany: head of Dept. Economy and ETHICS Economy – Power and Ethics, Humanism and Conscience (nationalization of financing and banking system) The Power of Economics and Ethics How can regulative ethical codes be used as an economic moral compass? 1. How economics came to dominate our culture The reign of economic thinking over the cultures of the World has, today, become a tyranny; and the greedy king at its head has been welcomed all over the planet regardless of natural and cultural frontiers. Yet the culture of the “financial industry” he propagates is no longer of service to society, but only to a small number of ruthlessly selfish investors who privatise profits whilst leaving society to pick up the losses. This means that it is high time to ask questions about the border between corporate responsibility and the role of the state under the conditions of rapid globalisation. All over the world, solidarity is in danger of breaking down: solidarity between generations, between classes, between genders and between citizens and immigrants.
Prof. Dr. Heinrichs Johannes, Berlin & Duisburg; Germany Prof. Dr. of science, author – former University chair for philosophy and sociology „A New State Policy – Fundaments for the 3rd Millenium” (Basic Values – Culture – Politics – Economics A developed model of democracy, in which these value levels get their correct institutional places) 1. Among the multiple deficiencies of our existing democracies (which normally we are not used to regard as developing forms of government, but as once and for all achieved or not achieved), there are two main and principal deficiencies: First, the whole of society depends structurally on economics. The latter one seems to be not one level of the entire society in a serving position, but as the decisive and dominating level. All our democracies of the Western type, in their daily life, are not really based on human rights, on human dignity and ultimate values, as they pretend to do, but on the ruling money system and its stock-markets. The money system would be a discussion of most current interest, but this is not my main topic here.
Lajpat Rai Utreja President, Global Harmony Association – USA Founder, Institute of Spiritual Healing, Madison, AL Society and Politics – A Vedic Vision The State of Our Human Family The great Vedic dictum states, “Vasudeva Kutumbkam – We are one human family.” In the Vedic vision, we are a family, without boundaries of race, religion, culture, nation, or gender connected together through a cord of human values. We are a family comprising of parents, grandparents, and their in-laws; siblings and their in-laws; aunts, uncles and their in-laws; children and their in-laws; and just as one President Barack Obama is connected to Indonesia and Kenya thru his siblings, so are all of us from all over the world connected together through siblings and in-laws of different faiths, races and cultures.
Gaikwad Milind Raghuvir, India Secretary: Bahujan Sanskritik Kendra Why is the mankind sinking into deep crisis? War and Hatred is badly affecting the life of people. Mankind is loosing its Values and the world situation is facing reckless and irresponsible exploitation and destruction. Each group of society and for that matter each individual is facing the problem of inner contradictions. The effect of this is not limited to that group of Society but it spreads through out the World Society like abnormal growth of Cancerous Cells. This inner conflict is the conflict between Cognition and desire. Mankind must remove this inner contradiction , keep one self in control and eradicate various wrong notions . Because it is causing harm , not only to the individual but to the society and the Humanity at large. Our dreams for making this world a better place to live can become illusive and unreachable if we do not find any honest and practical solution to this inner conflict.
Erich Fankhauser, Switzerland President PtC-Switzerland ETHICS versus moral – basis for a spiritual culture While MORAL is a time-related reflection – a structure characterised by certain institutions such as churches, religious communities or similar, which changes appearance with the mentality and may completely differ from country to country – ETHICS is the objective, scientifically based level beyond. To create a widespread common harmony, there has to be an extensive ethically based comprehension of wisdom and action. Ethics versus moral – Ethics, the most essential socially based science
Professor Theodora Hiou- Maniatopoulou, “Panteion” University of Political and Social Sciences. Athens, Greece Culture in a Globalizing World I feel both pleased and honoured to address the “World Forum of Spiritual Culture”. I would like to address my congratulations to the Organizers, the International Association “Peace for Culture” chaired by His Excellency Senator Mr. Tolegen Mukhamedzhanov and solidly supported by H.E. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, for this excellent initiative and for the high level of organization. I would also like to express my sincere thanks for their warm hospitality and for the unique experience to visit Astana.