On October 19, Carnegie Council celebrated the third annual Global Ethics Day with over 50 institutions from 15 countries. From Germany to Brazil to Australia to Oman, universities, non-profit institutions, and civil society groups participated with teach-ins, art projects, and film screenings, covering a wide range of ethical issues.
Globethics.net, a global network of persons and institutions interested in various fields of applied ethics, was one of the most visible organizations for the day. Their team put together a video asking network members: "Why do ethics matter?" Responses came in from people of all ages from all over the world. To give one example, Dele Fakorede, a 78-year-old from Nigeria, answered: "Ethics is characterized by honesty, accuracy, efficiency and objectivity. Any truly ethical person will keep to these characteristics."
Other highlights include a video from Majan College of Oman on the problem of "contract cheating," i.e. when a student pays for a paper written by someone else and submits it as his/her own. Along with University of Wollongong in Dubai, which asked students to make posters on the topic of product safety and business ethics, these two schools are the first Global Ethics Day participants from the Gulf States. Artist Margaret Murphy and students at Central Michigan University took part in a project called "Framing the Question," where they showcased their personal connection to ethics; students at the University of Rochester held events focused on academic honesty; and at Texas Tech, climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe gave a presentation on ethics and the environment.
For more on Global Ethics Day 2016, check out this page on our community network www.globalethicsnetwork.org and search on Twitter for #globalethicsday2016. If your organization took part in Global Ethics Day, we encourage you to post something about your activities on www.globalethicsnetwork.org, with the tag #globalethicsday2016.
Thanks to all who participated! We're already looking forward to next year!
