Caux Round Table Global Dialogue

The Caux Round Table for Moral Capitalism, in collaboration with Initiatives of Change Business & Economy Program and with the sponsorship of the Order of Malta and Thai Beverage, will convene a Global Dialogue on 26 and 27 July 2023 at the Caux Palace in Caux, Switzerland.

This is the first Global Dialogue since the Covid pandemic and since there is a new setting of uncertainty and disequilibrium in our global order, the Caux Round Table Global Dialogue proposes to table for its participants the question of what kind of ethics are needed at this time in history.

Can we restore the post-World War II liberal international order? Are we in some inter-regnum searching for new paradigms? Is our time one where the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must as Thucydides quoted the ethic of the Athenians so long ago?

The Caux Round Table will propose a draft global ethic incorporating principles from different wisdom traditions. It has engaged with thinkers of different religious backgrounds and these action orientations have inspired an approach to economic justice denominated by the late King Rama IX as a “sufficiency” economy.

We are planning for the participation of our Catholic, Sunni, Shi’a, and Thai colleagues in the Global Dialogue.  The goal of the Dialogue is to reach a common understanding on a new humanism with responsible individualism in the context of social co-existence at the core of our aspirations for peace and prosperity.

The Dialogue will begin with dinner on the evening of 25 July and conclude with a dinner on 27 July. 

Early arrivals are welcome to take part in a workshop on the "Impact of Business on Democracy", organized by Initiatives of Change on 25 July from 14:30 - 16:00 in the framework of the Caux Forum 2023 conference Trust and Integrity in Democracy (24 - 26 July 2023).

Programme

TUESDAY 25 July

• Opening dinner: Statement of the Problem  / Challenges (Why are we in this situation? Global threats stressing and testing the international order)

WEDNESDAY, 26 July

• First session: Framing a solution (addressing root causes in human psyche, not fitting the current limited planet resources)
• Second session: Asian wisdom traditions – Buddhist Middle Way, Confucian Doctrine of the Mean, the Yijing hexagrams, Taoism, Shinto
• Lunch:  Speaker – equilibria among business stakeholders
• Third Session: Christian Social Teachings – Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Protestant;;  Mizan in the Qur’an; Old Testament prophets
• Fourth Session Checks and Balances – John Locke, Adam Smith, and James Madison: free markets and constitutional democracy ; the various socialist proposals (cooperatives, public ownership)
• Fifth Session:  What Business Can Do (testimonials and/or stories of major contributions made by business, with suggestions from the 25 July Initiatives of Change Business & Economy programme session).
• Dinner: Reflections

THURSDAY, 27 July

• Sixth Session:  ESG and the SDGs: Virtue-signaling or economic gyroscopes? Potential for change or newspeak?
• Seventh Session: A global commonwealth or once again feudalism – public debts; AI; hegemons private and public; inequalities of property, education, rule of law; climate change?
• Lunch: Proposed Oath for Global Citizens
• Eighth Session: Where are the leaders?
• Ninth Session: Conclusions and recommendations for a global ethic
• Closing Dinner

Registration

Please register your intention to join us at the Global Dialogue by email.