In this book, editor Hans Kung has assembled brief essays by representatives of Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam on the principles drawn up at the 1993 Parliament of the World's Religions. This global ethic offers a commitment to the culture of nonviolence and respect for life, to the aim of a just social and economic order, and to the ideal of equal rights and partnership between men and women. Mary Robinson, president of the Republic of Ireland, salutes the spiritual practice of listening; Elie Wiesel pays homage to a religious purview that honors both humankind and the Creator; and Nobel Prize winner Desmond Tutu speaks out for the intoxicating power of freedom. These leaders from religion and politics articulate the need for cross-cultural cooperation creating a world order that will bring out the best in all human beings.