Responsibility: a key notion for the 21st century

Widening economic gaps within and between nations, the concentration of economic and political power in ever-fewer hands, threats to cultural diversity, and the overexploitation of natural resources are creating unrest and conflicts world-wide and giving rise to deep concerns about the future of our planet. We are at a crossroads in human history.

Human beings are part of a ’woven universe’ which is balanced and integrated in ways that are still far beyond human knowledge. Given the growing appreciation that human well-being is interdependent with earth systems, a re-definition of responsibility is needed in order to extend personal responsibility in the present to collective responsibility for the future.

We can express responsibility in many ways, among them accepting responsibility for the direct and indirect consequences of our actions in the short as well as the long run, joining with others and uniting for effective action. The fact that responsibility is proportionally linked to knowledge and the exercise of power does not mean that those with limited resources and influence would not be in a position to exercise responsibility at their own level and link up with others to forge a collective strength.

Responsibility is more than an ethical principle to be used at the personal level; rather, it is a commitment we make as citizens who are part of a social identity. The initiative of the Charter of Human Responsibilities encourages the exploration of the values that underpin this identity.