History
The Institute for Global Ethics began in a tiny fourth-floor, walk-up office on Elm Street in Camden, Maine. Founded by Rushworth Kidder, the Institute had one-and-a-half employees, funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and a private donor. At the time, we knew two things: There was a growing public yearning for ethical clarity, and there were frameworks of thought that could help resolve ethical dilemmas.
Our first task back in 1990 was to answer a single overarching question: Is there a core of shared, moral values? Is there some undergirding framework so common to humanity that you don't have to impose it, but instead can find it? Thirteen years later, our answer is affirmative. The Institute's research has made it apparent that, wherever you go in the world and ask, What are the most important moral values for you and your future? you're apt to hear the same five answers: compassion, fairness, honesty, respect, and responsibility.
Shedding light on those values is only one part of what we do. The Institute is committed also to helping organizations and individuals put those values into practice, finding frameworks that tackle tough issues in a way that provides real answers.
Along the way, the Institute has grown in size and reach, with affiliates in Canada and England and more than a dozen staff working on Education and Organizational Services programs, products from DVDs to elementary school curriculums, and seminars that offer insights and motivation to groups of all sizes. All in service of our mission: to promote ethical behavior in individuals, institutions, and nations through research, public discourse and practical action.
To learn more, explore our website or contact us via email () or phone ( (U.S. only);).
