Cultural Diplomacy, International business and Global Ethics

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not based on the superiority of any religion

"Today there is no living being who know enough to say for sure if a religion has been more important than all others." Arnold Toynbee

o Is not a Global Religion (like Baha’i)

o Is open to agnostics and atheists

A "Global ethic of doing business” – is still in its development phase.

Weakness of Global Ethics: fundamentalists (of all religions and atheists).

All the actors involved in international business and cultural diplomacy: "entrepreneurs, investors, creditors, workers, consumers, and members of different interest groups in all countries – bears a common and essential responsibility, together with our political institutions and international organizations, to recognize and apply this kind of global economic ethic."

We need to break the taboo: Business - religion

In many countries, mixing religion and business is considered taboo. But I disagree, if we do with respect and knowledge.

Let me share with you my experience with one of the richest man of the world…

Defining the profile of "Director of International Business"

The other day I meet with the director of a company that asked me for the right profile of a director of international business. I told:

• Experience and Educational background in international business. He or she needs to know about Incoterms, customs clearance, international distribution, prices, adaptation of products, promotion policies, intercultural negotiation ...

• And Languages: English, French, Arabic or even Chinese ...

But I also suggest a knowledge and respect to World Religions and strong ethical principles.

If he or she should to travel to Africa, Asia or Middle East, I suggest knowledge and respect to Islam.

If he/she should to do business in Asia then I suggest, knowledge of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

And if India is a key market for your company, knowledge of Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism.

And open your mind and your hearth ...

By ex. many Western multinationals are hiring Jain or Sikh people ... Three examples

Anshuman Jain • Anshuman Jain (1963 -Jaipur, Rajasthan, India) is an Indian Jain business executive.

• Co-CEO of Deutsche Bank (since June 2012)

• Active supporter of wildlife and environmental conservation charities. He is a strict vegetarian

Ajaypal Singh Banga (SIKH)

• President and CEO of MasterCard. It was named by The Economic Times of India as the fourth "most powerful Indian" in the world.

DR JOGISHWAR SINGH (SIKH)

• Managing Director of the Rothschild Group (Switzerland)

2. Searching for a Global Ethics model

Ideal Scenario for our research: India

o India is the cradle of 4 superior religions: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

o India, particularly Hinduism, is one of the most tolerant countries with other religions, as seen in the history of India in the last 2,500 years. Hinduism has lived in peace with Parsees, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jainist, ...

"Thus I have exposed the most secret of all knowledge, meditate on it fully, and then do as you want" Bhagavad Gita (Sacred Book of Hinduism), XVIII-63.

o India is the world’s third largest economy (behind the U.S. and China) and one of the BRICS countries.

o India: The world’s largest democracy

o Today India is a “little world” under religion’s point of view:

o

Percentage of Population by Religions in India

• Hinduism 80.46% (960 million), third religion in the world by number of believers, behind Islam and Christianity.

• Muslims 13.43%

• Christians 2.34%

• Sikhs 1.87%

• Buddhists 0.77%

• Others 0.72%

• Jain 0.41%

In India there are some 2 millions of Baha’i, 7,5 millions of Methodists and 2,4 millions of Baptists. The Catholic Church Siro-Malabar (Eastern Catholic Churches) has 4,6 millions.

For this reason I try to select the examples of this speech, when is possible, not in the most famous religions in Western Countries, but in Islam, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrian and Hinduism.

In speaking of India, I have introduced a key concept of the Global Ethics: tolerance. By ex:

The current Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh is Sikh, as we can see: (surname, turban).

Sikh population represents less than 2% of Indian Population!

As we can observe the majority of Ministers of India are Hinduist but there are also Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Atheists …

• Shri A. K. Antony. Minister of Defense. He was born into a Syrian Catholic family, now declared atheist. It is also stated devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi

• Shri Sharad Pawar. Minister of Agriculture. Hinduism.

• Shri P. Chidambaram. Minister of Finance. Hinduism.

• Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad. Minister of Health and Family Welfare. Muslim.

• Shri Sushil Kumar Shinde. Minister of the Interior. Secularism

• Shri M. Veerappa Moily. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

• Dr.