The Ethics Centre

The Ethics Centre, formerly the St James Ethics Centre, is a fully independent not-for-profit organisation which provides a forum for the promotion and exploration of ethics and ethical decision-making. The Ethics Centre works with business, professions, community groups, governments and individuals to encourage and assist them to include the ethical dimension in their daily lives.[1] It is based in Sydney, Australia.

The Ethics Centre
FormationNovember 1989
Founded atSydney, New South Wales
TypeNGO
Legal statusCharity
PurposeEthics; ethical decision-making
Location
Region
Australia
Executive Director
Dr Simon Longstaff AO
Websiteethics.org.au
Formerly called
St James Ethics Centre

Background

The Ethics Centre was launched in 1989 by The Anglican Parish of St James' Church, Sydney in order to work with business in the city to promote ethics and ethical decision-making. In 1996, St James Ethics Centre became entirely independent from the church. It is now a secular organisation, open to those of any or no faith. The Centre was renamed "The Ethics Centre".[2]

The Centre's Executive Director, Simon Longstaff, discussed ethics-related issues in the media in 2002.[3]

Description

The Centre still works with business in Sydney, and has expanded to national and occasionally international projects. It receives no government funding and relies upon support from business and individuals.

The Centre offers a free "Ethics Counselling Service" to anyone who may be facing an ethical dilemma. According to the Centre's website, it is believed to be the only service of its kind in the world and is the reason for the Centre's classification as a public benevolent institution.[4]

In 2011, The Ethics Centre became the initial approved provider of Special Ethics Education for NSW schools.[5]

Festival of Dangerous Ideas

The Ethics Centre presents the Festival of Dangerous Ideas (FODI) along with the Sydney Opera House starting in 2009. In June 2014 FODI announced a lecture by Hizb ut-Tahrir spokesman Uthman Badar entitled "Honour Killings Are Morally Justified".[6] Following negative responses from the community, the lecture was cancelled with Longstaff saying the "Islamophobes" have won the day[7][8] and Badar saying it shows the extent and depth of Islamophobia in Australia.[9]

IQ2 debates

Intelligence Squared, known as IQ2, is an international debate series where diverse speakers discuss issues of public interest. The Ethics Centre has presented the Australian one for over 10 years.[10]

Supporters

The Centre is financially supported by donations. Notable organizations which have donated money or other resources to the Centre include The Saturday Paper, Telstra, AMP, ABC, Australian Unity, BHP Billiton, the City of Sydney, Ernst & Young, Gilbert + Tobin, the GPT Group, Grocon, Jones Day, LaSalle Investment Management, Macquarie Group, Manly Selective Campus, New Philosopher, Origin Energy, Santos Ltd and others.[11]

References
  1. The Ethics Centre – official website (retrieved 11 June 2006)
  2. "History of St James Ethics Centre" (retrieved 9 September 2007)
  3. Longstaff, Simon (5 October 2002). "As Socrates said to the redneck" (Interview). Interviewed by Catherine Keenan. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 September 2007.
  4. Ethics Counselling Service of St James Ethics Centre (retrieved 9 September 2007)
  5. "Special Ethics Education – Information for Principals". NSW Department of Education and Communities (Press release). Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  6. Meares, Joel (23 June 2014). "Pussy Riot, Rushdie coming to Sydney". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  7. Carswell, Andrew (25 June 2014). "Radical Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir says Australia and the US should be labelled terrorists for their Middle Eastern 'invasions'". Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  8. Henderson, Gerard (28 June 2014). "Dangerous ideas — Fraser's Lebanon Concession, for example — should be handled with care". The Australian. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
  9. Davey, Melissa (25 June 2014). "Cancellation of Muslim speaker's lecture 'reveals deep Islamophobia'". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
  10. "IQ2 Debates Australia". The Ethics Centre. 28 August 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  11. "The Ethics Centre – The Ethics Centre". www.ethics.org.au. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
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