Global Integrity 21

Christian Integrity 

Moral Wholeness for a Whole World

Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Its opposite is corruption, the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the exploitation of people. Global integrity is moral wholeness at all levels in our world—from the individual to the institutional to the international. Global integrity is requisite for “building the future we want—being the people we need.” It is not easy, it is not always black and white, and it can be risky. These entries explore the many facets of integrity with a view towards the global efforts to promote sustainable development and wellbeing.

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Perspectives from the Lausanne Movement

Cape Town Commitment 2010

Let us strive for a culture of full integrity and transparency.
We will choose to walk in the light and truth of God,

for the Lord tests the heart and is pleased with integrity.

Part 2, IIE. 4

The Lausanne Movement is a major umbrella organization-network of Christians and Christian organizations that was formed over 40 years ago. It is evangelical in its orientation and “connects influencers and ideas for global mission, with a vision of the gospel for every person, an evangelical church for every people, Christ-like leaders for every church, and kingdom impact in every sphere of society.” More on its history here:https://www.lausanne.org/about-lausanne

This entry features excerpts from the Lausanne Movement’s Cape Town Commitment (2010). These excerpts call Christians to live with the highest levels of integrity and to resolutely prevent and confront corruption. They also emphasize the dire consequences to the credibility and witness of the church when Christians do not do so. The Movement has about 35 different “networks," with one of them being an “Integrity and Anti-Corruption Network.” This Network has convened meetings over the past few years with a major meeting planned in early 2017. 

PART ONE

7. We Love God’s World

“C.  Such love for the poor demands that we not only love mercy and deeds of compassion, but also that we do justice through exposing and opposing all that oppresses and exploits the poor. ‘We must not be afraid to denounce evil and injustice wherever they exist.’[30] We confess with shame that on this matter we fail to share God’s passion, fail to embody God’s love, fail to reflect God’s character and fail to do God’s will. We give ourselves afresh to the promotion of justice, including solidarity and advocacy on behalf of the marginalized and oppressed...”

9. We Love the People of God

“B) Love calls for honesty. Love speaks truth with grace. No one loved God’s people more than the prophets of Israel and Jesus himself. Yet no one confronted them more honestly with the truth of their failure, idolatry and rebellion against their covenant Lord. And in doing so, they called God’s people to repent, so that they could be forgiven and restored to the service of God’s mission. The same voice of prophetic love must be heard today, for the same reason. Our love for the Church of God aches with grief over the ugliness among us that so disfigures the face of our dear Lord Jesus Christ and hides his beauty from the world – the world that so desperately needs to be drawn to him.”

PART TWO

7. Truth and the Public Arenas

“B) Corruption is condemned in the Bible. It undermines economic development, distorts fair decision-making and destroys social cohesion. No nation is free of corruption. We invite Christians in the workplace, especially young entrepreneurs, to think creatively about how they can best stand against this scourge.”

IID. Discerning the will of Christ...

3. Christ-Centered Leaders

“The rapid growth of the Church in so many places remains shallow and vulnerable, partly because of the lack of discipled leaders, and partly because so many use their positions for worldly power, arrogant status or personal enrichment. As a result, God’s people suffer, Christ is dishonoured, and gospel mission is undermined…”

“B) We renew our commitment to pray for our leaders. We long that God would multiply, protect and encourage leaders who are biblically faithful and obedient. We pray that God would rebuke, remove, or bring to repentance leaders who dishonour his name and discredit the gospel. And we pray that God would raise up a new generation of discipled servant-leaders whose passion is above all else to know Christ and be like him.”

“C) Those of us who are in Christian leadership need to recognize our vulnerability and accept the gift of accountability within the body of Christ. We commend the practice of submitting to an accountability group.”

IIE. Calling the Church of Christ Back to Humility, Integrity and Simplicity

“B) Since there is no biblical mission without biblical living, we urgently re-commit ourselves, and challenge all those who profess the name of Christ, to live in radical distinctiveness from the ways of the world, to ‘put on the new humanity, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’ “

1. Walk in Distinctiveness, as God’s New Humanity

“…The Bible shows that God’s greatest problem is not just with the nations of the world, but with the people he has created and called to be the means of blessing the nations….When there is no distinction in conduct between Christians and non-Christians – for example in the practice of corruption and greed, or sexual promiscuity, or rate of divorce, or relapse to pre-Christian religious practice, or attitudes towards people of other races, or consumerist lifestyles, or social prejudice – then the world is right to wonder if our Christianity makes any difference at all. Our message carries no authenticity to a watching world.”

4. Walk in Integrity, Rejecting the Idolatry of Success

"We cannot build the kingdom of the God of truth on foundations of dishonesty. Yet in our craving for ‘success’ and ‘results’ we are tempted to sacrifice our integrity...Let us strive for a culture of full integrity and transparency. We will choose to walk in the light and truth of God, for the Lord tests the heart and is pleased with integrity."

Applications

--The Cape Town Commitment points out in many places the failure of the church, Christians, and Christian leaders to act with integrity. Give a specific, recent example of how this has happened and the consequences.
--How would you desicribe the components of "a full culture of integrity" as emphasized in the final excerpt above? List a few practical ways to help foster this culture.

Global Integrity 11

Pro-Integrity

Moral wholeness for a whole world

We cannot talk about corruption without also talking about its antidote: integrity.

Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Its opposite is corruption, the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the exploitation of people. Global integrity is moral wholeness at all levels in our world—from the individual to the institutional to the international. Global integrity is requisite for “building the future we want—being the people we need.” It is not easy, it is not always black and white, and it can be risky. These entries explore the many facets of integrity with a view towards the global efforts to promote sustainable development and wellbeing.

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Excerpt from the Global Declaration Against Corruption

(Anti-Corruption Summit: London 2016, 12 May 2016)

“Corruption is at the heart of so many of the world’s problems. We must overcome it, if our efforts to end poverty, promote prosperity and defeat terrorism and extremism are to succeed. Today’s Summit has demonstrated the deep commitment of a significant number of countries, businesses and members of civil society to work together to tackle this scourge. To do this we will build on and implement existing international agreements – but also go much further, making this a top priority at home and abroad and building capacity to tackle the problem. We commit to expose corruption wherever it is found, to pursue and punish those who perpetrate, facilitate or are complicit in it, to support the communities who have suffered from it, and to ensure it does not fester in our government institutions, businesses and communities. We will fulfil our shared commitment to ‘substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms’ [as stated in Sustainable Development Goal 16]."

Pro-integrity is a synonym for anti-corruption. It is also the antidote for corruption. It would be great if our anti-corruption efforts everywhere would include this term and prioritize it as a practice.

Corruption lies at the heart of every human (and not only at the heart of the world’s problems as per the quote above). This is a message that must be clearly acknowledged and shared. Without it, anti-corruption efforts miss the primary, predisposing, precipitating, and reinforcing causes of corruption. 

Likewise, the capacity for integrity resides in the heart of every human. This too must be emphasized. We cannot  talk about corruption without also talking about its antidote: integrity. To be anti-corruption is to be pro-integrity.

Watch the archive of the London Summit here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zsla0NoYXoM

Applications

--List a few ways to explicitly link pro-integrity with the anti-corruption discourse and efforts.

--How could this linkage be done in your settings and spheres of influence?

Global Integrity 8

Corruption Connections

Moral wholeness for a whole world

EXPOSED Campaign
Why can't Grace go to school?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=autlpiy2kE8

Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Its opposite is corruption, the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the exploitation of people. Global integrity is moral wholeness at all levels in our world—from the individual to the institutional to the international. Global integrity is requisite for “building the future we want—being the people we need.” It is not easy, it is not always black and white, and it can be risky. These entries explore the many facets of integrity with a view towards the global efforts to promote sustainable development and wellbeing.

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"The EXPOSED Campaign, a coalition of Christian groups and churches from over 150 nations seeking to shine a light on corruption, is now officially concluded! Over the past two years, EXPOSED campaigned on corruption issues in all aspects of public life. Over 250,000 people took part in actions across the world to expose unethical practice. We'd like to thank everyone who got involved and especially to the nearly 150,000 people who signed our Global Call against Corruption which was presented to the leaders of the world's major economies, the G20 at it's November 2014 meeting in Brisbane, which marked the conclusion of the EXPOSED campaign. And although the campaign itself may have ended, the work to 'shine a light' on corruption continues ... in the lives and witness of the many thousands across the world who caught the vision of EXPOSED!" (excerpt from Facebook, 23 December 2014)

Applications

--Summarize in one or two sentences why Grace can't go to school, as presented in the video.

--Are there any implications for your life and integrity? If so, list a few.
--How could you get more information about "corruption connections?"

Global Integrity 7

Anti-Integrity

Moral wholeness for a whole world

Transparency International

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43xUxOPxq3I

Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Its opposite is corruption, the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the exploitation of people. Global integrity is moral wholeness at all levels in our world—from the individual to the institutional to the international. Global integrity is requisite for “building the future we want—being the people we need.” It is not easy, it is not always black and white, and it can be risky. These entries explore the many facets of integrity with a view towards the global efforts to promote sustainable development and wellbeing.

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Corruption is the opposite of integrity.
It is moral decay. It is anti-integrity.
It’s not just them out there.
It is us. It’s time to wake up.

Applications

--Is corruption an all or noting thing, or is it on a continuum?
--Do we gradually slide into corruption or fall into it abruptly?

--How do we know if we are sleeping, or maybe even just sleepy, morally?
--How do people wake up? 

Global Integrity 5

Corporate Integrity

Moral wholeness for a whole world

Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness. Its opposite is corruption, the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the exploitation of people. Global integrity is moral wholeness at all levels in our world—from the individual to the institutional to the international. Global integrity is requisite for “building the future we want—being the people we need.” It is not easy, it is not always black and white, and it can be risky. These entries explore the many facets of integrity with a view towards the global efforts to promote sustainable development and wellbeing.

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The UN Global Compact

Establishing a Business Culture of Integrity

“The United Nations Global Compact is a United Nations initiative to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible policies, and to report on their implementation…Under the Global Compact, companies are brought together with UN agencies, labour groups and civil society. Cities can join the Global Compact through the Cities Programme. The UN Global Compact is the world's largest corporate sustainability(aka corporate social responsibility) initiative with 13000 corporate participants and other stakeholders over 170 countries with two objectives: "Mainstream the ten principles [see below] in business activities around the world" and "Catalyse actions in support of broader UN goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)"…The UN Global Compact…was officially launched at UN Headquarters in New York on July 26, 2000. (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Global_Compact)

The Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact

Corporate sustainability starts with a company’s value system and a principled approach to doing business. This means operating in ways that, at a minimum, meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Responsible businesses enact the same values and principles wherever they have a presence, and know that good practices in one area do not offset harm in another. By incorporating the Global Compact principles into strategies, policies and procedures, and establishing a culture of integrity [italics added for emphasis], companies are not only upholding their basic responsibilities to people and planet, but also setting the stage for long-term success.The UN Global Compact’s Ten Principles are derived from: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.

Human Rights

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and

Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Labour

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;

Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and

Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.

Environment

Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;

Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and

Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Anti-Corruption

Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. (Excerpt from the website: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles)

See also (opening image, above):

Global Compact for the 10th Principle Corporate Sustainability with Integrity: Organizational Change to Collective Action (English) “A collection of cases from Global Compact companies and stakeholders around the world illustrating anti-corruption implementation efforts and the related dilemmas organizations face.” (Excerpt from: https://www.unglobalcompact.org/library/151)

Applications

Integrity, and a culture of integrity, is needed to implement all 10 of the principles. How is such integrity cultivated, safeguarded, and evaluated? In what ways does integrity need to be personal and explicit in order for the Compact to be effective?