Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

The Carnegie Council was founded in 1914 by Andrew Carnegie in New York City. Carnegie gathered together numerous religious leaders, scientists and politicians, and appointed them trustees of a new organization, the Church Peace Union (CPU). Carnegie hoped to create, with the religious and secular leaders, a new moral leadership to prevent armed conflict. The CPU was established shortly before the outbreak of World War I. The planned international inaugural meeting, on Lake Constance, could not take place due to the outbreak of war. First President of the CPU was William P. Merrill. The first activities of the organization were educational programs, calls for reductions in military spending and an end to military education in public schools.

After the declaration of war by the US President Woodrow Wilson in April 1917, which led to internal disputes within the CPU, the leadership of the organization concluded in December 1917, to stand behind Wilson and the USA’s involvement in the war. R Henry A. Atkinson was General Secretary of the CPU from 1918 to 1955.

Between the World Wars, the CPU worked towards strengthening the League of Nations and promoted the American influence to resolve international conflicts. At the same time, in the 1920s, they tried to prevent an international naval arms race, and fought against discrimination of Japanese Americans. During the Great Depression, the CPU called for stronger government interventions in the economy. During World War II, the CPU supported the American government in its efforts to establish the United Nations. After World War II, the CPU helped with the establishment of the United Nations and fought for the prevention of nuclear proliferation. From 1950 to 1985, the organization published the monthly magazine Worldview.[5][6]

In 1961, the CPU was renamed the “Council on Religion and International Affairs” (CRIA) and appointed William A. Loos as president in 1963. Loos had been executive director since 1955. CRIA focused its work on the study of moral dimensions of a wide range of issues, especially dangers of a crusading moralism in US foreign policy. In the 1960s and 1970s, CRIA was a strong supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and led open debates on the Vietnam War. In 1977, the Council put forth the “CRIA Distinguished Lectures on Ethics and Foreign Policy,” which was later renamed the “Morgenthau Memorial Lecture.”

Robert Myers became the new president of CRIA in 1980, which the defeat of Apartheid in South Africa began in the 1980s and 1990s. Throughout this time, the Council also led programs on environmental policy and bioethics.[5][6]

CRIA changed its name in 1986, to the “Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs” (CCEIA). Since 1987, the council published its quarterly scholarly journal, Ethics & International Affairs. Successor of Robert J. Myers as president in 1995 was Joel H. Rosenthal.[2] In the 2000s, after the attacks of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the CCEIA fought against cruel treatment and torture.[5][6]

Responding to the Rwandan and Balkans ethnic violence, the Council created the "History and the Politics of Reconciliation" program in 2000. It examined the role of history education in high schools and museums, the work of truth commissions and tribunals, and the challenges of overcoming religious divisions. The result was a series of case studies and conferences that encouraged interdisciplinary work in the field of historical memory.[7]

The current name, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, was given to the organization in 2005.[5]

• Ethics & International Affairs - a journal that coverscovers global justice, civil society, democratization, international law, intervention, sanctions, and related topics.
• Morgenthau Lectures - Named after international relations scholar Hans Morgenthau, this annual lecture series has speakers on ethics and international affairs."