The Ethics in Action program was designed to give youth a space to discuss current global and local events and instill a greater awareness of themselves, of others and of the effects of human action on community life. In both formal and more informal settings, participants are encouraged to engage in constructive dialogue to understand and rather than debate points to “win”.

The Ethics Cafes began out of a craving students had to have conversations that were meaningful and challenging. The Global Education thus helped design a framework to provide an informal space where weekly topics can be discussed, after a short primer on philosophical concepts each week that help the youth to articulate their perspectives and learn skills. The direction and focus of the topics driven by the participants and are always entertaining, insightful and absorbing.

The Ethics in Action Conference was started in 2008 in partnership with the Canadian Center for Ethics in Public Affairs with funding from the Nova Scotia Youth Secretariat and is organized and coordinated by the Global Education Association. The one day conference brings participants from several youth organizations and schools in Nova Scotia’s South Shore region together in a formal setting to hear speakers give talks on ethics in business, journalism, environment, international development and putting ethics into practice. The day is capped with breakout sessions lead by university students to develop strategies for engaging youth in ethical actions in their daily lives.

If you would like more information contact us for more details, support running your own Ethics in Action activities in your community. In the near future we will be providing weekly primers for Ethics Cafes, making it quick and easy to get started.