Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

Carnegie Council convenes agenda-setting forums and creates educational opportunities and information resources for a global audience of international affairs professionals, educators, students, media, and the public. As an operating, rather than a grant-making foundation, the Council supports programs that it initiates and also works with partner organizations.^[6]

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Church Peace Union (CPU)

The Carnegie Council was founded in 1914 by Andrew Carnegie in New York City. Carnegie gathered 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. Rev. Dr. 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.^[1][2]

Council on Religion and International Affairs (CRIA)

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.^[1][2]

Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs (CCEIA)

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.^[3] In the 2000s, after the attacks of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the CCEIA fought against cruel treatment and torture.^[1][2]

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.^[4]

Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

The current name, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, was given to the organization in 2005. In 2008, Carnegie Council founded the Carnegie Ethics Studio^[7], which continues to produce podcasts, videos, and recordings of live events.

In 2014, the organization celebrated its 100^th anniversary by creating its “Ethics for a Connected World” initiative and launching the first-ever Global Ethics Day^[8]. In 2017, Carnegie Council began its Impact Initiatives, with the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G), the Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative (AIEI), and the Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC).

In 2023, the Carnegie Ethics Accelerator incubator initiative began, with a focus on finding ethical solutions to current issues in emerging technology. Also in 2023, the Council began to work more on ethical development of young leaders with the start of the Carnegie Ethics Fellows (CEF) program. In 2025, the Council launched the Next-Generation Leadership Initiative, which includes the Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice event series, an advisory board comprised of high school and university educators, and the Classroom Resources section of the Carnegie Council website. Additionally, in 2025, the Council began its flagship Values & Interests podcast and event series.

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Ethics & International Affairs

Published by Cambridge University Press, Ethics & International Affairs (EIA) is a quarterly academic journal that examines the intersection of moral issues and the international sphere.^[9] EIA publishes peer-reviewed articles, essays, and book reviews, and most issues have a special features section that focuses on a specific topic through a series of essays. EIA also has its own website and publishes shorter less academic articles through its Online Exclusives series. Started in 1987, it is currently publishing its 40th volume. The journal became open access in 2025. Joel Rosenthal, president of Carnegie Council, is editor-in-chief; Adam Read-Brown is executive editor; and Priya Chokshi is associate editor.^[10] EIA has published articles by Joe Nye, Michael Walzer,^[11] Seyla Benhabib, Mathias Risse, Neta Crawford, and G. John Ikenberry.

Carnegie Ethics Accelerator

The Carnegie Ethics Accelerator follows an incubator model and focuses on finding ethical solutions to societal challenges in the fields of public policy and emerging technology. Launched in 2023^[12], Carnegie Council convenes meetings with experts and then works to produce resources for practitioners addressing the specific issues. Past Accelerators have focused on climate change solutions in cities; artificial intelligence and public diplomacy; and the impact of data fusion on freedom, security, and human rights.

Values & Interests

Values & Interests is a podcast and event series focused on the ethical tensions and tradeoffs in decision-making in emerging technology, geopolitics, philosophy, business, and other topics in international relations. The podcast, hosted by Chief Public Affairs Officer Kevin Maloney,^[13] features a single guest from the world of international affairs discussing their personal ethical frameworks and how that informs how they operate in their career and approach questions about international affairs and geopolitics. Guests have included Mark Hertling, Virgina Dignum, Mathias Risse, Paul Poast, and Björn Holmberg. Public events have different moderators, including journalist Ann Curry, and have hosted expert panel discussions focused on nuclear ethics, artificial intelligence, and post-liberalism in the United States.

Ethics Empowered: Leadership in Practice

Part of Carnegie Council’s Next Generational Leadership Initiative, this public event series brings together scholars and practitioners to discuss ethical issues, reflect on their careers, and answer questions from students. This series started in 2025 and there have been events on peacekeeping, public health, artificial intelligence, and climate change and migration. There have been several different moderators for these discussions.

Carnegie Ethics Fellows

Also part of Carnegie Council’s Next Generation Leadership Initiative, this two-year cohort model, which started in 2023, is designed to develop young leaders focused on ethics in their professional lives. Fellows convene several times over two years, meeting with experts and Carnegie Council staff to discuss specific issues related to ethics and international affairs. They take part in public events at the Council, are interviewed about their backgrounds as part of the Spotlight Series, and, as a final project, collaborate to produce reports focused on finding ethical solutions to modern challenges and put together expert panels as part of a final symposium. There have been two cohorts of 10 to 15 Fellows since the initiative began.

Global Ethics Day

Started by Carnegie Council in 2014, Global Ethics Day is held on the third Wednesday of every October as an opportunity for individuals and organizations to reflect on the importance of ethics^[14] in everyday life. Global Ethics Day activities have been held in dozens of countries over the last 14 years, with hundreds of universities and schools, financial institutions, local governments, and thousands of individuals participating.^[15] Carnegie Council has held keynote events at the Global Ethics Hub in New York City and has facilitated meetings in the United States and around the world. In 2026, Global Ethics Day will take place on October 21.^[16]

Model International Mobility Convention (MIMC)^[17]

Led by Michael Doyle, University Professor in International Affairs, Law and Political Science at Columbia University, MIMC advocates for a better system for migration and mobility by addressing gaps in existing international law.^[18]

MIMC offers a comprehensive set of rules, outlining actions, rights, and duties that benefit both migrants and refugees as well as their states of origin, transit, and destination. An expert-written convention laying out these rules was first published in 2018.^[19] The Convention has been updated since 2018 and MIMC has held events at Carnegie Council and published papers and summaries of discussions.^[20]

Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative (AIEI)^[21]

This initiative lasted from 2019 to 2024 and through podcasts, articles, and convenings sought to understand the ways that artificial intelligence impacted equality, for better or worse. The initiative was led by scholars Anja Kaspersen and Wendell Wallace who also hosted the Artificial Intelligence & Equality Podcast. AIEI explored topics including artificial general intelligence, large machine learning, autonomous weapons systems, digital rights, and the governance of emerging technology.

Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative (C2G)^[22]

Through podcasts, articles, and public and private meetings, the Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative sought to catalyze the creation of effective governance for climate-altering technologies, in particular for solar radiation modification and large-scale carbon dioxide removal. The initiative lasted from 2016 to 2023 and was led by diplomat Janos Pasztor.

U.S. Global Engagement (USGE)^[23]

From 2008 to 2024, USGE worked to reshape discussions on U.S. foreign policy by highlighting ethical considerations. The program was led first by scholar David Speedie and then by U.S. Naval War College Professor Nikolas K. Gvosdev. The initiative published articles and held public and private convenings focused on the moral dimension of international relations with the goal of influencing policymakers. From 2020 to 2024, Gvosdev and Marymount Manhattan Professor Tatiana Serafin hosted the podcast The Doorstep, which featured interviews with policymakers, journalists, and international relations practitioners with the goal of showcasing how global news impacts your daily life.

Carnegie Council is mainly funded through an endowment from Andrew Carnegie. Other sources of funding come from grants, donations, and membership dues.

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As of 2018 the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs had Net Assets of $38,495,383.^[3]

Funding details

Funding details as of 2018:[3]

Revenue and support as of 2018: $2,515,770 Other Revenue (71.7%) Contributions, Gifts & Grants (25.0%) Membership Dues (3.30%)

Expenses as of 2018: $3,724,969 Programms (69.6%) Administratives (19.5%) Fundraising (10.9%)

Bjørn Lomborg Peter Singer Zbigniew Brzezinski Thomas Friedman Bernard Lewis William Kristol Michael Novak Richard Posner Kemal Derviş Lewis H. Lapham Paul Krugman Robert Reich Shirin Ebadi Jeffrey Sachs Anthony Lake Bruce Weinstein Mark Danner Baroness Emma Nicholson of Winterbourne Edward Luttwak Alain Juppé Mark Bowden

Ahmed Rashid Robert Drinan John Shattuck James Gustave (Gus) Speth Noah Feldman Jeremy Greenstock Jagdish Bhagwati Max Boot Natan Sharansky Cass Sunstein Lou Dobbs António Vitorino Robert Kagan Morton Halperin Bernard Kouchner Timothy Garton Ash Hilde Frafjord Johnson Kwame Anthony Appiah Gilles Kepel Jonathan Sacks Paul Kennedy

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