Preamble

The foundation strives to provide material and ideational support to projects and persons that are committed to public welfare, i.e. preserving and promoting the basis for a good life.

All creatures in this world are related to each other and the natural and man-made environment in which they live in various ways. The quality of these relationships is a critical factor for the well-being or the destruction of the world and the destiny of each individual. Positive and negative changes in one area both do not have a limited or isolated impact but rather significant consequences in all other areas.

Accordingly scientific-technological and economic developments in industrial countries have caused fast and dramatic worldwide changes in the personal, social and ecological structure.

The increasing destruction of habitats, violent conflict resolution attempts, a loss of orientation in spite of abundant information, etc. show that an unilateral material and utilizing development lacks the qualitative correction of a reorientation to the fundamentals of a “good” life, i.e. those factors that enable a peaceful, meaningful and productive human coexistence in a global society and nature, the variety, beauty and fragile balance of which must be respected and protected.

This requires a common consent on basic values as voluntary guiding principles for responsible activities of individuals, groups and nations, including:

• Peaceableness and tolerance
• Equality and respect
• Consideration and empathy
• Openness to criticism and courage
• Creativity and imagination