The Appeal of Conscience Foundation

The Appeal of Conscience Foundation is a New York-based interfaith organization founded in 1965 by Rabbi Arthur Schneier. It brings together religious leaders, senior business figures, diplomats, and government officials around the principles of religious liberty, democracy, human rights, tolerance, and peaceful conflict resolution. Although it is described as a foundation rather than a consumer-facing brand, its public identity is built around international advocacy, high-level dialogue, delegations, conferences, declarations, and an annual awards program. The organization’s central premise is that freedom, democratic institutions, and respect for human rights provide the strongest foundation for peace, security, and shared prosperity. Its work is explicitly interfaith and international. Delegations associated with the foundation have engaged religious and political leaders in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, the former Soviet sphere, and the United States. It has also hosted foreign religious and diplomatic visitors in the United States to discuss the role of religion in American civic life and pluralistic society. A recurring theme in the foundation’s public messaging is opposition to the misuse of religion to justify violence. Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, it encouraged religious leaders to condemn terrorism and use their influence to oppose violence and promote tolerance. Its initiatives have included peace and tolerance conferences, declarations concerning the Balkans and Caucasus, advocacy concerning the desecration of holy sites, statements on Darfur, and cooperation with other religious organizations on the protection of sacred places. The foundation’s most visible institution is its annual awards dinner and the World Statesman of the Year Award. Recipients have included national leaders such as Mario Draghi, Shinzo Abe, Lee Hsien Loong, François Hollande, David Cameron, Enrique Peña Nieto, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Stephen Harper, Nicolas Sarkozy, José María Aznar, and Jean Chrétien. Business and civic award recipients have included executives and leaders connected with Coca-Cola, LVMH, General Electric, Nokia, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Hewlett-Packard, and Blackstone, as well as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. These events give the foundation access to influential political, commercial, and religious networks and provide a platform for its messages on pluralism and international cooperation. The Appeal has also faced criticism over the political judgments implied by its honors. The 2013 World Statesman Award to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono prompted objections from human-rights advocates and minority representatives, who argued that his administration had failed to protect Ahmadiyya and Shi'a Muslims and Christians and had been associated with serious abuses in West Papua. Critics petitioned the foundation to withdraw the award and questioned whether the organization’s honors prioritized access and publicity over consistent accountability on religious freedom. The controversy remains an important part of the foundation’s public record, even as the organization continues to present itself as a forum for interfaith diplomacy and conflict prevention.

Rabbi Arthur Schneier established the Appeal of Conscience Foundation in 1965 as an interfaith partnership intended to connect religious and business leaders with officials involved in international affairs. Its founding concept treated religious liberty, democracy, and human rights as mutually reinforcing conditions for peace and security. Rather than operating primarily through local congregations or direct humanitarian services, the organization developed a model based on convening influential people, conducting international delegations, issuing declarations, and encouraging religious leaders to oppose intolerance and political violence. Over time, the foundation’s activities expanded across Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet republics, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. It held meetings with religious and governmental leaders in countries including Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Bulgaria, China, Cuba, El Salvador, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the former Yugoslavia. It also brought overseas diplomatic and clerical groups to the United States to examine religious life and pluralism in American society. The Balkans and surrounding regions became important settings for the foundation’s peace-and-tolerance work. Its documented initiatives included the 1992 Bern Declaration for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 1994 Bosphorus Declaration, the 1995 Vienna Declaration, a 1998 joint declaration involving religious leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the 1999 Kosovo Peace and Tolerance Vienna Declaration. These efforts reflected the foundation’s preference for religious dialogue and elite-level diplomacy as tools for reducing ethnic and sectarian conflict. Its agenda later incorporated broader international crises and threats to sacred places. The foundation called for an end to the desecration of holy sites in a 2000 initiative presented to the United Nations, issued a call for action on Darfur in 2005, and organized a second peace and tolerance conference in the same year focused on dialogue and understanding in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. After the September 11 attacks, it intensified its appeal to religious leaders to condemn terrorism and reject violence committed in the name of religion. The annual awards dinner became the foundation’s principal public-facing institution. The World Statesman of the Year Award recognized heads of government and other political leaders, while the Appeal of Conscience Award recognized corporate figures and civic leaders. Among the documented honorees were Spanish prime minister José María Aznar, German banker Josef Ackermann, Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, French president Nicolas Sarkozy, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, General Electric chief executive Jeffrey Immelt, Coca-Cola chairman Muhtar Kent, LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, British prime minister Gordon Brown, Australian prime minister John Howard, Nokia chairman Jorma Ollila, HSBC chairman John Bond, Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien, Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, British prime minister David Cameron, French president François Hollande, Singaporean prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, and Henry Kissinger. The foundation’s reputation has nevertheless been contested. Its 2013 decision to honor Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was criticized because of allegations that his government had failed to protect religious minorities and had overseen grave abuses in West Papua. More than 10,000 people were reported to have signed petitions urging the award’s withdrawal. Critics argued that the honor undermined the foundation’s stated commitment to religious freedom and suggested that its relationship-building model could privilege prominent political figures over victims of persecution. The organization continued its interfaith and diplomatic work, including a 2019 cooperation agreement with the Muslim World League concerning the protection of religious sites.

• 2019

  Agreement with the Muslim World League

  [2]Appeal of Conscience Foundation official websiteappealofconscience.org

  The organizations agreed to cooperate on protecting religious sites worldwide.

• 2005

  Peace and Tolerance II conference

  [2]Appeal of Conscience Foundation official websiteappealofconscience.org

  The foundation issued a declaration centered on dialogue and understanding in Southeast Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia.

• 2000

  Call to stop desecration of holy sites

  [2]Appeal of Conscience Foundation official websiteappealofconscience.org

  A foundation delegation took a call concerning the protection of holy sites to the United Nations.

• 1995

  Vienna Declaration

  [2]Appeal of Conscience Foundation official websiteappealofconscience.org

  A declaration was signed at an Appeal of Conscience conflict-resolution conference.

• 1992

  Bern Declaration for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  [2]Appeal of Conscience Foundation official websiteappealofconscience.org

  The foundation recorded a declaration supporting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• 1965

  Foundation established

  [1]Appeal of Conscience Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Rabbi Arthur Schneier founded the Appeal of Conscience Foundation as an interfaith initiative linking religious and corporate leaders around peace, tolerance, and conflict resolution.

A high-level interfaith diplomacy and advocacy organization positioned at the intersection of religious freedom, international conflict resolution, human rights, business leadership, and government relations.

• Awards program

  World Statesman of the Year Award

  The foundation’s best-known award recognizes prominent national leaders for contributions framed around international statesmanship, peace, tolerance, or cooperation. Recipients have included heads of government from Europe, Asia, North America, and Latin America.

• Awards program

  Appeal of Conscience Award

  An award presented to business and civic leaders associated with the foundation’s themes of ethical leadership, international understanding, and support for pluralism.

• International dialogue · 1965

  Interfaith delegations and conferences

  The foundation organizes or supports meetings among religious leaders, government officials, diplomats, and business figures. These engagements address religious freedom, ethnic conflict, terrorism, tolerance, protection of sacred places, and democratic values.

• 2013

  Controversy over Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono award

  The foundation’s selection of Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for its World Statesman of the Year Award generated substantial criticism. Human-rights activists, academics, and representatives of persecuted minorities argued that his administration had not adequately protected Ahmadiyya and Shi'a Muslims or Christians and associated him with serious abuses in West Papua. Petitions calling for withdrawal of the award reportedly attracted more than 10,000 signatures.

  Source

Read more

• 2019Religious-sites protection partnership

  International

  The foundation and the Muslim World League agreed to coordinate efforts to protect religious sites.

  Outcome. The agreement established a cooperation framework; subsequent results are not specified.

  Source
• 2005Call for Action on Darfur

  Sudan · International

  The foundation issued a call urging action concerning the Darfur crisis.

  Outcome. Specific policy results are not stated in the available source material.

  Source
• 1999Kosovo Peace and Tolerance Vienna Declaration

  Kosovo · Western Balkans

  The foundation participated in a Vienna declaration focused on peace and tolerance in Kosovo, with involvement from the Albanian-American Civic League.

  Outcome. The declaration served as a public diplomatic statement; no independently measured outcome is provided.

  Source
• 1994Bosphorus Declaration

  Turkey · Southeast Europe

  A declaration signed at an Appeal of Conscience conference on peace and tolerance.

  Outcome. The available material records the declaration but does not quantify its results.

  Source
• 1992Bern Declaration for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina

  Bosnia and Herzegovina · Europe

  A declaration associated with the foundation’s peace and interfaith diplomacy efforts during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

  Outcome. The declaration documented a public appeal for peace; broader impact is not specified in the available material.

  Source

• 2019

  Enter cooperation agreement with the Muslim World LeagueM&A

  Background

  The foundation sought to coordinate with another major religious organization on the protection of religious sites.

  Action taken

  It signed a cooperation agreement with the Muslim World League.

  Aftermath

  The agreement broadened the foundation’s institutional network around religious-site protection; later outcomes are not specified.

  Source

• 2013

  Proceed with the Yudhoyono World Statesman awardOther

  Background

  The foundation selected Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for its annual statesmanship award despite public criticism concerning religious-minority protections and the situation in West Papua.

  Action taken

  The award was granted rather than withdrawn after petitions and criticism urged the foundation to reconsider.

  Aftermath

  The decision became the foundation’s most prominent reputational controversy, with critics questioning the consistency of its stated religious-freedom mission.

  Source

1. 1Appeal of Conscience Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Appeal of Conscience Foundation official websiteappealofconscience.org