Nature so far, has been our enemy, now on it should become our friend. Alexander Von Humbolt

The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant. Maximillien Robespierre

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. Albert Einstein

The Greek founded World Philosophical Forum (2009) will conduct the 8th Dialectical Symposium (2-7 October, 2017). The Forum is an independent international non-governmental, non-profit organization, whose interests are to protect the interests of humanity and act on behalf of mankind in order to attain a better future for all Earthlings and their respective societies. Its motto and logo respectively, are philosophical ideas “educate, consolidate and help transform Humanity” into an integrated Earth XXI CITIZENSHIP with, wisdom and morality to improve Humanity. They are bridged by a pensive goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom, protectress of Athens and the Thinker, a statue of Rodin.

The World Philosophical Forum (WPF) is a relatively new international entity with thinking that emphasizes respect for human rights on Earth combined with a higher sense of individual and collective responsibility, education for all in order to realize the true values of a happy and peaceful life lived in dignity, peace and prosperity, and the Greek ideals of reason, wisdom, morality, responsibility and justice interwoven into the governance of politics and society. Its emergence is bound up in UNESCO’s slogan of building peace in the minds of men and women and a sense of peaceful coexistence.

UNESCO attempts to increase global awareness with slogans, strategies, specific actions, celebration and status reports: No UNESCO without Philosophy!; Strategy on Philosophy; World Philosophy Day (2005); Medium-term Strategy 2014 – 2021 (2012). In a world moving towards a catastrophic brink, further attempts were made by the UN to heal and restore, by embracing civic education while it calls on the peoples of the world to foster a greater sense of global citizenship.

The Athens Forum is one of the few platforms which unite THINKERS of the planet and where Humanity can be discussed theoretically and practically and solutions to Earth problems can be presented in parallel and irrespective of local (national) leaders’ interests. Of interest, is that 7 Board members of the WPF are recipients of the GUSI Peace Prize or Asian counterpart to the Nobel Peace Prize and that the Forum cooperates with and is supportive of UN-UNESCO. It is a Forum where ordinary and wiser men and women can help guide humanity and push society for more urgent action. It is a Forum that supports the need for a reinvigorated-reinforced and well-supported United Nations as a vital part of humanity’s real estate.

Significant findings and advice of the WPF are summarised in texts and resolutions disseminated to Global policy makers and interested people around the world through the international mass-media. Its platform also facilitates recall of important landmarks such as the still current UNDP Human security initiative (1994) a paradigm for a global understanding of vulnerabilities beyond national considerations and the notion that problems relating to global security can be solved by ensuring "freedom from want" and "freedom from fear" for all Earthlings. It also makes better known, important warnings and recommendations, regarding the challenges and problems faced by Humanity, including bad news: America’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord; good news: that the Montreal Protocol (1989) has contributed to a decline in US greenhouse gas emissions. It draws attention to alarm clocks and early warning systems such as that of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists whose doomsday clock is an indicator of the probability of a manmade global catastrophe. Today summer 2017 that Clock stands at two and a half minutes to midnight and close to catastrophe. Although disasters cause more damage than conflict, it is conflict that receives most financial support while public health, health disaster management and peace receive very little.

The WPF continues to reinvigorate the concept of global citizenship, promote civil lifelong education for all and reduce ignorance and corruption as a means of transforming the population on Earth into a well educated, enlightened and integrated body. In parallel it works to make planet Earth a more peaceful habitat by slowing down the ongoing onslaught to the environment. It believes that well promulgated efforts can add momentum to the United Nations Global Development Goals of Humanity in the 21st century, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals as well as add support to UNESCO’s Medium-Term Strategy (2014 – 2021). Both UNESCO and the WPF are closely linked to philosophy, which gives meaning to life and they promote a critically questioning mode.

The WPF is known for its annual autumn meetings in Athens, Greece, bringing together Earth thinkers, philosophers, intellectuals and scholars and world citizens to discuss the most pressing issues facing humanity. It is a pressure point for improvement of human culture and education within the spirit of ancient Greece and usually presided over by Academician Evanghelos A. Moutsopoulos, WPF Honorary President. The event assumes the format of a think tank and aims to revive the Dialectical Symposia, in the tradition of ancient Greece, and is equal in importance to the Olympic Games.

The 8th Dialectical Symposium (2-7 October, 2017) will consider how to improve life globally through practical philosophy as well as revisit an urgent appeal tabled in 2016. It will be transacted within the University of Athens, Athens City Cultural Center and the Academic Club “Kostis Palamas” and be addressed by the Vice Rector, Konstantinos Bourazelis.

New subjects will be introduced one being Consciology (Sinidesiology), a new science offering new insights and a deeper understanding of consciousness, considered as the highest level of brain development. In addition the agenda will examine a developing theory termed social dementia as a model to better comprehend the global problem space in which we live. It revolves around four indicators relating to both societies and individuals, namely IQ (cognitive, behavioural), societal reflexes as a measure of response to danger, professionalism within a scientific culture and the level of consciousness with which problems are defined. Tests of this theory might include Harvey (USA) and a recent oil spill (Greece). One movement within the WPF is to seek the annulment of the Edict of Justinian (529). Others topics include the current health status of Greece with its burden of austerity, migration and terrorism as well as Greece as a force for world culture. On a continuing agenda a specific proposal will be put forth to all fighting parties in the Middle East to halt the current barbaric situation.

Additional issues are the need for universal socialization, the struggle against societal dementia based on civic education and the consideration of a Universal constitution for the Earth. It will take place as the world faces imminent threats to life on earth a few minutes before midnight and 75 years since Enrico Fermi triggered a controlled self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction.

One outcome of the 8th Dialectical Symposium will be an appraisal of what government and the international community as well as all high profile citizens can do better to alleviate all present dangers. Doing nothing in the shadow of a nuclear nightmare, is not an option.

The 8th Symposium follows on from a rare total solar eclipse that cut a swath across the continental U.S. to plunge a large geographic area into two minutes of sequential darkness. The Forum will help shine more light at a time when people everywhere, desperately cry out for something new to be done, here and now. They demand an end to the accumulating misery of mankind, indiscriminate killing of civilian populations and senseless loss of life in the Mediterranean. We are hopeful that the gentle beams spilling from the eye of the WPF will illuminate a path for politics and a route in the direction of survival for mankind on earth.

With this in mind the 8th Dialectical Symposium will close with urgent statements that include an appeal and proposal to all fighting parties in the Middle East to end conflict. The World Philosophical Forum proposes that Peace should be negotiated in the sacred place of Delphi, Greece, and the agreement signed in the Old Hellenic Parliament, Athens of modern Greece.

References
Steven V. Roy (Vice President WPF), Brief Profile World Philosophical Forum, Athens 2016.
Timi Ecimovic, Igor Kondrashin, The Philosophy of the Citizens of the Earth XXI. Igor Kondrashin is president of WPF.
Timi Ecimovic, Nature 2017 www.institut-climatechange.si; www.glob-use.org
Timi Ecimovic, Raoul Weiler Philosophical Essay on Homo Technicus.
Timi Ecimovic Philosophy of Life 2017 reports on contemporary knowledge and understanding of the present.
Timi Ecimovic, John Avery, Leo Semashko: The climate change system, 2017, www.peacefromharmony.org
www.youtube.com Thanatia presents cradle-to-cradle view of the Earth's abiotic resources and assessing impact of their depletion.
European Center Peace Development. Declaration on Implementation of the Human Security Concept in the Balkan Region, 2010.
Skopje Declaration on Public Health, Peace and Human Rights 2001 Croatian MJ, 2001.
Nicholas Hagger. The Secret Founding of America: The Real Story of Freemasons, Puritans, and the Battle for The New World.
The Secret American Destiny: The Hidden Order of The Universe and The Seven Disciplines of World Culture.