Skip to main content
Hello Visitor!     Log In
Share |

Report on Recent Events



ARTICLE |

Humanities and the Contemporary World, Podgorica, Montenegro: The past fivemonths have been among the most fruitful periods of activity for the World Academy inrecent memory. It commenced with the conference hosted by the Montenegrin Academy ofSciences and Arts and co-organized by WAAS on June 7-9, 2012, as reported in the Summer 2012 WAAS Newsletter. WAAS organized special sessions at the conference on two majorprograms of the Academy, Individuality and Limits to Rationality. Papers on Human Capitaland Individuality form the content for the first issue of Eruditio, the Academy’s new e-journal.Papers on Limits to Rationality will appear in the second issue of Eruditio due outin early 2013. A complete set of conference presentations, papers and photographs is nowavailable on the WAAS website.

First International Social Transformation Conference (ISTC) and the TESLA (The EarthSupreme Level Award) Conference, Split, Croatia: WAAS co-sponsored this major event onJuly 10-13, 2012, which is also reported in the WAAS Newsletter. The event featured about 80prominent economists, scientists and scholars from around the world, including eight WAASFellows, examining monetary systems and alternative monetary systems, particularly energycurrency. The nature and role of Money in social development have been recurring themes ofthe Academy’s activities over the past decade. Participants emphasized that economy, energyand governance are strongly interconnected, that current debt-based money based on myopicpolicies creates instabilities, destroys natural, human and social capital. The following is thefinal version of the ISTC Declaration. The conference also announced the establishment ofthe TESLA, an award for unrecognized genius, an initiative with momentous potential foraccelerating the development and recognition of human potential, as discussed in a Seed-Ideain this issue. The final Declaration of the Split conference is also included in this issue.

A Secure World Without Nuclear Weapons, Pugwash, Canada: One of the foundingobjectives of Cadmus is to promote closer cooperation between the World Academy andPugwash Conferences, two institutions which share common origins, goals and a significantoverlap in both founding and current membership. WAAS was represented at an importantinternational workshop organized by Canadian Pugwash on Aug 16-18, 2012. A report on theconference is appended.

From a Nuclear Test Ban to a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World, Astana, Kazakhstan:Four WAAS Fellows participated in this high level international conference in Astana onAugust 27-29, 2012 organized by the Government of Kazakhstan and the Parliamentariansfor Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) with the participation of about 100parliamentarians from around the world. The conference declaration calls for an unequivocalban on nuclear weapons testing and the total global abolition of nuclear weapons. This issueof Cadmus contains a report on the conference, “Stop the Insanity”, the final Declarationissued by PNND, and the announcement of the launching of “The Atom Project”, a veryimportant global initiative for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The 14th International Conference on Sustainable Development and Eco-innovation, Krakow, Poland: The World Academy also co-sponsored a conference organized by WAASFellow Jan Dobrowolski at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow onSeptember 6-8, 2012. Building on two of its core project themes, WAAS conducted a specialsession on the role of human capital and individuality in scientific discovery, technologicalinnovation, business and leadership.

The Dream of a Global Knowledge Society, Dubrovnik, Croatia: WAAS is extremelypleased to announce that it has been elected a member of the Inter-University Centre in Dubrovnik,Croatia, an organization which includes about 120 leading universities from aroundthe world among its members with the mission to promote international co-operation betweenacademic institutions throughout the world. WAAS was a co-sponsor of the international conferenceon education conducted at IUC on September 9th to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Theconference emphasized the critical linkage between education and employment and stressedthe need for cost-effective strategies to deliver higher education to hundreds of millions ofyouth in developing countries.

Nuclear Threats and Security, Dubrovnik, Croatia: On September 14-16, 2012, theAcademy conducted a high level international conference in collaboration with The EuropeanLeadership Network and the Dag Hammarskjöld University College of InternationalRelations and Diplomacy with sponsorship and participation from NATO. Thirty-eight delegates,including 13 WAAS Fellows, participated in two days of intensive discussion on issuesrelated to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, the legality of nuclear weapons andtheir use, illicit trade in nuclear materials, the dangers of nuclear terrorism, nuclear and cybersecurity.Ted Whiteside, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy,invited the organizers to prepare and present recommendations at a major NATO conferencein Split in Spring 2013. An article “Nuclear Threats and Security” presenting highlights ofthe conference is included in this issue. Papers, session summaries and video recordings ofthe major presentations can be found here.

European Forum for New Ideas 2012, Sopot, Poland: WAAS was a knowledge sponsorof a major international conference consisting of over 1300 delegates drawn primarily frombusiness and government. Five Fellows of the Academy participated and made presentationsin sessions focusing on the impact of demographic changes, employment challenges,innovation and energy. The conference concluded with the Sopot Declaration 2012 containingspecific recommendations to improve competitiveness, solidarity and quality of life inEurope.

The Power of Mind, Annual Meeting of the Club of Rome, Bucharest, Romania: Fortyyears after publishing its first Report on The Limits to Growth, the Club of Rome held itsAnnual Conference on October 1-2, 2012 in Bucharest, where it brought together some ofthe world’s thought leaders to debate the most pressing challenges of our time. Participantsincluded 19 WAAS Fellows. “The Power of Mind,” which follows, provides an overview ofthe conference.

RELATED TERMS: