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Almaty Conference Highlights Key Aspects of New Development Paradigm | |||||||
The current socio-economic paradigm is unsustainable. The world urgently needs a new paradigm. The increasing speed and complexity of global challenges do not mean they are insoluble. Challenges can be converted into opportunities by leveraging the pressure and urgency of our problems to reject outmoded ideas, ineffective institutions and fragmented policies and replace them with more effective approaches. Our problems are symptoms of the urgent need for a human-centered, value-driven, integrated, trans-disciplinary approach. Galimkair Mutanov
Reflecting on this theme, the Academy, the World University Consortium and the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University collaborated in partnership with leading international institutions and universities to examine core elements of an alternative paradigm. “New Paradigm of Sustainable Human Development: G-Global – a new form of global dialogue” was convened at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) in Almaty, Kazakhstan on November 5-7, 2014 in association with Club of Rome, European Movement International, Green Cross International, Institute for Cultural Diplomacy, Partnership for Change and other organizations. Galimkair Mutanov, Rector of KazNU and newly elected Fellow of WAAS, hosted and inaugurated the conference. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev sent a personal message to the conference calling for creation of a truly inclusive global dialogue – G-Global – on solutions to the problems confronting humanity. |
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kazakh Senate and former Director General of the United Nations at Geneva, called for a comprehensive strategy encompassing wealth distribution, social well-being, compliance with international living standards, the rule of law and respect for human rights and freedoms. He outlined ten principles for the new paradigm, including a shift in emphasis from quantitative growth to quality of life, environmental preservation as a prerequisite for sustainable human development, the central role of human capital in sustainable development, the need to bridge the social inequalities gap at the global level, priority attention to unemployment, respect for cultural polycentricity, creation of a global security environment based on nuclear disarmament, education and social justice as counter measures to extremism, and domestic stability through a democratic framework. The conference included four trans-disciplinary, interrelated tracks exploring the interactions and interdependence between governance, international security, human rights, and law; economy, finance and employment; education and human development; and energy, resources and climate. Heitor Gurgulino de Souza described education as humanity’s foremost instrument for conscious social evolution and called for a new paradigm in education. “A new paradigm in human development must be founded upon a new paradigm in education.” Welcoming collaboration with participating partner organizations, he stressed the imperative need for like-minded organizations dedicated to the same goals and values to combine their complementary capabilities to evolve the new paradigm at the level of theory, institutional and policy reform, and public action. |
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ALMATY CONFERENCE Future Visions UPCOMING EVENTS BAKU, AZERBAIJAN: April 29-30, 2015 |
WAAS-WUC COURSES, DUBROVNIK Individuality & Transdisciplinarity BOSNIA CONFERENCE |
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Ivo Šlaus traced the history of paradigmatic changes in the natural sciences and called for a similar breakthrough in the socio-economic-political thought and system as well. “We are witnessing unprecedented destruction of both human and natural capital that must and can be reversed.” Human centered paradigm means shifting the emphasis from growth, technology and money to human resourcefulness and ingenuity. “We are subject to severe physical barriers but there are no inherent limits to human creativity and social innovation.” Garry Jacobs emphasized the need for a change in mindset – for a shift from linear to ecological thinking that is systematic and integrated. A new paradigm needs to replace the plutocracy of rule by money power with truly representative democracy driven by tolerance, human rights, dignity, harmony and equality at both the national and international level. It needs to realign financial markets to serve the real economy and redirect economic growth to maximize the welfare and well-being of all humanity. Employment must be recognized as a fundamental human right. “In today’s highly structured society, access to remunerative employment opportunities is the economic equivalent of the right to vote in democracy.” Momir Djurovich emphasized that the relationship between human capital and natural capital will be a crucial determinant of humanity’s future existence. Human capital needs to be informed and directed to address the challenges to natural capital. The power of human capital comes from human energy, as Winston Nagan explained. Human energy is unleashed when the capacities of the individual are developed and when a social milieu of freedom and associated human rights creates opportunities for its self-expression. |
Unleashing human energy generates curiosity, initiative, innovation, and creativity. Interactions and organized relationships between human beings are the source of social capital, which is another unlimited resource. The outcome of these interactions depends on how social power is exercised and distributed. The more widely power is distributed in society, the greater the participation, contribution, productivity of its members and the greater the overall results in promoting human welfare and well-being. Emil Constantinescu stressed the need to redefine higher education. “Human values must be central to the education system. Universities, as pillars of democracy and citadels of science, have a crucial role to play in reinventing the system.” “We live in a special transition period,” Alexander Likhotal observed. “We are now in a radically new reality, both individually and collectively. Change is not just mere theory. It is asine qua non for our very survival.” Steps toward a new paradigm need to be grounded in a realistic assessment of past performance, present challenges and future opportunities. Bob Berg emphasized that there are a great many doable changes that public institutions could institute that would result in considerable headway in better managing key national and global challenges. “It is time when Big Opportunities and Big Solutions can and should be seriously considered.” He stressed the fact that the Millennium Development Goal to reduce the number of people living in absolute poverty should be reduced from 3 billion to 1.5 billion by 2015 was actually met in 2010, due to terrific growth in China, India and many other countries. The conference reaffirmed the conviction that a comprehensive, integrated strategy can be formulated and implemented to address all the pressing challenges confronting humanity today. As US President John F. Kennedy said a half century earlier, problems created by man can be solved by man. |
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The current paradigm is characterized by increasing levels of interconnectivity, complexity and uncertainty. Far more than in previous decades, interdependence links the destinies of countries, sectors, organizations, individuals and events; complexity and uncertainty pose serious challenges to global society. Growing interconnectivity is increasing the complexity of forces and undermining the effectiveness of fragmented national, sectoral and piecemeal theories, institutions and public policies. They combine to magnify uncertainty, instability and the need for integrated ideas and comprehensive strategies. Yet uncertainty is merely the flip-side of freedom from past determinations and limitations. It is also a symbol of untapped potential and unprecedented opportunity waiting to be developed. For this reason also a new paradigm is of paramount importance. The Almaty Conference urged for the implementation of a new human-centered paradigm at the level of ideas and theories, policies, public awareness, social initiative and innovation. P. Bhargava, A. Koniuszewski & C. Chakrabarti
The Conference examined deep drivers that both compel and facilitate movement toward a new paradigm. Four interrelated social forces were identified as of critical importance to the transition – education, human rights and democracy, interconnectivity and rising aspirations. Stressing the importance of value-based education, Galimkair Mutanov observed: “Education enhances the freedom to choose – the most important choice is the choice of values”. Alberto Zucconi emphasized the need for a shift in education from passive to active learning, from training the mind to educating the whole personality of the individual. Roberto Peccei highlighted the problem of academic relevance to societal needs, due to the “mismatch between the vertical structure of universities and horizontal nature of social issues.” Economic theory must be reoriented to serve social needs as Yehuda Kahane pointed out. “We need a new theoretical framework.” Pushpa Bhargava called for re-evaluating the content of education to ensure its relevance. Chandana Chakrabarti illustrated the enormous scope for raising the quality and quantity of education and training at all levels. Robert Berg stressed the need for education in the widest sense that includes lifelong learning and public awareness. Freedom and human rights are essential conditions for development of independent thinking, innovation and creativity. Without them true learning and development cannot take place. Education without freedom is merely indoctrination. |
Democracy is another powerful deep driver for paradigm change. But democracy becomes an effective instrument of development only when it is founded on universal human values. Democracy without liberalism is the tyranny of an élite or the tyranny of the majority. Democracy dominated by money power is plutocracy, as Winston Nagan emphasized. So too there can be no true democracy in a country with nuclear weapons where the destiny of the nation lies in the hands of a few individuals empowered to act without consulting the people. Liberal democracy matures and becomes truly effective only when it gives rise to a culture of peace in which inclusive, universal values and a deep sense of individual responsibility are internalized by individual citizens rather than imposed by law or rule.
Increasing interconnectivity is a third powerful driver toward a new paradigm. Relationship is a powerful catalyst for social change. The growing reach, scope and positive intensity of human relationships are the basis for all human progress – political, economic, intellectual and cultural. Knowledge results from exchange of ideas. Wealth is created by the exchange of products and services. Growing interconnectivity at the international level is a powerful instrument for peaceful collective evolution toward a truly global, inclusive cooperative security system. A revolution of rising expectations is the fourth deep driver. What began as a call for freedom in Europe at the time of the French Revolution has spread globally as an intense aspiration for peace and security, education and prosperity, welfare and well-being for all humanity. Rising aspirations are particularly evident in the BRICS and other emerging developing countries, but the signs of awakening energies are evident almost everywhere as an incessant urge for change capable of toppling unresponsive governments and ushering in radical change. The challenge humanity faces today is how to harness the enormous power of these and other deep drivers to brush aside outmoded ideas and superstitions, ineffective institutions and vested interests to promote progress toward an inclusive, equitable and sustainable paradigm. As Tibor Tóth suggested, we need disruptive institutions and ideas. Rising above conformity and conventions is never easy; only the brave dare attempt it. We have to stop clinging to outmoded beliefs and ideas. Destroying old organizations is inevitable. Crises are opportunities.
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Participants of the international conference “New Paradigm of Sustainable Human Development. G-Global – A New Form of Global Dialogue” held at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Almaty, Kazakhstan), 5-7 November 2014, supporting the decision of the previous conferences at the United Nations (Geneva), the Library of Alexandria, the World Academy of Sciences (Trieste), the Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (Podgorica), University of California at Berkeley, Washington, Ottawa, and Nizami Ganjavi International Center (Baku) on the multidimensional global crises confronting humanity today, and aware of the urgent need to revise the existing development paradigm by joint efforts and to create more effective mechanisms for the implementation of the concept of sustainable development, adopt this resolution with the following provisions:
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Declaration of Human Responsibilities
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Click here for conference videos on the Track Sessions and Plenary Session Reports on: Deep Drivers & Barriers to Paradigm Change Opportunities & Solution |
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Invitation to Participate
International Conference on Toward a Human-centered Development Paradigm – Institutional Change April 29-30, 2015, in BAKU, Azerbaijan The accelerated pace of change in the global economic, political, technological, scientific, social and environmental spheres, growing complexity of the interactions and increasing integration of inter-dependencies between these spheres present unparalleled challenges to human security, welfare and well-being. Persistent poverty combined with rising levels of unemployment, inequality, social unrest, armed conflict, resource depletion and climate instability are symptomatic. These challenges have defied solution by piecemeal, sectoral strategies based on existing concepts and national level policy initiatives. The current paradigm is destroying natural, human and social capitals and obstructing the evolution of essential institutions for global governance and human welfare. A change of course is essential. Faulting current approaches has so far proven insufficient to bring about a significant change in thinking and action. The potential upside of alternative futures has not been sufficiently documented or projected. The call for a fundamental paradigm change is now accepted by many leading thinkers and institutions, but the precise nature of the change required and the process by which it can be brought about are yet to be defined. A comprehensive strategy is needed to substantiate that practical and effective solutions are possible to successfully address global challenges, backed by quantified research and reliable measures of the desired outcomes. Over the past two years, the World Academy has organized a series of conferences at the United Nations in Geneva, Library of Alexandria, World Academy of Sciences (Trieste), Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (Podgorica), University of California at Berkeley, Washington DC, Ottawa, Baku and Almaty on solutions to the current global crises. These meetings have involved a detailed exploration of the limitations of current theory and public policy and formulation of a broad approach to develop a viable alternative paradigm. In addition WAAS and Club of Rome have been individually and collectively engaged in examining core elements of New Economic Theory and formulation of a trans-disciplinary science of human development. The conference will discuss a draft report and formulate action plans for implementing ideas proposed in earlier conferences organised by WAAS, Club of Rome, Green Cross International, Nizami Ganjavi International Center, Partnership for Change, World Future Council, World University Consortium and other consortium partners. The focus of this conference will be on institutional change and governance issues needed to promote economic, political, social and ecological security. The conference to be held on April 29-30, 2015, in BAKU, Azerbaijan will create an action plan for implementing ideas proposed during the Almaty conference organised by the Academy, the World University Consortium and the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. For more information, click here. |
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XII International Colloquium on Visions of Sustainable Development: Theory and Action Florida, USA, May 20-22, 2015 This colloquium will encourage contributions about alternative visions of sustainable development and explore alternative economic theories that more effectively translate economic activity into sustainable models of economic security and equitable development for humanity as a whole. It will examine current concepts and premises in the light of the rapid and radical changes that have transformed economic activity. It will look at the changes since the period in which most prevalent concepts were formulated to assess their relevance to the knowledge based globalized service economy emerging in the 21st century. Additionally, it will examine the need for formulation of value-based trans-disciplinary science of society that effectively integrates economics with politics, law, society, culture and ecology. Special emphasis will be placed on the challenges confronted by states in transition. Authors are requested to submit their articles on or before February 28, 2015. Please send in your papers to Professor Winston Nagan ([email protected]) and Professor Ricardo Araújo ([email protected]). For more information, click here. |
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Call for Abstracts & Session Proposals
First International Conference on Anticipation Trento, Italy, November 5-7, 2015 The Anticipation conference is organized by The UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems, together with the World Academy of Art and Science, International Society for the Systems Sciences, the Advanced Design Network, and the Department of Sociology and Social Sciences of the University of Trento. Anticipation is coming to the fore as an emerging field of study that is influencing a wide variety of disciplines. This international conference will explore the interaction among anticipation, uncertainty and complexity. Some questions that we intend to raise are these: When does anticipation occur in behavior and life? What types of anticipation can be distinguished? What structures and processes are necessary for anticipatory action? How can anticipation be modeled? A better and more complete understanding of anticipation and its effects will improve theories and models of individual and collective human behavior and its consequences. The ability to anticipate in complex environments may improve the resilience of societies facing threats from a global proliferation of agents and forces by articulating uncertainties through anticipatory processes. The Program Committee invites proposals for dedicated sessions to be organized within the main conference. We invite proposals exploring theoretical and operational issues concerning Anticipation. Multidisciplinary sessions will be particularly welcome. Please send us your session proposal ideas before 15 December 2014. The Program Committee also invites proposals for contributions to be held within the main conference or within thematic sessions. Please send a one-page abstract to [email protected] before 15 April 2015. To know more about the conference, please click here. |
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Two graduate level seminar courses were organized by the World Academy of Art & Science and the World University Consortium at the Inter-University Centre, Dubrovnik, Croatia, on August 25-30, 2014 and September 1-6, 2014. Course on Individuality and Accomplishment The course on ‘Individual Accomplishment, Growth & the Character of Life in Management, History, Literature, and Psychology,’ explored the role of the individual in the development of society, elucidated the characteristics of true individuals, the source of their power for accomplishment and the process by which they act as catalysts of social innovation. While the presentation was academic, the objective was to impart original insights and practical knowledge for personal growth and individuation. WAAS Fellows Janani Harish, Garry Jacobs, Ljudmila Popovich and Alberto Zucconi taught the course. |
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High Achieving Individuals
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Challenges are Opportunities
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Dimensions of Society & Individual Life
“Self-actualised individuals are very creative; focused on finding solutions to cultural problems rather than just concentrating on personal problems; open to others’ opinions and ideas; have a strong sense of autonomy, human values and appreciation of life.” |
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Personal Achievement and Self-realization
“Nothing in the universe can be still. Everything moves and vibrates. Everything is a Vibration. Nothing is wasted. Energy is never lost, only transformed. As energy, we never cease. Every position, life form is an invaluable perspective that adds to the collective knowledge and evolution. Divisions, contrasts, oppositions are means by which we make distinctions and refine our directions, desires, aspirations, and choices.” |
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Toward a Transdisciplinary Science of Society The course “Toward a Transdisciplinary Science of Society,” was a creative endeavor to look beyond the boundaries fixed by existing concepts, theories and disciplines in an effort to make more explicit the linkages and interdependencies between different fields of social activity, to develop common terminology, to identify common underlying social processes applicable to all fields and levels of society, and to examine the prospects and requirements for evolving a trans-disciplinary science of society. 10 faculty members taught the course including WAAS Fellows Zbigniew Bochniarz, Janani Harish, Garry Jacobs, Ian Johnson, Winston Nagan, Roberto Poli, Ivo Šlaus and Alberto Zucconi. |
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Human Capital
“Society now exhibits the apparent capacity to leapfrog in a single generation from riding llamas to flying in airplanes, from bullock carts to cell phones, from the age of primitive agriculture to advanced ICT-based services.” |
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Trans-disciplinarity in the Social Sciences
“The evolution of an increasingly complex, highly integrated global society necessitates the development of a more comprehensive and integrated science of society.” |
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Social Capital
“Social Development means a human-centered development process that aims at higher standards of life, more empowerment, greater creativity and satisfaction.” |
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Social, Political, Constitutive Process
“Social process starts with the individual human being. Rosa Parks, a black woman, came from a group largely disenfranchised. Her claim to power came when she refused to be seated in the back of a bus. In many ways, this single act was a launching pad for the modern civil rights movement in the United States to have segregation dismantled.” |
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Fragmented knowledge is a form of disempowerment
“Person Centered Approaches are holistic approaches focused on health rather than illness; empowering rather than imposing standardized solutions. They promote the development of potentialities of individuals, groups and organizations through the process of making them responsible for what they do, rather than encouraging passivity and dependency in society.” |
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Complex Systems in the Social Sciences
“The present is where the forces of the past and the future meet. If we are blind to the future, we fail to understand the present. Also, we fail to see that the present is already future-bound.” |
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Society & Social Power
“Society is a complex living network of organized relationships between people, with immense power for accomplishment.” |
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New Economic Theory
“We are simply not creating the number of jobs we need or the work we need for the people we have on the planet. Our economics should have been working towards ensuring a world full of work. The lowest social capital is often in the places where the people are unemployed.” |
New Economic Theory – Discussion
“What we have is a systemic challenge; what we need is a systemic solution. What we get all the time is a sectoral solution.” For more information, click here |
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Redesigned WAAS Homepage
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Whole-of-University Approach to Promotion of
From left to right: Juan José Casares Long, Tomas Bokström, Lennart Levi, Alberto Zucconi, Bishop Lennart Koskinen, Robert Cloarec & Marcus Tannenberg A declaration aimed at mainstreaming ethics and anti-corruption in higher education was recently endorsed by the Compostela Group of Universities (CGU), the World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), and the World University Consortium (WUC). The “Poznan Declaration” is a first important step for higher education in joining governments, businesses and civil society in the global fight against corruption. Since the rise of the anti-corruption agenda in the mid-1990s, and the relative widespread implementation of anti-corruption reforms and institutional solutions, no more than 21 countries have enjoyed a significant decrease in corruption levels. At the same time, 27 countries have become worse off. Clearly, a new approach is needed. Recent WHO, ILO, and EU studies have shown the effects on population, health and wellbeing of a variety of social determinants. For a successful approach to prevent corruption, it is likely that, in addition to punitive and institutional measures, we also need to understand and challenge the determinants of corrupt, illegal or otherwise anti-social behavior. It is important to highlight that at the university level, the curricula typically lack components that would contribute to non-tolerance of such conduct. Intelligence plus character – that’s the – Martin Luther King, Jr., 1947 The “Poznan Declaration” asks institutions of higher education to embrace, support and enact a set of core values in the areas of ethics, transparency and anticorruption, and to include these in the curricula, in a “Whole-of-University” approach. |
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Upcoming Events WAAS partners with Nizami Ganjavi International Center to conduct an International Conference on WAAS partners with University of Florida & University of Brasilia to conduct XII International Colloquium on WUC partners with UNESCO Chair in Anticipatory Systems to conduct the First International Conference on |
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Strategy for Full Employment in Bosnia
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Full Employment should be regarded not merely as a desirable economic goal, but rather as an essential human right. Recognising this imperative, on July 1, 2014 WAAS and the Government of Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) co-organized an international conference on “Employment Growth – On A Road to Recovery” in the main hall of Parliament at Sarajevo. Unemployment and economic crisis are the biggest challenges facing humanity today. The lingering effects of the war in Bosnia, the political divide within the country and the unprecedented devastating floods in May 2014 have further aggravated the challenge of addressing these issues in BiH. Representatives from WAAS, the Government of BiH, European Union, European Bank of Reconstruction and Development, International Labor Organization, USAID and other countries in the region participated. Minister of Foreign Affairs and WAAS Fellow Zlatko Lagumdžija chaired the opening session and Prime Minister Vjekoslav Bevanda delivered the keynote address. The conference highlighted successful models from neighboring countries, success stories drawn from different sectors of BiH, and innovative strategies for rapidly expanding job creation. The overall conclusion of the conference was that with a comprehensive strategy backed by sufficient political will, full employment in BiH is an achievable goal. Donato Kiniger-Passigli, the ILO representative presented strategies for converting the challenge of emergency flood relief into a dynamic strategy for economic reconstruction and job creation. The USAID representative stressed that apart from the public and private sectors, academia also has the responsibility to participate and act on solutions. Vesna Miloševic Zupancic, Youth Employment and Student Work Consultant at e-Študentski Servis, described the potential for replicating in BiH the highly successful Slovenian system that provides part-time employment and permanent job placement opportunities for more than 80,000 students annually. Henk van Arkel, CEO of Social Trade Organization (STRO), presented an innovative digital payment system to finance job creation while eliminating the negative impact of delays in government expenditure. “A government that pays its invoices faster adds liquidity to the market”. |
Contrary to traditional approaches that emphasize high levels of public expenditure, debt and subsidies, Garry Jacobs focused on measures to enhance human capital and social capital. He identified incalculable waste of human resources as a prime factor that underlies current theory and practice. “Full employment in BiH can be achieved by a comprehensive, integrated, human-centered approach encompassing financial, economic, commercial, administrative, legal, entrepreneurial, monetary, social and human capital, and political and societal strategies. “ Peter Sorensen, Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH), asserted that “full employment is possible but it requires political leadership.” He saw the conference as an expression of political will, which is the first step towards attaining the full employment goal. Insisting on the need for a strong private sector, he said, “we need proper investment plans, we need corporate governance to be beefed up to the European standards, we need access to finances, we need an insolvency framework.” With only half of the Bosnian population participating actively in the labor market, the problems remain acute. “You need a fundamental change in your social system.” Alberto Zucconi focused on education as a key driver in developing the economy. He called for a new paradigm in higher education to adequately prepare youth for employment and self-employment opportunities. “The need to foster psychological literacy and resilience is greater than ever. We need to see, think and act systematically, interdisciplinarily and intersectorially,” he said. The Conference stressed the legal justification and practical benefits of recognizing employment as a fundamental human right. Governments, international institutions and academia should work together and take all possible steps to achieve and maintain full employment. The Bosnia conference explored a number of promising alternative strategies that can be adopted to achieve full employment. Filling skills shortages, accelerated decision-making, increasing the velocity of money, organizational innovation, entrepreneurship and SME development, reducing business failures, modifying educational curriculum, complementary currencies, and job guarantee programs were some of the strategies identified during the conference. |
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Nebojša Neškovic & Momir Djurovich |
Ivo Šlaus, Zlatko Lagumdžija & Vjekoslav Bevanda |
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An Krumberger |
Zbigniew Bochniarz |
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Individuality is the acme of human development. Humanity is continuously evolving towards ever higher levels of Individuality, some visible and some not, which can be attributed to our tendency to exaggerate the negative energies and remain indifferent to the positive aspects of development. Even this characteristic of ours is a virtue in itself, for criticizing certainly instils in us the urge to think, to change, to evolve. Tangibility doesn’t necessarily mean Reality. The human mind, which is strongly rooted in tangible explanations and proof, refuses to accept thoughts or conceptions that defy logic. It demands physical proof to ‘know’ phenomena that can never be known until the ‘whole’ is taken into the picture. The ways of knowing are many and varied. The scientific mind that thinks knowledge can be obtained by sense-data alone is eluded by reality and Knowledge, the very object it would like to possess. True rationality is not to defy things unknown to us, but to remain open to ways of knowing that may fall outside the realms of our training (read education) and knowledge. Harlan Cleveland (1918-2008), American diplomat, educator, author and former President of the World Academy, introduces us to ideas on “intuitive leadership”. He says most people resist talking about intuition out loud because it doesn’t seem “practical” in a world dominated by scientific rationalism. According to Harlan, “most of our troubles stem from neglecting the interconnections of knowledge and the interdisciplinary character of all real-world problems”. He further says, “No real-world problem can be fitted into the jurisdiction of a single academic department… The real world is by nature interdisciplinary.” The need of the hour, as Harlan had understood, is the integration of an openness to knowledge, whatever form it may be in – tangible or intangible – with the individuality to stand by what one believes in, even if it means opposing the prevalent worldviews and social convictions. The resistance to anything new is so great that it can dampen our spirits enough to make us stop in the middle. Harlan cites the example of the actor Peter Ustinov whose grade-school teachers wrote on his report card, “Peter shows great originality, which must be curbed at all costs.” Such is how the world reacts to new ideas, new theories and new paradigms. Thus, Harlan’s “intuitive leadership” reconciles the principles of the WAAS projects on Individuality, Limits to Rationality and New Paradigm. The WAAS project on Individuality has been actively exploring the essential nature of individuality, the process by which it develops (Individuation or Self-actualization), the relationship between individual and the society and its role in social development. The recently held course on Individuality and Accomplishment by WAAS Fellows Garry Jacobs, Alberto Zucconi, Ljudmila Popovich and Janani Harish at IUC Dubrovnik in August 2014 testify to this. WAAS started exploring the philosophy and practice of rationality in various ways of knowing in 2008. Several articles have been written and papers presented on this topic and the need for a transdisciplinary knowledge has been emphasized as one of the many solutions. The significant interest generated with respect to these topics indicates that these projects are likely to attract attention both inside and outside the Academy. |
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Almaty Conference Photos |
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Origins of the World University Consortium
The founders of the World Academy of Art and Science were committed to the idea of establishing a World University in the 1960s. They even established a World University Council to encourage and supervise its formation, with Hugo Boyko as President, Harold Lasswell as Chairman, John McHale as Secretary and Carl-Goran Heden, Stuart Mudd and Boris Pregel as members of the Executive Committee. World University Centers were created in Sweden, Israel, USA and Italy. Preferences for Fellowship in the University were given to physical and biological scientists who also explored the social consequences of their specialty. The founding fathers of WAAS understood the need and the demand for the creation of a World University. The World University, as envisioned by Harold Lasswell, was an effort to realize the original vision of the Academy in the changed circumstances of the 21st century. The distinctive emphasis was therefore on interdisciplinary frontiers designed to strengthen the universalizing function of institutions of higher learning. To contribute to the evolution of a true world university, knowledge must be valued for its own sake. The World University Consortium, founded by the World Academy of Art and Science in 2013, is an initiative to explore innovative strategies for enhancing original thinking in global higher education. WUC emphasizes on a human-centered approach that shifts the focus from compartmentalized knowledge to a transdisciplinary knowledge framework. What the world needs today is an educational system that develops the full potential of the human being and nurtures his individuality.
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Cadmus is a journal for fresh thinking and new perspectives that integrate knowledge from all fields of science, art and humanities to address real-life issues, inform policy and decisionmaking, and enhance our collective response to the challenges and opportunities facing the world today. Contents of the Current Cadmus Issue – October 2014
Eruditio, the e-journal of WAAS, complements and enhances the academy’s focus on global perspectives in the generation of knowledge from all fields of legitimate inquiry. It also mirrors the academy’s specific focus and mandate which is to consider the social consequences and policy implications of knowledge in the broadest sense. Contents of the Current Eruditio Issue – September-October 2014
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