Setting the Framework and Message of the Conference Works: Sustainable Development in a Healthy, Humaine and Capacitated World.

The first Athens Calls Athens Conference (ACA), under the Theme “Man and his Creations”, offers a formidable opportunity to people of different backgrounds and disciples inspired by the eternal ideas and principles originating from ancient Athens but still vivid and valid today, to exchange their views and suggest approaches addressing the current and emerging challenges of our planet and our society.

After the introductory speeches of the first day which provide an overall framework of the ACA concept, the works of the conference are structured along six (6) thematics, namely: • Technology • Society • Health • Environment • Economy • Humanity.

Already these titles make immediately evident the aims, philosophy, design and the overall methodological approach to be followed throughout the works of the conference:

Sustainability, or more precisely, Sustainable Development as an ultimate goal and participatory Multi-and Intradisciplinary processes in order (a) to approach more effectively the overall goal for a more humaine, safer and healthier world but also (b) in reaching some useful results from the deliberations of the present conference and (c) orienting and framing the follow-up and future ACA steps.

Economy, Society and Environment are the known three pillars of Sustainable Development. Sustainable Development, in turn, has a purpose and it should answer the question “for what”? and “for whom”? The answer is for a better humaine world that means a world physically and mentally healthy and secure. To deliver that, we need a proper governance. Major tools of governance are the institutions, the science & technology and the education, awareness & strengthening/promotion of the appropriate culture to permeate the entire society. A culture for the third Millennium with needed significant changes and reorientations but also firmly rooted on eternal values and ideas (democracy, human integrity, evidence-based decisions, “reason”, freedom of speech, seek of “virtue”, prevalence of public good vs interests of individuals) developed in this very city, Athens.

The works of the conference touch upon all the above.