BIOPOLICY – OVERCOMING THE CRISIS IN VALUES
AND BUILDING A GREEN SOCIETY
Prof. Agni Vlavianos Arvanitis
President and Founder, Biopolitics International Organisation
10 Tim. Vassou St., Athens 11521, Greece Tel: (+30210) 6432419, Fax: (+30210) 6434093
e-mail: bios@otenet.gr www.biopolitics.gr
Abstract
Environmental and economic threats are growing because enlightened policy is in scarcity in the world today. To be effective in coping with these global challenges, we need to give priority to a new dimension of profit; not profit in terms of money only, but also in terms of values and of ways of rebuilding society. This requires new ethics and new policy to replace conventional practices with progressive participatory perspectives, through multi-stakeholder dialogue, systems thinking, education, and inclusive cross-cultural processes.
The spreading environmental and economic crises have to be approached as a dual challenge for restructuring our economies, curbing unemployment, eradicating poverty, protecting biodiversity, and promoting clean energy, education, international cooperation and intercultural dialogue. These life-supporting policies can also act as a paradigm for the adoption of a new philosophy and ethics to build a “green society,” a society of hope and environmental harmony.
For the past 25 years, the Biopolitics International Organisation (B.I.O.) acts as a driving force to ensure the continuity of life on our planet by stressing the interdependence among all forms of life and all cultures. We strive to “plant” new ideas and infuse new thinking, by mobilising the collective talent of our network in 150 countries through innovative projects and programmes that help to implement worldwide action for sustainable development and peace. I hope that this conference will lay fertile ground for the further growth of this vision, and will encourage environmental leadership development as a vital tool for inspiring economic and social change.