2010 ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING

2010 Ordinary General Meeting

Asamblea Internacional 2010

At its 2010 annual meeting in the city of Chincha (Peru), the General Assembly of the IONA (International Organization New Acropolis) wishes to emphasize the following points and solemnly resolves for this year:

To recall its commitment to a culture of peace and non-violence, as defined by United Nations Resolution of 19 November 1998 (53rd Session of the General Assembly, Agenda item 51), in relation to the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the benefit of future generations. This culture of peace consists of values, attitudes and behaviours that reflect and inspire social interaction and sharing based on the principles of freedom, justice and democracy, which endeavour to solve conflicts in the international community by tackling their root causes, through dialogue and negotiation.

To encourage individual members and member associations to participate fully in the process of development of society, both through a philosophical education, which implies reflection and action, and by offering an example of living together in peace and harmony.

To express solidarity with United Nations Resolution of 17 December 2007, which declared 2010 to be the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures; and to recommend that, throughout this year, individual members and member associations organize meetings and events on interreligious and intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace, including a high level dialogue and/or informal interactive exchanges with civil society.

To promote the image of the International Association IONA as an example of rapprochement between cultures, since by its presence in more than fifty-five countries worldwide it has been able to foster a continuous and deep exchange between the members of its adherent associations through the study of philosophy. In this way, it has demonstrated the beneficial effects of cultural diversity and the exchange of experiences between different cultures.

To emphasize that the problems that press upon the world today in the form of financial, social and environmental crises, which have had an unprecedented and wide-ranging impact, call for debate, dialogue and an exchange of ideas between all the peoples of the world, which can result in a new humanism for the 21st century and the centuries to come.

To recall that 2010 will also be the International Year of Biodiversity, following the call issued by the United Nations, recalling that the human being forms part of nature and that our destiny is closely linked to the biodiversity of the planet as a whole. The United Nations also recalled that the wealth provided by diversity is at risk of disappearing more rapidly as a result of human activities that will affect us all, without exception, due to the alarming deterioration of life systems caused by climate change.

To recommend the promotion of all programs and actions that will help to protect the irreplaceable variety of natural life, in order to reduce the loss of biodiversity, recalling that it is vital for the present and future well-being of humanity to maintain the balance of life on earth.

To connect with the suffering of the victims of the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile, recalling not only the need to improve the search and rescue efforts to help and treat the victims, but also to help and teach the affected populations to reconstruct their communities in a spirit of solidarity.

To recall that these natural disasters are a reminder of the fragility of our planet and the relativity of life, and the need for human beings to give the best of themselves in the service of humanity.