2017 ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING. BUENOS AIRES (ARGENTINA)
GENERAL DECLARATION

The General Meeting of the IONA approves the following resolutions:

A) The General Assembly of the IONA reaffirms its commitment to continue with its three lines of work – Philosophy, Culture and philosophical Volunteering – in order to offer access to knowledge for all. Through this work it seeks to develop essential ethical values and to work towards the moral transformation of all human beings.

The General Assembly invites each of the national member Associations of the IONA to implement these guidelines through their various activities.

B) The General Assembly recalls that the purpose of the IONA’s Schools of Philosophy ‘in the classical tradition’ is to educate all human beings without distinction and help them develop their own dignity and fulfil their capacity of service to society.

The IONA recalls that a philosophical education, which is not only intellectual but above all practical, enables people to face the crises that are devastating the societies of our times and to foster groups of human beings who can provide solutions for improving the world, as laid down in the principles of the IONA’s Charter.

C) The General Assembly reaffirms its determination to continue with the activities of the IONA and to promote its active participation in the societies of our times, together with other public and private institutions and organisations.

D) The General Assembly reiterates its intention to continue to support the principles that inspire the United Nations, which are in harmony with the principles of the International Organization New Acropolis in general and with the First Principle of its Founding Charter in particular, which states: “to promote an Ideal of international fraternity, based on respect for human dignity, beyond racial, sexual, cultural, religious, social or other differences.”

E) Since its beginnings, the IONA has promoted in its Schools of Philosophy an education based on “learning to know, learning to be, learning to do and learning to live together” – the four pillars of learning adopted by UNESCO in 2012 (UNEP, 2012). It therefore recognizes that learning is not limited to theoretical knowledge, but should include a training for life in its different aspects, resulting in an awareness of “global citizenship” that makes us feel an integral part of the Planet and its peoples.

F) The General Assembly therefore proposes to continue developing working groups and civic action groups to educate and work towards the preservation of our planet and societies, as recommended by the Agreement adopted in Paris (France) on 12 December by 195 countries, within the framework of COP 21 for the Protection of the Environment.