MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF THE IONA HELD ON 12 APRIL 2024

GENERAL DECLARATION

The General Meeting of the IONA approved the following Declaration:

1. The International Organization New Acropolis (IONA) has been carrying out activities for World Philosophy Day uninterruptedly for the last sixteen years at its different centres around the world. In addition, over the last five years, it has also recommended that the different centres should organize activities for Mother Earth Day, which is celebrated around the world on 22 April each year.

   Along similar lines, all the national associations affiliated with the IONA are now encouraged to incorporate a Day of Arts into their calendar of activities. This event, which will be celebrated on or around 21 June, will consist of activities related to this expression of the soul which ennobles human beings and is intrinsic to the corporate aims and objects of the IONA.

2. The General Meeting approves the initiative of its International Board of Management to implement the philosophical, cultural and volunteering activities under a common motto, in accordance with the principles and aims of the IONA. Accordingly, the motto “Unity through Diversity” has been chosen, which will motivate and give direction to the international programmes which the IONA undertakes each year, namely: Earth Day, the Day of Arts and World Philosophy Day. This motto reflects the reality and the aspiration of our international organization, as stated in numerous Declarations of the Annual General Meeting and recorded in their respective minutes.

   In alignment with the spirit of the motto, each national association affiliated with the IONA will organize its activities according to its means and possibilities, with the same aspiration of harmonizing the unity and diversity that characterize the more than 50 countries where the IONA is working for a better world.

3. The General Meeting commends the willingness of the IONA’s volunteers to travel to Morocco in 2023 to join with other private and public organizations in the search and rescue operations that were carried out following the earthquake that devastated an extensive area of that country last year.
4. In accordance with its principles based on tolerance, and its rejection of the use of armed violence in the solution of conflicts, the IONA expresses its deep concern about the situations that have arisen between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and between Israel and the Gaza Strip.

   The General Meeting recommends that the national associations affiliated with the IONA continue to work for peace and harmonious coexistence between peoples, as it has been doing since its foundation.