The climate crisis and the pandemic are two of the greatest challenges we are facing today. Fortunately, as inhabitants of the globe we’ve mostly acknowledged these problems. We also agree that they need to be addressed. It is clear that we must act for the environment and stand in solidarity with the victims of the pandemic. However, the public debate is awash with different visions for solving the current crises. A universal discussion on the foundations for the new order and a just transition in Europe is underway. Europe’s core values are being put to the test.
Environmental and Pandemic Challenges: Between Selfishness and Solidarity International Conference
NOVEMBER 16th 2021, 11:00am – 03:00pm
The challenge of our time is therefore to find, in a spirit of dialogue and solidarity, and beyond ideological divides, the fairest solutions that do not overburden any particular country. It is imperative to find a perspective accepted by all, because success will only be possible if all EU member states act in unison.
The “Environmental and Pandemic Challenges: Between Selfishness and Solidarity” international conference has been organised in just such a spirit. In the hope that it will take us closer to building a community solution to the climate issue and that it will help with countering the effects of the pandemic.
In his teachings, John Paul II pays significant heed to the ethical significance of human solidarity. Without such a perspective, just thinking about acting together seems difficult. The conference is an interdisciplinary attempt to find solutions which will reflect the needs of the individual within both the quality and value of life.
Lectures will be given by distinguished experts, who, through their academic authority, influence the discourse on social and political reforms in Europe and do not shy away from proposing specific solutions related to the enhancement of individual and community responsibility.
There are several particularly noteworthy speakers.
Timo Hämäläinen analyst from SITRA in Finland who points out, that the pandemic is just another surprising crisis and a good example of the complex problems for which our existing governance structures are ill-suited for. Prof. Luigino Bruni, an economist investigating the historical foundations of economic thought, academic director of the Economy of Francesco programme and a leading figure in the field of civil economy. Prof. Adrian Pabst, a Professor of Politics and Head of the School of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent in the UK, working on the boundaries of liberal democracy and capitalism as well as post-liberal ideas.
The message coming from Warsaw is also worthy of attention. It is the foremost Polish city when it comes to ecology and improving the living conditions of its residents. Patrycja Stawiarz, Director of the Warsaw Environmental Protection Office, will talk about good eco-friendly practices in the city. Aldona Machnowska-Góra, Deputy Mayor of Warsaw, will also address the conference participants.
The conference is organized by the Centre for the Thought of John Paul II and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The conference will be held on-line. It will be simultaneously interpreted into English and Polish.
