NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2025 |
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 | Dear Fellows,
Despite the current global challenges, I am filled with both gratitude and determination. Gratitude for those visionary founders of our organization who believed that art and science, guided by human values, could work together to advance the well-being of humanity, and equally grateful to our Fellows today, whose wisdom, creativity, and commitment continue to provide life and direction to this mission. Determination because the challenges we face today 鈥� climate change, conflict, technological disruption, economic instability, and threats to democracy 鈥� are more complex and urgent than ever before.
The Academy thrives because of its people. Each Fellow brings not only expertise but also a personal conviction that knowledge must serve the greater good of humanity. Whether through advancing democracy in Latin America, shaping the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence, building peace initiatives, or rethinking education and sustainability, WAAS continues to show what is possible when diverse voices unite around shared purpose.
As we look ahead, let us carry forward the vision of our founders while daring to innovate for a new era. Together, we can 鈥� and must 鈥� shape a more peaceful, just, and sustainable world.
Sincerely,
Garry Jacobs President, WAAS | |
| Celebrating 65 Years of WAAS |  |
The WAAS@65 online conference conducted from July 21 to 24, 2025, focused on the root causes and solutions for the unprecedented social turbulence that is threatening peace, stability, human security, and sustainable development around the world. Over four days, 28 sessions and 324 unique attendees, the conference examined critical global challenges and formulated actionable strategies to address them before a record audience.
The conference highlighted the multidimensional sources of the turbulence resulting from humanity's incapacity to adapt to the increasing speed of global social evolution combined with growing resistance from vested interests and power centers that seek to slow progress towards an increasingly integrated, multipolar world community.
The conference also identified a number of projects to evolve solutions which WAAS can promote to rebuild positive momentum to achieve the goals of Agenda 2030, and help shape a positive consensus for global leadership in the coming years.
A recent report developed by Ketan Patel highlights some of the key findings of the project and catalytic strategies now under examination to restore positive momentum for global social transformation. .
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| Watch the Event Videos Here |
| Event Reportback |
| | III Latin-American WAAS Meeting |  |
From 11-13 August, the online III Latin-American WAAS Meeting examined the theme of "Democracy, Artificial Intelligence and Global Economy." The panels were dedicated to discussions on the democratic crisis in the Americas, regulation of artificial intelligence and the crisis of multilateralism and prospects for regional integration. The aim was to highlight the problems related to democracy, Artificial Intelligence and the global economy in the present and the years ahead.
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| Watch the Event Videos Here |
| Peace Offensive Centre To Be Established in Maribor |
 | From left: Klaus Mainzer, Ludvik Toplak, Donato Kiniger-Passigli
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The Global Peace Offensive, represented by WAAS Vice-President Donato Kiniger-Passigli conducted discussions with Klaus Mainzer, President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, and Ludvik Toplak, President of Alma Mater Europea University (AMEU) to jointly establish the Global Peace Offensive Center (GPOC) at AMEU in Maribor, Slovenia. GPOC will act as a research institute, develop outreach programs, and hold gatherings that promote the ideals of the Global Peace Offensive.
A vision statement crafted for the project has already been signed by WAAS Trustees Alberto Zucconi, President of The Person-Centred Approach Institute (IACP), Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute, and David Weinberg, CEO of the Global Peace Education Network.
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| Read the Vision Statement |
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The Global Peace Offensive is a proactive, dialogue-driven peacebuilding strategy. GPOC will apply a problem-solving methodology based on a radical innovation in policy and awareness of the present threats to humanity. It aims for gradual tension reduction and reciprocity that offers practical solutions to be applied in crisis contexts. The goal is the reversal of the heightened tension spiral and the creation of a new era of cooperation.
As Donato explains, 鈥淭he arms race is not the answer for human security. Instead, we need an arms race in reverse. Unilateral and reciprocal steps move to restore confidence and work our way back to safety."
WAAS Fellow, Ugo Bardi, has written an excellent article on why we need a peace offensive: |
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| Read More About The Global Peace Offensive |
| Launch of the EXTRA InfoHub |
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After three years of preparatory research under the leadership of Bob Horn and Jo Nurse, in August, the EXTRA Working Group went public by launching the EXTRA InfoHub website as a subset of the WAAS website. The project, which is chaired by Thomas Reuter, aims to become a one-stop info hub for decision-makers who need to understand the most pressing issues confronting humanity today. The website offers a carefully curated selection of the most important information on existential threats, seeking to overcome fragmentation and misinformation by drawing on reliable sources from across a wide spectrum of primary knowledge producers. The EXTRA team includes WAAS Fellows David Harries and Michael Marien, Junior Fellow Lorenzo Rodriguez and Ortwin Renn, Director of Systemic Risk Research in Potsdam. For more information contact: extra@worldacademy.org
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| Visit the Website |
| Interviews at CES Highlight WAAS Fellows |
 | Amanda Ellis and Lawrence Ford
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Video interviews with WAAS Fellows recorded at CES in January 2025 and conducted by WAAS Fellow Lawrence Ford, have been released and are now public. The interviews were filmed at the WAAS Human Security for All booth as part of our larger collaboration with CES, the world's largest consumer technology event, held annually in Las Vegas, and the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security.
Eden Mamut:
Garry Jacobs:
Amanda Ellis:
Walt Stinson: T
Ralph Wolff:
Ketan Patel:
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| WAAS Elections 2025 |
The WAAS elections of 2025 resulted in the election of 3 new Trustees, 17 Fellows and 3 Junior Fellows. Seven Trustees were re-elected and 2 Junior Fellows were elected as Associated Fellows. Congratulations to the new and returning members. |
| View Election Results |
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| WAAS DIGEST | | Books/Articles by Members | | |
| Art by Members |
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Italian Artist and Junior Fellow, Serena Scapagnini鈥檚 Evocative Visual Art at the Yale Quantum Institute and its Resonance with the Writings of Italo Calvino A composition by Junior Fellow Natalia Rojcovscaia-Tumaha serves as a synesthetic journey through the timeless grace and dynamic presence of Nik茅 of Samothrace. |
| Recent Member Activities |
| MAY 2025 / PODCAST
What impact does Artificial Intelligence have on the evolution of consciousness, and could it mark the beginning of a new form of awareness beyond the human?
JULY 2025 / KHALEEJ TIMES
Urban planning literature has revealed that less than 20 per cent of published research integrates the smart city framework in discussions.
JULY 2025 / ECO BUSINESS
As the world shifts towards a cleaner energy future, ensuring energy security while managing the energy transition remains a complex challenge.
AUGUST 2025 / GENEVA
A debate that examined the effectiveness of new voices from organizations outside of the United Nations. Are their voices being heard and contributing to the outcomes? Are non-state partners merely providing input to the global governance process, and if so, how can they begin influencing the outcomes?
AUGUST 2025 / PROJECT SYNDICATE
Current macroeconomic frameworks rightly treat climate shocks as threats to fiscal stability, but do not recognize the economic benefits of investing in measures that mitigate their effects. To unlock concessional financing for adaptation, countries must update their methodologies to reflect these productive outcomes. | | Upcoming Events | |
| 18 SEPTEMBER, 2025 / ONLINE EXTRA InfoHub: The UN Global Risk Report
The EXTRA InfoHub of the 91黑料网, in cooperation with UNESCO BRIDGES, and the Pardee Institute and with participation from ASRA, invites you to a webinar to consider the impact and likely future development of the Global Risk Report, the first edition of which was recently released by United Nations HQ. Marking the entry of the UN into the sphere of integrated risk assessment, the report presents a comprehensive analysis of 28 global risks identified and assessed through a robust survey of 83 UN member states and over 1,000 stakeholders from across sectors. This event will consider methodology, scope and scenarios of four future states鈥擝reakdown, Status Quo, Progress, and Breakthrough.
22-24 SEPTEMBER, 2025 / BELGRADE, SERBIA
World Conference on Science and Art for Sustainability
The first conference within the EHC-WAAS Program and a flagship event within IDSSD. The aims of this Conference are to listen to prominent individuals acting in different science and art disciplines from different parts of the world, and present the findings to policymakers, and other science and art stakeholders nationally and globally. READ MORE
2-3 OCTOBER, 2025 / ONLINE Thessaloniki Sustainability Summit 2025
With the theme 鈥�10 Years of the Paris Agreement鈥� TSS2025 aims to contribute to the international conversation by assessing the progress made since the agreement and exploring the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. The summit is organized by the United Nations鈥� Sustainable Development Solutions Network - SDSN Black Sea, under the auspices of the Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the 91黑料网 of Art and Science. The event has been included as one of the official global events hosted by the UN. Keynote speakers will include Prof. Mat Santamouris, professor of High-Performance Architecture at the University of New South Wales, Australia, and Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, professor at Columbia University, USA, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
6-9 JANUARY, 2026 / LAS VEGAS CES 2026
CES, the world鈥檚 largest consumer tech event, will once again partner with the 91黑料网 of Art and Science (WAAS) and the United Nations Trust Fund For Human Security (UNTFHS) to highlight how tech can play a critical role in solving pressing social and environmental issues. The CES Innovation Awards will again highlight innovations in the "Products in Suport of Human Security" category 鈥� that was established by CES in support of the WAAS Human Security for All campaign. Nineteen WAAS Fellows have been nominated as judges to help select the honorees in this category. READ MORE
| | From The Archives |
 | Henry Moore: The Artist Who Sculpted Humanity and Global Ideas
One of the most influential sculptors of the 20th century and a Fellow of the 91黑料网 of Art and Science, Henry Moore was renowned for transforming the human form into monumental works that seemed to breathe with the rhythms of nature. READ MORE |
| Share Your News With Us |
We are keen to hear more about your current work and how we can enhance your engagement with the work of the 91黑料网 in a manner that is supportive and complementary to your work. Are there conferences you have attended or are planning? Have you recently published a book, delivered a keynote, or launched an initiative that aligns with the mission of WAAS?
We would be delighted to highlight such contributions in our WAAS newsletter, ensuring they reach fellow members who share your interests.
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