The New School of Athens

The New School of Athens (NSOA) is a recent international initiative whose mission statement is to explore new and better ways of managing our world. NSOA aims at becoming a 21st century version of Plato’s ancient Academy, focusing on the management of globalization and the democratization of world governance. In keeping with the tradition of the original School of Athens it will be a center of inter-ideological dialogue and a meeting place between opposing views of the world.

Whether we like it or not, we are becoming One World. Globalization is here to stay. It is marked by mounting interdependence in all fields: economic, technological, social, cultural, and environmental. A consensus is emerging to the effect that, if properly managed, globalization, can be a positive force for Humankind but, if mismanaged, is likely to have serious deleterious effects.

World Governance refers to the collective effort by governments, private-sector corporations and Civil Society to harness the positive effects of globalization and neutralize its negative impacts.

The New School of Athens Project stands out in a crowded field by focusing on workable solutions to global governance problems. It is highly innovative in that it involves the three groups of actors most relevant to the management of globalization, namely governments, corporations, and civil society, and is oriented toward concrete action. Overall, this is a very worthy endeavor, deserving significant support worldwide.

Paul Martin
Former Prime Minister of Canada

The NSoA Third Annual Conference will be celebrated in Athens in April the 2-5, 2008. Please find the program here.