Mysteries of Flourishing Ancient Roots, Modern Blossoms

2nd NEW ELEUSIS SYMPOSION
In the framework of 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture
25, 26 & 27 September 2024

Mysteries of Flourishing Ancient Roots, Modern Blossoms

Wednesday, Sep 25

Registration

Coffee, Drinks & Snacks

13:00

RECONNECTING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE PLACE – Ancient Roots

Introduction

14:00
Speakers

Alexandra Mitsotaki President & co-founder WHF
Michail Marmarinos Theater director & biologist, artistic director of Eleusis 2023

On Eleusis myth and its relevance today

Speakers

Phil Cousineau Author-filmmaker-mythologist | Lead Speaker

Part A: Ancestral Concepts of Flourishing

15:00
Speakers

Spyridon Rangos
Professor of Ancient Greek Literature and Philosophy in the University of Patras
Anastasia Giannakidou
Frank J. McLoraine Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago
interviewed by Achilleas Stamatiadis,
Graduate Researcher in the Humanities
Stefanos Gandolfo (Virtual Participation)
Director, Columbia Global Center Athens – Lecturer of Chinese history, culture and international relations University of Oxford & the University of Piraeus
Nicolas Kolonias
Professor of Art and Philosophy at Chiang Mai University

moderated by Alexandra Mitsotaki

Coffee Break

16:30

Open Dialogue

17:00
Speakers

Aruna Ladva Meditation Teacher, Author, Facilitator of Retreats  | Awaken your Inner Wisdom for Outer Action | Lead Speaker

Part B: arTogether – Τhe Arts and Crafts as a Vehicle for Community Flourishing

17:30
Speakers

Maria Papadimitriou Contemporary visual artist, professor of Visual Arts at University of Thessaly – Department of Architecture
Ilias Monacholias Administrator of Elefsina Arts & Culture NPCP
Claudia Paetzold Independent Curator, Founder of Consult Curate Create & Curating Evolution | Eleusis Re-Forestation project
Danae Christoudi student in the Department of Performing and Digital Arts at the University of Peloponnese, member of the Cultterra Association created in 2019 with the initiative, support, training, and networking of the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture.

moderated by Michail Marmarinos 

Workshop

18:30
Speakers

arTogether communal painting
(will remain open for the 3 days of the Symposion)

Light Dinner

19:00

Walking tour to Old Oil Mill Factory by Angeliki Lampiri

19:45
Location

Old Oil Mill Factory

Ba Wang Bian 霸王鞭– Ancestral Dialogues

Performance

21:00
Speakers

performance at the Old Oil Mill Factory by acclaimed dancer/choreographer Maya Jilan Dong
Pre-performance talk by Farooq Chaudhry OBE, Strategic & Artistic Consultant, co-founder of Akram Khan Dance Company

Thursday, Sep 26

Guided Tour

9:00 – 10:30

Guided tour at Eleusis ancient site by Kalliopi Papangeli Honorary Head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Museums of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Western Attica and Phil Cousineau

Location

Eleusis Ancient Site

Part A: INNER DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: on the road to a flourishing planet for 2030

moderated by Gerasimos Kouvaras

11:30
Speakers

Gerasimos Kouvaras Executive Director WHF / Inner Development Goals Hellenic Network

Brendan Case Associate director for Research, Harvard University | Human Flourishing programme

Jochen Sandig Director Ludwigsburg Festival, co-founder World Human Forum | The Arts and the SDGs -3 case studies

Open dialogue

Light lunch

12:45

Spaces of Individual and Collective Spirituality: Exploring the Fields of Business and Museums

13:45
Speakers

Eleftheria Egel Επιχειρείν with Purpose for Impact

Marlen Mouliou Assistant Professor of Museology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens & Fulbright Fellow

Flourishing our Senses

Workshop

by Sophia Sfakianopoulou

Coffee break

15:00

Part B: BRAIN AND FLOURISHING

Flourishing through or despite Technology?

moderated by Katerina Kafentzi

15:30
Speakers

Garry Bolles Author -The Next Rules of Work, chair for the Future of Work – Singularity University | Lead Speaker

European Brain Foundation representative
Konstantinos Karachalios Strategy Advisor to the Executive Director of IEEE; former managing director of the IEEE Standards Association
John Havens Founding Executive Director of The IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems – Heartificial Intelligence

Coffee break

17:00

Healing through Art

moderated by Myrto Vounatsou

17:30
Speakers

Ivy Ross Vice President of Hardware Design at Google &  Susan Magsamen founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, co-authors of the book “Your Brain on Art” (virtual participation)

Nathalie Babouraj DocLaLuna, MD and integrative health researcher and artist

Tracey Shors Professor of Neuroscience & Psychology; author “Everyday Trauma” brain fitness program — “MAP Train My Brain”

Open dialogue

“MAP Training” Keeping our brain fit

Workshop

18:30

by Tracey Shors

“Design your Dharma Flow and purpose of life” When our sensory nervous system guides us on our path of alignment

Workshop

19:15

by Nathalie Babouraj

Friday, Sep 27

Narrative Archaeology at the archaeological site of Elefsina

An interdisciplinary performance in search of the secret of Narrative

8:00 - 10:00

Curated and Directed by Gemma Hansson Carbone

Location

Eleusis Archaeological Site

Part A: PALLIATIVE CARE: A FLOURISHING TRANSITION – Will Psychedelics be allowed to Help?

moderated by Gina Belafonte

11:00
Speakers

Kalliopi Papangeli Honorary Head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Museums of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Western Attica | Opening Remarks: Lessons from Eleusis

Anthony P. Bossis Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine; Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa | Lead Speaker

Aliki Tserkezoglou Director, Galilee Palliative Care Centre

Theodoros Tsoutsouras Pneumonologist, Red Cross Hospital, Athens · Intensive Care Unit

Light lunch

12:30
13:30
Speakers

Mark Geyer Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences Emeritus at the University of California San Diego (UCSD)

Christina Dalla Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, President Mediterranean Neuroscience Society. Board of Directors Eur. Brain Foundation

Nikos Stefanis Prof. of Psychiatry, Chairman First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital

Yiannis Takousis co-founder of the Greek Psychedelic Society

Anthony P. Bossis Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine; Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa | Lead Speaker
Chiara Baldini Researcher of Ecstatic Religious Experience, Psychedelics, and Altered States of ConsciousnessClosing Remarks | Open conversation, contribution by participants

Coffee break

15:30

Part B: CONNECTING WITH STORIES OF HOPE – Modern Blossoms

moderated by Alexandra Mitsotaki

16:00
Speakers

Daphne Economou Founder & Honorary Chairperson of Cerebral Palsy Greece/Open Door

Hrishikesh Pawar Kathak, Contemporary dancer, choreographer | “Some dance to Remember, some dance to forget!”

Laura Ulloa Political Scientist

Freddy Mutanguha CEO of the Aegis Trust, Director of the Kigali Genocide Memorial | On Forgiveness

Anezina Solomonidou Planetologist-Astrophysicist, Design for Change | community flourishing leading to inner and nature flourishing

Open dialogue & recapitulation

17:30

Light dinner

18:30

In C

Participatory workshop

by Hrishikesh Pawar

Human Requiem in Eleusis

Film projection

19:30
Speakers

Pre-screening talk by the director, Jochen Sandig

Location

Elefsina Film Club open-air cinema

Parallel Events & Workshops

FLOURISHING OUR SENSES by Sofia Sfakianopoulou
26 September 2024 – 13:45
A core practice of Social Presencing Theater; being in conversation with the body we sense more deeply current reality suspending our problem-solving habits and by paying attention to our body-knowing and to the social field we discover new directions that were not accessible just by thinking.

MAP TRAIN MY BRAIN by Tracey Shors
26 September 2024 – 18:30
MAP Train My Brain is a combination of “Mental And Physical” activities, which are practiced together to enhance brain health. This sample session will begin with a short introduction by neuroscientist Dr. Tracey Shors. She will then lead us through ten minutes of sitting meditation, followed by five minutes of slow-walking meditation, ending with fifteen minutes of fun movements to music. We will close by reflecting and thereby allowing  our brain to fully learn how much better we feel – both mentally and physically!

IN C participatory workshop by Hrishikesh Pawar
27 September 2024 – 18:30

About In C: In C by Sasha Waltz & Guests is a colorful excursion into the world of minimal music. Based on Terry Riley’s revolutionary and open eponymous composition from 1964, Sasha Waltz embarked on a novel artistic process with her dancers in 2021. They developed choreographic material that follows a similarly variable structure, thereby leaving space for perpetually new variations. “In C” is an experimental process that is constantly evolving; it expands on Sasha Waltz & Guests’ longstanding approach to their work and the dialogue between dance, music and space, both digital and analog. The score created by Terry Riley consists of fifty-three musical phrases that read like stage directions for musicians.

About Hrishikesh’s Work:  Artistic Director, Hrishikesh Pawar has been using the medium of “Dance” to bring communities together. Working with various groups across India for a decade has shown a healing quality of the “ARTS”. Moving forward, the question is how does use DANCE, as a tool to bring about change.

Nathalie Babouraj

Health humorist, DocLaLuna Western and Eastern Medicine

Chiara Baldini

Researcher, Freelance curator

Gina Belafonte

Artivist, Founder of Sankofa.org

Gary A. Bolles

Global Fellow for Transformation, Singularity University

Anthony P. Bossis

Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine; Department of Classics and Religious Studies, University of Ottawa

Brendan Case

Associate director for Research, Harvard University
Human Flourishing programme

Farooq Chaudhry OBE

Strategic & Artistic Consultant, co-founder of Akram Khan Dance Company

Danae Christoudi

Student in the Department of Performing and Digital Arts at the University of Peloponnese, member of the Cultterra Association created in 2019 with the initiative, support, training, and networking of the 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture

Phil Cousineau

Writer, filmmaker, independent scholar, writing consultant

Christina Dalla

Professor of Pharmacology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; President, Hellenic Brain Council

Daphne Economou

Daphne Economou, Founder & Honorary Chairperson of Cerebral Palsy Greece/Open Door

Eleftheria Egel

Managing director & Founder of Navigating Transformation

Stefanos Gandolfo

Director, Athens Columbia Global Center

Mark Geyer

Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences Emeritus at the University of California San Diego (UCSD)

Anastasia Giannakidou

Professor of Linguistics and the College at the University of Chicago

John Havens

Executive Director of the IEEE Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems

Katerina Kafentzi

Music broadcaster, lecturer and researcher

Konstantinos Karachalios

Strategy Advisor to the Executive Director of IEEE; former managing director of the IEEE Standards Association

Nicolas Kolonias

Professor of Art and Philosophy at Chiang Mai University

Gerasimos Kouvaras

Executive Director WHF

Aruna Ladva

Meditation Teacher, Author, Facilitator of Retreats

Angeliki Lampiri

Director of Strategic Planning & Operations, World Human Forum

Susan Magsamen

Founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Michail Marmarinos

Theatre Director, Artistic Director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival

Alexandra Mitsotaki

President & Co-founder, World Human Forum

Ilias Monacholias

Administrator of Elefsina Arts & Culture NPCP

Marlen Mouliou

Assistant professor of Museology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Freddy Mutanguha

CEO of the Aegis Trust, Director of the Kigali Genocide Memorial
On Forgiveness

Claudia Paetzold

Founder, Consult Curate Create

Maria Papadimitriou

Contemporary visual artist, professor of Visual Arts at University of Thessaly - Department of Architecture

Kalliopi Papangeli

Archaeologist, Honorary Head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Museums of the Ephorate of Antiquities of West Attica

Hrishikesh Pawar

Kathak / Contemporary dancer / Choreographer

Spyridon Rangos

Professor of Ancient Greek Literature and Philosophy in the University of Patras

Ivy Ross

Vice President of Design for the Hardware organization at Google

Jochen Sandig

Co-founder, Vice-president, World Human Forum

Sophia Sfakianopoulou

People & Organizational Development

Tracey Shors

Professor of Neuroscience & Psychology, author "Everyday Trauma" brain fitness program — "MAP Train My Brain"

Anezina Solomonidou

Planetologist/Astrophysicist | Design for Change
Community flourishing leading to inner and nature flourishing

Achilleas Stamatiadis

Graduate Researcher in the Humanities

Nikos Stefanis

Prof. of Psychiatry, Chairman First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital

Yiannis Takousis

Co-founder of the Greek Psychedelic Society

Aliki Tserkezoglou

Director, Galilee Palliative Care Centre

Theodoros Tsoutsouras

Pneumonologist, Red Cross Hospital, Athens, Intensive Care Unit

Laura Ulloa

Political Scientist

Myrto Vounatsou

Artistic & Creative Director, World Human Forum

In Eleusis, the historic city renowned for its spiritual significance and ancient mysteries that lasted for more than 15 centuries, the World Human Forum has initiated the New Eleusis Symposia. A series of groundbreaking meetings that aim to re-establish Eleusis as a global reference point for consciousness elevation, assisting to the tackling of modern global challenges and to the protection of life on our planet.

The Symposia feature a diverse lineup of pioneering speakers and captivating topics, offering a unique platform to explore and redefine the intersections of ancient wisdom, modern consciousness exploration, science, humanities, spirituality, archaeology and art. Attendees participate in riveting discussions, experiential workshops, and artistic performances.
It seeks to unveil a modern narrative of transformation and unity whileharnessing the strength and spirit of Eleusis to ignite personal and societal change.

Mysteries of Flourishing

The 2nd edition of the New Eleusis Symposia will take place between 25-27 September, 2024 with the central theme “Mysteries of Flourishing” deriving from the Aristotelian concept of Eudaemonia “Ευδαιμονία”. Human flourishing necessitates the flourishing of nature, all forms of life, communities, and even democracy. This year, we will once again invite internationally distinguished representatives from the fields of social and environmental sustainability, education, science, technology, and the arts. Both theorists and practitioners will join the audience on an exciting journey through our inner and outer spaces to examine the concept of flourishing and how we can collectively achieve it.

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