Pictures of the Symposium “Technology for Peace and Democracy in the Age of Global Enlightenment” at John Cabot University in Rome October 25, 2022.
Francesco Lapenta, Director Institute of Future and Innovation Studies, John Cabot University
Franco Pavoncello, President of John Cabot University
On November 3, 2022, Boston Global Forum leaders congratulate the birthday of Governor Michael Dukakis, co-founder and Chair of the Boston Global Forum, co-founder of the AI World Society (AIWS), who turn 89 this year. He is a high respectful, kind leader of BGF since its foundations. He fully dedicates and enthusiastically contributes to BGF, directly moderating events and conferences BGF. Many distinguished thinkers are surprise about his capacity, energy and adaptation of new things such as AI and digital when he chairs BGF discussions, especially for someone of his age.
BGF’s CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan and Governor Michael Dukakis prepare for ten anniversaries of Boston Global Forum and its significant event on November 22-23, 2022 at Harvard University, Loeb House.
From the success of BGF at the Riga Conference 2022 and Symposium “Technology for Peace and Democracy in the Age of Global Enlightenment” at John Cabot University in Rome, and recently meeting with UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Gill, leaders of BGF is developing the Manifesto “AIWS Actions to Create the Global Enlightenment Age.”
Based on standards, norms, concepts, principles, ideas from the book “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment,” the Manifesto lead by doing, now it is the time for actions.
As a fundamental of the United Nations Centennial Initiative, the Global Alliance for Digital Governance will develop the plan “AI World Society Actions to create the Global Enlightenment Age” to support goals and targets of the United Nations’ Global Digital Compact and Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, the Summit of the Future in September 2023.
BGF will announce this plan at the conference on November 22, 2022 at Loeb House, Harvard University with attendence of United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Gill and distinguished leaders, thinkers to celebrate 10 years anniversaries of Boston Global Forum.
On November 2, 2022, in New York, United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology Amandeep Gill, Mr. Ramu Damodaran, co-chair of the United Nations Centennial Initiative and BGF CEO Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan had a significant meeting for collaboration between BGF and the Office and key programs of United Nations Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology.
On November 15, 2022, at Stanford University, Boston Global Forum CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan will discuss with Stanford scholars and business leaders at Silicon Valley about this plan.
On November 15, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm, PST, at Stanford University, Boston Global Forum CEO Nguyen Anh Tuan and MIT professor and Stanford Visiting Scholar Alex Pentland, BGF Board Member, will discuss with Stanford scholars and Silicon Valley business leaders about “AI World Society actions to create the Global Enlightenment Age”.
The United Nations established the Global Digital Compact, Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, and the Summit of the Future in September 2023, under leadership of the Envoy on Technology of UN Secretary General Amandeep Gill and his office.
The Boston Global Forum and UN Academic Impact established the United Nations Centennial Initiative, its fundamental is AI World Society (AIWS) and the book “Remaking the World – Toward an Age of Global Enlightenment” (AI International Accord, the Social Contract for the AI Age, etc.). Awareness of need to consolidate actions urgently, BGF and World leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid established the Global Alliance for Digital Governance (GADG) to coordinate global resources for actions for this mission.
Working with Technology Envoy Amandeep Gill, BGF collaborate and support programs of the United Nations such as the Global Digital Compact, Roadmap for Digital Cooperation and Summit of the Future of United Nations by the United Nations Centennial Initiative and GADG, special actions for a peaceful, secure and prosperous world.
In this meeting, participants also will discuss about products and services of Silicon Valley for the Global Enlightenment Age, and how Silicon Valley business leaders can contribute to the United Nations Centennial Initiative through the Global Enlightenment Club.
Franco Pavoncello, President of John Cabot University
Rome, October 25, 2022
Governor Dukakis, Distinguished panelists, ladies and gentlemen, I am Franco Pavoncello President of John Cabot University, and it is with great pleasure and honor that I welcome you all to JCU, for this Symposium: on Technology for Peace and Democracy in the Age of Global Enlightenment.
Organized by our “Institute of Future and Innovation Studies” in partnership with the “Boston Global Forum” and the “United Nations Centennial Initiative”, with the support of UN Under-Secretary-General, Tech Envoy Amandeep Gill.
The symposium is an official event of the “Global Alliance for Digital Governance (GADG)” An initiative launched in 2021 by the Boston Global Forum and the World Leadership Alliance-Club de Madrid.
And it is part of the Yearly Festival of Diplomacy which takes place each fall in Rome.
This is an important inaugural symposium, which brings together Europe ,Asia and the United States, In fact governing the challenges and promises of technological progress has never been as pivotal for the future of mankind as it is today. A time in which we are faced with the dilemma of the relationship between technology and democracy. We do indeed live in an age of scientific singularity with unprecedented planetary opportunities and challenges, where everything is connected, and the very concepts of time and distance appear to have been eliminated, in a world pulsating in unison 24/7.
The revolution ushered in by the arrival of internet and planetary communication, the concentration of technological means in the hands of the few, accompanied by the consequent concentration of wealth, poses important challenges, and new calls for decentralization and localization are rising. This is compounded by the fact that technological transformations have not been accompanied by ideological renewal, and the world appears still significantly ruled by ideological schemes produced by centuries old problems, in which scarcity, hunger, diseases were the norm.
We do live in a world of great problems, but let us be sure, also of great promises. We cannot ignore the enormous material progress of mankind and the expanding awareness of what it means to be free and to live a decent life. a widely shared, growing realization that is increasingly making our global civil societies reject violent, dictatorial deprivations of freedom and of the very basis of human existence. Sadly we have examples of that right before our eyes today.
But our hope for this march towards greater enlightenment rests first and foremost on the extent to which our younger generations share this aspiration and commitment.
As educators we should ensure that commitment, not by instilling in the mind of our students ready-set recipes about the future based on ideas of the past. Instead We must provide them with the empathy and curiosity, the attention to the unfamiliar, and critical and agile minds capable of capturing evolving future trends and challenges. But most of all we must alert them to the promise that constantly evolving scientific and technological progress offers, in the not too distant future, to the solution of problems that today look insurmountable and at times stop humanity’s progress.
That is why holding this symposium at this University, which is celebrating this year 50 years of serving as a bridge between culture and nations, takes on a special meaning, and so allow me to thank you all again for being here today on this important occasion. Welcome all to John Cabot University.