《The Second Annual Conference》

Antonis Samaras: Harmony Is the Fundamental Pursuit of Humanity

 

Antonis Samaras, Prime Minister of Greece

 

Abstract: Building ecological civilization demands a far-reaching vision. The best way to build an ecological civilization is to have a long-term vision. And the best way to do so is through wisdom and strength from the ancient traditional culture, including some of the views of Chinese philosopher Laozi and several views put forward by Greek sage Aristotle, whose wisdoms represent the highest level of humanity.

 

As a Greek, I am honored to visit China. I think what Greek and Chinese civilizations have in common is the emphasis on harmony. In the Greek culture, harmony is the most beautiful and philosophical notion; in the Chinese tradition, harmony has a spiritual connotation. As you can see, harmony is closely related to the building of ecological civilization that we propose today.

 

We need to think deeply about how to achieve harmonious development, how to protect the environment while promoting economic growth, how to coordinate limited resources and human needs, how to limit the needs of different countries to a level that is not excessive, how to share the air we breathe and the water we use, etc. It is very important to strike a balance between different goals, views, and perspectives, and to learn to share. Only with harmony between humanity and nature can human society develop better.

 

Harmony is the fundamental pursuit of humanity and the longing of peoples around the world. We cannot achieve this goal overnight, rather, we must tirelessly pursue it. Harmony is beautiful in spiritual sense, both at the individual and social levels. The sustainable development of human society can only be achieved when people and the environment develop in harmony. Harmony is a demonstration of beauty, prosperity, and freedom. Ecological civilization is also closely related to harmony. The purpose of our gathering today is to discuss ecological civilization and goals in the future. Coming from different countries, ideologies, and cultures, we need to join hands to reduce our dependence on resources, to reduce our consumption of resources and stop polluting rivers, lakes, and the air. We need to seek renewable energy sources to reduce the need for fossil fuels. We need to leave a better planet for future generations and set mechanisms and rules, especially at the global level, to better protect the environment.

 

We need to do more than just protect the environment; moreover, we need to improve it. We should take concrete actions to make the values, such as harmony, beauty, and sharing as I mentioned earlier, take root in people's hearts and minds, so that we can achieve our goals. The best way to build an ecological civilization is to have a long-term vision looking to the future; to achieve it, we can draw wisdom and strength from the ancient traditional culture, including some of the views of Chinese philosopher Laozi and several views put forward by Greek sage Aristotle, whose wisdoms represent the highest level of humanity.