Following an invitation by George Papandreou, Greece's ex Prime Minister and founder of the Symi Symposium, the Chairman and Executive Director of IENE Mr. Costis Stambolis participated in this year's event which took place at Milatos, on the island of Crete from 7-11 of July. Following an invitation by George Papandreou, Greece's ex Prime Minister and founder of the Symi Symposium, the Chairman and Executive Director of IENE Mr. Costis Stambolis participated in this year's event which took place at Milatos, on the island of Crete from 7-11 of July. The theme of this year's Symi Symposium was "Democracy and Power, from Hybris to Nemesis" wishing to draw attention to the dangers emulating from the concentration of power and the subsequent growing of inequalities. Today, democracies are being challenged by power concentration, which is aided by the evolution of technology, which in turn creates the illusion that we acquire godlike attributes and hence there is an urgent need to repent-imagine the way our societies address their future. As the Symi Symposium introductory notes points out "Greeks have thoroughly described the dangers of Hybris- misuse of power, followed by Nemesis-retribution".
In the same note author Yuval Harari suggests, "if current trends continue, algorithms may become the nemesis of an increasingly unequal world. The new longevity and super-human qualities are likely to be the preserve of the techno super-rich, the masters of the data universe. Meanwhile, the redundancy of labour, supplanted by efficient machines, will create an enormous "useless class”. In which way, this not so distant future can be addressed? It is crusial to build substantive democracies, fighting inequalities, re-designing the future of work, regulating scientific progress and new technologies, implement a new green economic and social deal, promote peace and stability through cultivating a planetary consciousness”. These are some of the topics that were discussed at length in the annual international Symi Symposium.
As the prevailing theme of the 2019 Symi Symposium was the search of a new paradigm for shared societies, the energy sector and the current Energy Transitionprocess, emerged as an area of great interest which can provide a basis for shared action and cooperation, even between adversaries. Hence, a whole session of the Symi Symposium was dedicated to the "Energy puzzle in the Eastern Mediterranean:a blessing or a curse". Costis Stambolis contributed his thinking on the current energy dilemmas as the Energy Transition is taking hold with the goal of full decarbonisation and zero emissions dominating the agenda. A realistic view of the present situation, where carbon's participation in the global energy mix has slided by only 1,0% over the last 18 years, is that a lot more effort will be required in the next 20 to 30 years to achieve the partial removal of fossil fuels from the plane's energy balance. In this respect all different forms of energy, including natural gas, oil, nuclear, renewables and energy efficiency, have a significant role to play.
The new found gas resources in the East Mediterranean could prove pivotal in enhancing regional energy cooperation which is already happening among countries such as Egypt, Israel, Cyprus and Greece. The East Med Gas Forum is a case in point and efforts should be made to include more partners in this unique initiative. Turkey's role though remains ambivalent, to put it lightly,as she appears ready to chart its own path disregarding the existence, the rights and operational realities of the other countries in the region. Hence the role of East Med gas both in terms of providing a valuable energy resource but also presenting an opportunity for building bridges and cooperation among the countries of the region, was hotly debated in a special session which was moderated by Costis Filis, head of the Institute of International Relations of Pantion University. Participants in this session included Gallia Lindenstrauss, from the Institute of National Security of Israel, Mona Makram, former Senator of the Egyptian Parliament and distinguished Lecturer of Political Science at the American University in Cairo, Prof. Soli Ozer, Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University and Costis Stambolis, chairman and executive director of IENE.
As usual, the Symi Symposium attracted some top level thinkers from across the world and provided once again the opportunity for a frank exchange and views and ideas. As the organizers note "Symi is meant to initiate and nurture spirited deliberation in a discreet setting, while giving participants the opportunity to learn from each other in a more personal and substantive way than is usually possible. The overarching ambition of ‘’Symi’’ is to foster ideas that help make our societies more equitable, closer to needs of citizens, and better equipped to overcome global challenges. Our Symposia carry a legacy of deliberations and friendships that have borne fruit in the form of significant policy initiatives, ventures, and public service”.
In this context this year’s Symposium proved most enlightening especially as it included the "energy dimension” in its broader quest for substantive democracies and the fight against inequalities.
