O4H Peace & Democracy Summit

Since our first O4H Summit in 2014, O4H Academy is organizing symposia, social entrepreneurship workshops and showcase forums (O4H Summit) parallel to the O4H Praxis and Champions of Change program, aiming to advance interdisciplinary, academic human-centered alliances, scholarship and educational opportunities that will amplify the resolution of existing global challenges. The main highlights of our first O4H Summits in Ancient Olympia, were Professors’ Fathali Moghaddam, Barbara Burns , Andrew Yiannakis, John Sugden and Alexis Lyras‘ keynote addresses. They all emphasized the connection between Olympism and Humanism as a peacebuilding transdisciplinary platform for embracing omniculturism, a collective sense of humanity, personal and democracy actualization, community health, social innovation and resilience (Burns, 2014, 2015, 2021; Lyras 2013, 2014, 2020, 2021; Moghaddam, 2014, 20200; Sugden, 2017, Yiannakis, 2023). These foundations are integrated in our Olympism for Humanity (O4H) and Sport For Development (SFD) Theories and serve as a universal transdisciplinary blueprint for applied knowledge production, academic teaching, social innovation, community development, fundraising and data-driven Humanity in Action ventures – across continents  (Lyras, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2020, 2021, 2023). 

 A Call for Humanity’s Collective Wisdom & Action

History has taught us that the direct and indirect effects of the economic recession, unemployment, poverty, and civic disengagement are interconnected with xenophobia, immigration, war and violence across groups and cultures. While a number of scholars, academics, policy makers, practitioners and humanitarian agencies have been engaging in discourses and programming related to the resolution of existing social challenges, “the problems around us grow faster than the actions each one of us is taking.” Based on the foundation that “we can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them” (Albert Einstein), the annual O4H Summit is aiming to establish a world-leading platform of an inter-disciplinary community where youth, scholars, researchers, thinkers, policy-makers, and practitioners work collaboratively “to explore and enhance the contribution of Olympism to humanity” (IOA, 2011)

During this conference, academics, NGO practitioners, youth, educators and humanitarian actors showcase Olympism in Action programs and scholarship and participate in workshops to embrace a shared vision.

The residential O4H Summit takes place in Athens, Delphi and Ancient Olympia, Greece and across continents parallel to to the O4H Praxis- Champions of Change  training. This summit serves as a platform for introspection, community building, system re-design, social entrepreneurship and a global action showcase forum.

We envision this platform as an introspective venue for a journey across “time and space” in an attempt to build bridges across disciplines, cultures and institutions- merging development, social cohesion, civic engagement, peacebuilding, innovation, restoration and resilience.

Our vision is to create an inspiring and enlightened setting for the advancement of a discourse about social innovation and collective global-local actions where the academic world, change agencies, youth and humanitarian actors can be connected to the challenges of our local communities.

Our challenge is to advance applied interdisciplinary scholarship, local action and civic engagement opportunities that will potentially reform the role of academic institutions, youth and humanitarian actors into agencies that reach out and engage, support and collaborate for the improvement of the human condition.

Based on the Socratic notion of wisdom, this summit serves as a journey of knowledge uninhibited by borders of language, discipline, culture, time and tradition. Questioning our current state of being (personal and institutional) will advance collective knowledge and actions towards the improvement of the human condition-locally and across the globe.

This summit aims to serve as a space for introspection, inspiration, as well as a foundation for creating actions geared towards strengthening global humanitarian action. We, therefore, invite you to join a dynamic community at the birthplace of the Olympic Spirit. Join us in Olympia to light your O4H “torch” and become an “Olympian” in service of humanity.

O4H Summit Contributions

• Keynote addresses, Keynote Panels and Parallel Session with Paper Oral Presentations
• Roundtable Discussions, Workshops & Poster Presentation Sessions
• Site Visits: Ancient Olympia Museum, Ancient Olympia’s archeological site, cultural program

Applications for the 2024 O4H Peace and Democracy Summit & O4H Praxis as part of the O4H Champions of Change Certificate Program are now open

Be part of history – make your first steps towards our shared Humanity G.O.A.L.S. and Vision. 

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