Vern Bullogh

The Delphi Conference

The first International Multidisciplinary Conference on Human Behaviour and the Meaning of Modern Humanism, co-sponsored by IHEU, was held at Delphi, Greece, June 1995.

THIS unusual conference was organised by a group headed by Dennis V. Razis, a Greek physician specialising in oncology, who had become convinced of the need for humans to pull together to work for solutions to the predicament of humanity in today's world. He set out to organise an interdisciplinary conference of scientists and scholars from a variety of disciplines in the first of what he visualised as a series of ongoing conferences and subsequent pronouncements.

Dr Razis had provided the initial impetus but he had been encouraged and in part funded by the late Melini MercoUri, his long-time patient and friend, who was then Minister of Culture in Greece. After her death, additional funding was obtained from a variety of .Greek governmental and private organisations. The IHEU become involved largely through the efforts of the Dutch physician, Peter V. Admiraal, a leader in the Dutch Euthanasia movement and a member of the academy of Humanism.

General topics focussed around the dangers of war and threat of atomic extinction, massive poverty, environmental degradation, and ever-increasing population, and within each of these categories there were sub-topics. Though the possibility of any nongovernmental organisation trying to solve any of these problems sometimes seemed insurmountable, a consensus was reached that non-governmental groups had an important role to play in educating the public and helping to point the way to the best approaches which might be utilised.

Dr. Razis, and members of the organising committee, were encouraged by those in attendance to explore the formation of a nongovernmental group, the name of which is as yet undetermined, but which will include Delphi in the title. One of the problems on which they will concentrate their energy is the population explosion which in the present-day world seems to underlie most of the other problems discussed. Several approaches wore explored, but one that seemed particularly attractive, was a combined approach emphasising dissemination of contraception and empowerment of women.

Jules Dassin, the husband of the late Melini Mercouri, set the conference on its mission by emphasising the importance of discussion, but only if it led to action. Major speakers included the Greek Minister of Defence, who emphasised the importance of non-governmental organisations, the Metropolite of Amphissa (the church official over the Delphi area), and numerous academics and scientists. Representing the IHEU were co-presidents, Rob Tielman and Vern Bullough and former co-president, Paul Kurtz, as well as Bonnie Bullough of the United States, J.M.R. Delago of Spain, Timothy Madigan of Free Inquiry, Jean Claude Pecker (of France) and Paul Cliteur, President of the Dutch Humanists. Also presenting were three other Dutch humanists, Pieter Admiraal, H: Visser, and C. M. Zoethout. Scheduled to speak but unable to attend were Antony Flew of the UK and Fons Elders of the Netherlands.