An article by Panagiotis Roilos, President of the European Cultural Center of Delphi
Today, in one of the most dynamic transitional phases of the Anthropocene era, Delphi must assume a leading role in global culture and the philosophical and culturally mediated exploration of the major issues of our time. This role has been assumed by the European Cultural Center of Delphi (ECCD) ever since its foundation in 1977, but much more intensely and systematically in the last three years. To a great extent, ECCD constitutes the continuation not only of the vision of the Delphic festivals, which were established by Angelos Sikelianos in 1927, but also of the most dynamic and progressive aspects of his Delphic ideal as a whole—an ideal that the Center has expanded and adapted to the needs and priorities of our times. I am convinced that by prioritizing the exploration, from different perspectives and through diverse cultural initiatives, of the rapid developments that humanity is experiencing today in the areas of culture, thought, politics, and science, the Delphi Center will be able to become, in fact, it has already become, a dynamic hub of contemporary world culture and philosophical thought.
As soon as I assumed the presidency of the European Cultural Center of Delphi in August 2022, succeeding Hélène Arhweiler, I set as my priority to strengthen and further develop the role of the Center as a truly international epicenter, hub for the circulation and the production of culture (and in “culture” I include also philosophical thought)—culture understood as a means of bringing different traditions together and not as an instrument of any form of hegemony, as a major resource for the promotion of individual and collective self-knowledge, in accordance also with the ancient Delphic principles/maxims and the vision of Angelos Sikelianos.
In addition to the Delphi Academy, which has established itself as an academic institution of considerable global visibility and is fully funded by the Region of Central Greece thanks to the generosity and unstinting support of the Governor Fanis Spanos, four major initiatives have been developed and will be further advanced in the coming years with a view to expanding the Center’s international caliber and impact. First, the creation of the International cultural network/Forum of Delphi. This concerns cultural exchanges between various countries and the advancement of issues of cultural politics and intercultural collaboration and dialogue, especially in light of ongoing social and (geo)political developments all over the world. In this context, a cooperation agreement has already been signed between the Center and a major research center in Slovenia, which involves also the establishment of a research scholarship for the study of Mediterranean history, politics, and culture, in memory of Ioannis Kapodistrias (The Ioannis Kapodistrias Fellowship).
Second, the institution of theDelphi Dialogues. Every year, internationally acclaimed thinkers and scholars of significant impact explore a number of issues related to AI, the era of the post-human and democracy, biopolitics, bioethics, the ecological crisis, the refugee crisis, etc. The first three Delphi Dialogues have been watched online by over one million people from all over the world—an unprecedented success, not only for Greece! The Delphi Dialogues are fully supported by Eurolife. This donation has also ensured the organization of additional cultural events at the Center, including the major Picasso exhibition two years ago. Third, the creation of an artist/author residency.
I would also like to announce the establishment of a new international institution, the Delphic Oracle Project: The Future of Humanity, which will be officially launched in 2027, the year that will mark the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the ECCD and the 100th anniversary of the first Delphic festivals. Scientists from different fields (e.g. AI, astrophysics, biotechnology, medicine, etc.), but also scholars in the social sciences and the humanities will meet in Delphi to announce and analyze discoveries and developments in their respective fields and how these will affect humanity, the human species and its societies, and the planet Earth as a whole. I have already begun to put together an international committee of pioneers, internationally renowned and influential scientists in these fields, who will coordinate the work of the Delphic Oracle Project: The Future of Humanity. The Fourth Delphic Dialogues, which will take place on July 3-5, 2026, will function as a forerunner of this new international institution. At the same time, Ι have initiated the establishment of another ambitious project/network of international scope. This is the Delphi League (Delphi Amphictyony): The International Society of the Friends of the European Cultural Center of Delphi, which will be chaired by Ambassador Anastasios Kriekoukis. Finally, a major international conference (“Ioannis Kapodistrias: A European Politician”) will take place in early December 2026 to celebrate the end of 2026, the year that marks the 250th anniversary of Kapodistrias’ birth.
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Panagiotis Roilos is the George Seferis Professor of Modern Greek Studies and Professor of comparative literature at Harvard University, where he is also a member of the Standing Committee on Medieval Studies and the Steering Committee on Byzantine Studies as well as faculty associate of the Minda de Ginzburg Center for European Studies, and of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (WCFIA). At WCFIA he has established the research Seminar Series on Cultural Politics. He is the President of the European Cultural Center of Delphi. He is also the founder and director of the Delphi Academy of European Studies and of the international cultural forum The Delphi Dialogues. He is the (co)author and (co)editor of twelve books, including Towards a Ritual Poetics (co-author; 2003); Amphoteroglossia: A Poetics of the Twelfth-Century Medieval Greek Novel (2005); C. P. Cavafy: The Economics of Metonymy (2009); Imagination and Logos: Essays on C. P. Cavafy (editor; 2010); Lamenting Greece: The Early German Philhellenism (15th-17th centuries) (2026); Neomedieval Metacapitalism (forthcoming).
TAGS: CULTURE | GLOBAL GREEKS
