Panel discussion with speakers on the way forward. Introductory remarks by Hugo von Meijenfeldt and contributary remark by Alide Roerink. This panel discussion will take... Read More

Our physical health and spiritual well-being are intrinsically linked to ecosystems. All life rests on them, meaning in other words: do not invoke the wrath of Mother Nature, but enjoy her benign beauty. Our expert speaker Johan van de Gronden, moral philosopher and conservationist will provide us with his insights of many years working in this field.

The spherical themes discussed at this Symposium also have strong security implications. The degradation of the natural environment can cause or exacerbate conflicts, and conflicts in turn can lead to the degradation of the environment, leaving us in a vicious cycle. Speaker General (ret) Tom Middendorp, former Chief of Defence of the Netherlands, has many years’ experience in the military and knows exactly why environmental degradation is a threat to our security.

In times of fake news, fake science and social media, scientific accuracy is at risk of being eroded. However, its importance for painting an accurate picture of how the world works, where we are at and where we will be going is more important than ever.