1st International Workshop  on

 Modern Asclepieions: Health <-> Culture

 Notes on Lecture Content

Opening Ceremony  

Several high-ranking officials from the Ministries of Health and Welfare, Culture and Environment, Natural Planning and Public Works as well as from various relevant institutions will be invited to address the participants.

Keynote addresses

The first keynote address will be from a WHO official who will speak about the Health priorities for the 21 st Century (i.e. Agenda 21)

The second key note address will be from UNESCO and/or NATO CCMS Programme official who will speak about Cultural priorities fro the 21st Century

 Session 1 / The Health Viewpoint         

Needs and Requirements

Citizens as well as health professionals have particular needs and requirements that must be addressed by public and/or private services. How the needs can be described as requirements? Medical services must be available to those in need, in a seamless and cost effective way. But health is not he absence of illness as WHO defined. Are our systems ready and efficient in covering these requirements? Do the citizens have the entire mesh of services at their disposal at any time? Is it necessary to transform the existing systems? Is it possible technically and financially?

Information, Access, Trust and Comprehension        

Citizens are educated to be able to understand and process information. What is the background a citizen must have to be able to access, understand, process, evaluate and use the information? Citizens find themselves increasingly swimming in an ocean of information without guidance and, in many cases, the signs are misinterpreted or the gatekeepers and the societal models are intentionally working against their interests. What should be done in order to use the information in an optimal way?

Can Culture Improve Health (the role of Quality)

What is culture and what is its role to the well-being of the citizens? Can culture contribute to the implementation of the WHO definition of ‘health’? Should we include welfare activities in culture? If yes, what should we do to teach our children and to facilitate activities by fellow citizens to help alleviate the difficult situations in which they find themselves. All citizens are fond of quality and are seeking a ‘quality label’ on products and services. How can culture improve the quality of health, the quality of cultural products, the quality of our actions and behaviour? 

New Dimensions in Education

The majority of European citizens are receiving more that 12 years of compulsory education. Several programmes and a lot of funds are directed towards new forms of education (like continuous education) and in job training activities, education in new technologies and familiarisation of use of new tools and technologies. Several countries including the most successful and advanced ones are re-examining their educational systems and are working out new strategies for improved educational outcomes.  Is the school system and/or the centrally organised educational activities the only place and the only activities where the citizens must resort to?

Session 1 Part II

New R&D Activities

It is a human endeavour to seek new knowledge and to use it to create new technological achievements for the benefit of mankind. New knowledge has helped many fellow citizens to overcome errors of nature, accidents of life, to prolong life and improve quality of life. All these have of course provoked also negative implications. The issue here is not to embark in a philosophical discussion. Accepting the fact new that knowledge is necessary for the well-being of citizens and the improvement of society, we must find ways to facilitate the R&D activities in health and culture.

The New Services

What kinds of services are available today to the citizens? Are they adequate? Is the way they are delivered efficient and suitable for the purpose they have been created for? Is there equity of access? Is the quality adequate? It is true that the services are variable in type, effectiveness, efficiency and broadness in different countries. What kind of services does the citizens need today? How can they be delivered to them?

General Discussion on topics of Session 1

Session 2 / The Culture Viewpoint

What Ancient Asclepieions Teach Us

Greek History / Mythology gave to us extraordinary treasures in concepts, implementation, artefacts, architecture, scientific approach and knowledge, environmental sensitivity and protection / preservation, natural resources management, culture, welfare, etc. etc. Why did all these happened?  What conditions (mythical, philosophical, social) had occurred at these times? Is all that something that cannot happen again? Do we exaggerate? And if yes what can we be taught and what can we do to try to match or approach these great achievements?  

The Role of Culture

What exactly is the role for culture in our societies? Economic factors play a more and more important role in our lives and societies. All the prototypes point towards this direction. People and especially children are bombarded daily by this kind of ‘propaganda’. Success has become synonymous to wealth.  Are we in the right track? Do we have to rethink the course of our “sailing”? What should we do?

Participation and Creation

The joy, the sense of fulfilment and the satisfaction from participation and creation are great and encourage everyone for better, further and more important achievements. Modern Asclepieions want to provide the most challenging environment to permit the citizens to demonstrate their creativity, ingenuity, innovativeness, humanism, support, and solidarity, in a few words, their human qualities. Many citizens do not have the resources, the facilities or the encouragement to do so. Can an Asclepieion be their haven? Can we invent ways to encourage participation and contribution?

Is Health part of Culture?

One view is that health is a prerequisite for culture. Ancient Asclepieions were places where health was the driving force for the achievements in culture. Modern Asclepieions will be places were health and culture must de promoted in parallel and in harmony. Is there a dilemma in front of us? What are there implications by accepting the WHO definition for health? Irrespective of the viewpoint, what are the implications by accepting that health is part of culture?    

Session 2 Part II    

The Forgotten Social Responsibilities

Modern cities and societies face more and more difficult problems that are aggravated by poor education, adequate living resources, joblessness, great expectations, bad examples and absence of prototypes. People are becoming more individualistic and seek to improve their condition and their entourage even at the expense of public resources, public interests and societal solidarity. Individualism is becoming the dominant philosophy. Arrogance and “bulimia” for material possessions are becoming more and more evident. What are our social responsibilities, given the fact that we use and consume natural resources, public goods and services?  

Health <-> Culture: A Two Way Relationship

Modern Asclepieions are based on the concept that there is a bi-directional relationship between Health and Culture. This relationship is not obvious. It must be discussed, elaborated, described, confronted, argued for or against. It is dynamic by its very nature. It cannot be confined or frozen. It must be a lively relationship, ready and able to take new forms and shapes and content in different times, different societies. At the same time should this relationship serve as a foundation and always be present in out thinking? Must it work like a lighthouse showing us the direction?

         General Discussion on topics of Session 2                            

Session 3 / The Society Viewpoint

Empowerment of Citizen

The majority of the systems created and operated for the benefit of the citizens are mainly serving the interests of those employed for their functioning. The citizen is the subject. Is bureaucracy in reign? Is it is also the rein for creative adventures?. How can the citizen be empowered? What does it mean? Are we serious about it? Do we need it? Do se want it? What is exactly needed?

The New Environment

We live in a constructed environment. We seek peace and strength by escaping to the natural environment whenever possible. For may of the citizens of our world this is just a utopia. Can we make the constructed environment better, more appealing, more friendly? Can we improve our quality of life? How? What should be the innovations in a modern Asclepieion? Can we produce something as a prototype? Can we improve the situations in existing places?  

Shaping a New Consciousness: The Role of Intellectuals

Assuming we create Modern Asclepieions – a new culture. What is the role of intellectuals? What is most important ideas or resources?

Shaping a New Consciousness: The Role of Health Professionals

Assuming we create Modern Asclepieions – a new culture. What is the role of health professionals? Are they just professionals? Do they have other roles to fulfil? Are they fulfilling the role of Asclepiads or it is a utopia? Can we really leave our health to the health professionals or we should be involved more energetically and seek to define better terms for the citizen-health professional relationship? What is the role of trust between patient and health professional? Do we have to do something about it?

Session 3 Part II

Shaping a New Consciousness: The Role of Citizens

Assuming we create Modern Asclepieions - a new culture. What is the role of a better educated, better informed, more knowledgeable, more cultivated, more sociable. How can we help the citizens to improve their human qualities?

Shaping a New Consciousness: The Role of Administration

Assuming we create Modern Asclepieions-the new culture. What is the role of the administration as a system, as an ensemble of persons all dealing with fellow citizens? How can they participate to this new consciousness? Do we need less or more administration, less or more bureaucracy, few or more rules, less or more policing, less or more ethical and/or legal responsibility?

What Specifications for Modern Asclepieions

Having discussed all the issues raised during the 3 day Workshop it is time to give a presentation on the general specifications pertaining to a Modern Asclepieion. These specifications must be quite general so they become applicable to any place, any country and any time.  Creating a Modern Asclepieion would then be a mater of applying the general specifications and adding those that are relevant to the particular conditions pertaining to the local environment. It must be possible to link all Modern Asclepieions in a network. Competition on creativity, achievements and quality of products and services must be encouraged.

               General Discussion on topics of Session 3

Closing Ceremony

The Way Forward

Returning back home every participant must feel that he/she has in his/her luggage a document describing the strategy for the necessary R&D activities that will facilitate the creation and the efficient functioning of Modern Asclepieions. The strategy will be shaped during the works of the Workshop and will be presented to the participants for approval.

It would then be desirable to express the intention for follow-up joint actions on the RD& aspects of Modern Asclepieions.

The Epidauros / Athens  Declaration

The organisers will prepare a document that will carry the title ‘The Epidauros or Athens or Epidauros / Athens Declaration’. The aim is to set up a network of scholars from all over the world willing to promote the concepts and ideas of Modern Asclepieions. The declaration will be the Constitution of the International Movement on Modern Asclepieions. Ever person or institution that will want to participate must accept, sign, observe and protect its provisions.