This activity opens the Gandia Pensa series, an initiative of the city council with the participation of the Chair for Joan Noguera. The initiative intends to create a space for conversation and dialogue so that citizens, educational institutions and all interested parties can increase the defence of democracy, equality, justice and human rights.
Gandía, 9 May 2025 – Gandía has become a reference city for the defence of democratic and humanist values with the holding of the conference carried out by the writer and philosopher Theodor Kallifatides. This activity opens the series Gandia Pensa, an initiative of the city council with the participation of the Chair for Joan Noguera. The initiative intends to create a space for conversation and dialogue so that citizens, educational institutions and all interested parties can increase the defence of democracy, equality, justice and human rights. The project counts with the implication of the Chair for Territorial Thinking Joan Noguera of the Universitat de València, the CEIC Alfons el Vell (Center of Studies and Cultural Research) and the Dirección General del Libro (Directorate-General of the Book) from the Ministry of Culture.
The Ducal Palace got small to listen to the Greek author that, in his lecture called “El humanismo como defensa ante el fanatismo” (Humanism as a defence against fanatism) reflected upon respect as a salvation of democratic values, about the situation of the current world, and the necessity to reconnect with human, spiritual and community roots.
Previously, the author stated in the book of Honor de la Ciudad (Honour of the City): “No hay justicia sin libertad, ni libertad sin justicia” (there is no justice without freedom, nor freedom without justice), in the presence of Gandía’s mayor –José Manuel Prieto– and the spokespeople of the political forces represented in the Consistory.
After the signing, Prieto qualified the presence in the city of Kallifatides as an honour and he has influenced in the importance of such a relevant person being the first one to participate in the Gandia Pensa forum. “We have turned Gandia into an island in the middle of the noise, but also into a lighthouse for everyone who consider themselves democratic in a world of uncertainty".
Kallifatides stated: “we must do what is necessary to restore our cultures” and assured to be very happy of being in Gandía.
About the global future, he has indicated that the solutions against the current problems do exist “even though many politics think war and eliminating the opponent is the solution”. “This way of thinking is one of the worst and oldest traditions of humanity. We must radically change the meaning of resolving a problem. The only way to end with this situation is lasting and universal peace without exceptions”.
Conference “El humanismo como defensa del fanatismo”
Writer and philosopher Kallifatides has warned during his intervention about contemporary crisis, comparing it with the World War II that he lived as a child. “The world in in crisis, a crisis that can get as big as the one I lived in my childhood, that is, a world war. Is there anything that can save us from this nonsense? There is, and it is the same than the last time. We need to find respect again”. “Respect is that single feeling of affection and attachment for life, for that great wonder, for children’s laugh, for the singing of blackbirds… For everything”.
From there, he has explored how that respect is shown and then is lost, by sharing anecdotes of his childhood in Greece, of his current life as a senior in Sweden, and of the big differences among generations.
In addition, he supported the values transmitted by religions –whether being devout or not–, the symbols and rituals as a way of solace, and he has criticised modern consumer society, where "everything has a price but nothing has an intrinsic value". "In a life without limits, everything ends up having the same value. Moral indifference is not one of the seven deadly sins, but it is a sin though. We need to involve ourselves and we need limits for our actions". A situation that, according to the author, has ended up causing disconnection among generations.
On the other hand, he has highlighted: “The necessity that a human being has for living in community might not be an intellectual imperative, but a programmed instinct in our genome instead. Any reason is worthy for entering a group, for taking part in something bigger, without it being about worshiping a god or a sudden outburst”.
To conclude, he asked: “What do we need, we adults? No more consumer goods. No more giant babies that drive us. We need the wisdom that has been progressively collected. The wise men are made, not born".
At the end of the conference, Kallifatides and Prieto had a conversation, moderated by the commissioner of Gandia Pensa –Àngels Gregori–, where they talk about democracy and respect; social media and news immediacy; and education and values.
