Welcome
at the World Cultural Council´s 20th Anniversary
Award Ceremony

by Prof. Ilkka Niiniluoto
Rector of the University of Helsinki

The National Archives of Finland
November 17th 2003.

On behalf of the University of Helsinki, it is a great privilege for me to welcome all of you to the official awards ceremony in the building of the Finnish National Archive. In this ceremony, the World Cultural Council will present the Albert Einstein World Award of Science to an eminent British scientist and astronomer and the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts to a distinguished German educator and creative artist. At the same time the World Cultural Council, founded by Dr. José Rafael Estrada with 124 top-level scientists in Mexico in 1982, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

The World Cultural Council is an international organization which - together with Albert Einstein University, the World Peace Organization, and the Peace Education Society - belongs to the Global Foundation. The Council has a very noble objective: to increase the positive use of knowledge, to improve our understanding of the evolution of the world and culture, and to promote fraternity among all people and nations. The Council has a strong commitment to the belief that philosophy, scientific research, and artistic creation can advance the social, cultural, moral, and spiritual condition of mankind. Therefore, as one of its main activities, the Council wishes to recognize and praise progress in science and arts: the Einstein Award is every year presented to a researcher who has brought true benefit and well being to mankind, and the da Vinci Award is every second year presented to an artist who has made a significant contribution to the artistic legacy of the world.

The World Cultural Council wishes to establish relations to important scientific and educational institutions throughout the world. To promote this purpose, the Award Ceremonies have been hosted by different universities. The chain started in Stockholm in 1985, and its latest links have been Johannesburg (2000), Utrecht (2001), and Dublin (2002). It is a great honor to the University of Helsinki that, together with the Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters, it has been chosen as the host of the 20th Award Ceremony of the World Cultural Council. For me personally, as Rector of the University, is it a pleasure to be able to participate in this important event and to deliver the medals to the award winners of the year 2003.

We live in a world which is full of battle, fighting, misery, and suffering. Unfortunately the results and discoveries of science and technology have been used also for evil and destructive purposes. Many people are desperate or losing their faith in the progress of the humanity. In this situation, it is a great delight to see that there still are insightful persons and powerful international organizations which actively work for improving the human condition. We must not give up our attempt to build up a better world. Scientific research, artistic creation, and education for all are the main tools that we have for advancing this ethically demanding objective. Universities as academic institutions have a responsibility of serving the whole of humanity and its sustainable future on our globe, and thus we are natural allies to organizations that share the same moral goal.

With these thoughts I wish all of you welcome to the Award Ceremony of the World Cultural Council!