Center for Development of Humanistic Ecology and Culture
Center for Development
of Humanistic Ecology and Culture
RuEnDe
Anthropological Charter

HUMEC presents «Anthropological charter»

The purpose of HUMEC's work is to develop the concept of humanistic ecology and culture, which is based on the balance of human development, nature conservation and culture.

Center for Development of Humanistic Ecology and Culture (HUMEC) is an independent NGO, based in Russia. The purpose of HUMEC’s work is to develop the concept of humanistic ecology and culture, which is based on the balance of human development, nature conservation and culture. HUMEC promotes the ideas of the concept of humanistic ecology and culture in the public and information field both in Russia and abroad. The Center organizes public and scientific discussions on these topics in order to attract public attention to them. One of the main fields of HUMEC’s research are the anthropological aspects of the challenges of technological and social development of mankind in the 21st century. We also work internationally at the UN and OSCE platforms.

In May 2019 a representative of HUMEC spoke in Geneva at the 22nd session of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development, where we presented the project «Anthropological Charter», dedicated to the anthropological aspects of the challenges of technological and social development of mankind in the 21st century and to the problems of understanding human rights in the context of the development of frontier technologies.

As it was mentioned by the documents of the UN General Assembly in 2014, our commitments to sustainable development, inclusiveness and human rights require that the emerging information society be shaped in the interests of humanity in order to maximize the benefits of new technology and minimize the risks that it may pose.

Although current developments in frontier technologies — biotechnology, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and robotization etc. — open up new possibilities for humanity, they also raise very serious concerns. Does material and technical progress always promote human rights and human dignity? Does it always create conditions for equality and justice and guarantee the respect for personal privacy, security, and safety or the prevention of any forms of discrimination and hate crime? We cannot ignore the worrisome fact, that some directions of technological development threaten to undermine the very essence of Man as a rational and spiritual being, and also to «dehumanize» social and economic relations.

Today it is a time to rethink our attitude to frontier technologies in the way of priority of human rights and human dignity. HUMEC (Center for Development of Humanistic Ecology and Culture) presents «Anthropological charter» — a document for international discussion — what are the actions that the international community can take to contribute to maximize the benefits and mitigate the risk associated to rapid technological change?

Besides theoretical projects we have an experimental habitat project, which we see as an example for further multiplication. It is the eco-park and eco-settlement «Russkiy bereg» («Russian coast») at the Volga river’s shore in Ulyanovsk. In this place we try to unite ecological principles, cultural traditions of different nations and volunteer activity. It is also a place for international events — here you can see one of the meetings of the II BRICS Young Leaders Seminar.

One of our aims is to develop practical recommendations and examples of the new type of the habitat for the future — were in the new type of eco-friendly settlements, based on ecological and humanistic cultural values people of all generations could live, work, have leisure and volunteer activities, and that is of high importance — in the same time create an inclusive environment for disabled and elderly people. In such an environment we could join new technologies and our humanistic approach to people, nature and culture.