The 47th Annual Research Conference on “Hope:
Philosophizing from Multi Horizons” jointly organised by the Association of
Christian Philosophers of India (ACPI) and Mangalore University’s Chair in
Christianity was officially inaugurated on October 19, 2024, at St Joseph’s
Interdiocesan Seminary, Jeppu, Mangalore.
The event commenced with a Bharatanatyam dance and the recitation
of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution. Honourable Vice-Chancellor of
Mangalore University, Prof. P.L. Dharma, officially inaugurated the conference
and Most Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, Bishop of Mangalore, presided over the
event. Very Rev. Dr Ronald Serrao, Rector of St Joseph’s Seminary and Rev. Dr
John Peter Vallabhadoss, President ACPI were present as dignitaries.
Dr
Parinitha, Head of the Department of English, Mangalore University delivered
the keynote address.
The edition of ACPI Annual Series, “Engulfing Presence of
Artificial Intelligence: Challenges and Opportunities” was released by Bishop
Peter Paul Saldanha, who handed the first copy to Prof. P.L. Dharma. Most Rev.
Dr Peter Paul Saldanha highlighted the importance of hope as a central theme in
human existence. Drawing from Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, he
addressed the philosophical challenges of despair, suicide, and moral
degradation, asserting that hope is the key to survival and resilience.
In her keynote address, Dr Parinitha emphasized that hope is born
at the intersection of dissent and discomfort with the material conditions of
our existence. She argued that hope arises from recognizing the potential for
change in these conditions and the historical possibilities that allow for such
transformation. The annual conference, which took place from October 19-21, has
brought together over 100 scholars and
thinkers in the field of philosophy.