The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas on Monday, 26 June 2017, declared the opening of the conference “Military and Society: New Models for new challenges” at the War Museum organized by ERGOMAS, a scientific non-profit organization that focuses its scientific studies on military sociology.

The Alternate Defence Minister, in his address, stated:

“Thank you for the invitation; to be honest, I consider myself a privileged man because I have the chance to represent the Ministry of National Defence in the opening ceremony of your conference.

The name of the conference is: “Army and Society: New models for new challenges”. I truly believe that this is the proper opportunity, more specifically, the opportunity that the Hellenic Armed Forces and Universities are given every two years in order to express their opinions, in the context of your conference, and to point out the most current scientific matters of sociology.

Military sociology aims at the systematic study of the Armed Forces, firstly, as a social group, that is as a group of people and, secondly, as a military organization.

And this is the key point which I always stress: The Armed Forces are not a group separated from the society, but a group assigned with a special mission for the community, for people.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is even more obvious that military sociology is concerned with the relation between the army and the community (in a general sense) as well as with the interconnection among the latter with other state organizations and services and this is why the matters which are about to be discussed today, are relevant to the new challenges we are called on to face, such as: the Press and the Armed Forces, woman’s position in the Armed Forces and her position in the family, the relation between the Armed Forces and the community, and the permanent role of morale, cohesion and leadership in the Armed Forces.

Over the last two years, the Armed Forces have surprised everybody with their ability to fully meet the requirements of the management of the refugee/migrant issue. This ability has not evolved only in the field of organization and rapidity of response, but, even better, in the field of human care and respect of human life and dignity.  

It is clear for me that the Armed Forces have to undertake a double role, particularly in peace time, on one hand to have the necessary preparation and on the other hand to make a social contribution.

For this reason, in my opinion, along with the military training, we must pay special attention to general knowledge and, even further, to humanities.

Dear participants,

The conference of ERGOMAS, aiming at a high level of scientific work, can raise questions and concerns to the participants based on the issues that have been developed.

And this, I think, is the most important part of each conference and each discussion: to be able to have questions that cannot be answered rather than having answers that cannot be questioned.
 
I am absolutely sure that you will enjoy this conference by exchanging opinions and thoughts, based on free discussion which is by itself a proof of cooperation between civilized people, among freely thinking people in the capital of Democracy, Athens.

At this point I would like to declare the opening of the conference and wish you all to have a constructive conference”.