Thinkers and artists, in Europe as in the Middle East, are beginning to mark out the paths leading to transformations in our economy and society. Assessing the motivations and the effects of the ‘fabric of hate’, analysed by Charles Kleiber in his project on ‘world transformations’, the ROO-Mercier will explore with a careful and critical eye the different possible transformations, such as:

- the metamorphosis of political structures capable of ‘globalising democracy’ (Mireille Delmas-Marty (MDM), Eva Maria Belser, Antoine Messarra, Nicolas Levrat)

- the metamorphsis of law into an evolving ‘makeshift’ legal system, adapting to its contexts (MDM), a law also aimed at guaranteeing common goods superior to property law and national sovereignties (Giraud)

- an anthropological metamorphosis, opening minds to the awareness of the interdependence between human beings, as well between human actions and the natural world (MDM, Gaël Giraud, François Gemenne, Caroline Abu Sa’da)

- an economic metamorphosis, based on inclusive interdependencies, which may bring about real ecological change (Gaël Giraud, Charbel Nahas, Derek Queisser de Stockalper)

- metamorphoses guided by a ‘compass of possibilities’ (MDM), towards a plural humanism, rooted in: *art and culture, as well as intercultural conversations (M-A. Moratinos, C. Méla) *a free press, guaranteeing the expression of a variety of viewpoints (Michel Helou, Jean-Marie Etter, Romaine Jean) *multicultural libraries (Dionigi Albera, Ismaël Serageldin, Francesco Piraino, Mohamed Janjar).