New Acropolis (NA; Spanish: Organización Internacional Nueva Acrópolis; OINA; French: Organisation Internationale Nouvelle Acropole, association internationale sans but lucratif) is a non-profit organisation originally founded in 1957 by Jorge Ángel Livraga Rizzi in Argentina. It is positioning itself as a school of philosophy that promotes culture and practises volunteering, and is present in approximately 500 branches in over 50 countries." As of 2020, its president is Carlos Adelantado Puchal.

Aims

New Acropolis describes its founding principles as follows:

According to the organization's 2018 assembly resolution, New Acropolis has "three lines of action": philosophy, culture and volunteering.

Teachings

The organization describes itself as a school of philosophy, which it defines as "a way of life [and] as a means of access to spiritual knowledge and collective and individual realization." It is described by Clifton L. Holland as "a post-theosophical movement that combines elements from many sources: Theosophy, Esoteric thought, alchemy, astrology, and Eastern and Greek philosophy".

The organization's music competitions attract many participants, such as one in Peru which in 2018 attracted more than 6,000. The organization's 2018 commemoration of the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, which took place in Mumbai, India, was endorsed by right-wing Indian Prime minister Narendra Modi, the Dalai Lama, and Devendra Fadnavis.

New Acropolis has been promoting World Philosophy Day seminars around the world; some of its branches were supported in this effort by UNESCO.

supported in this effort by UNESCO.

In 2020, the Peruvian branch of the organization was awarded the Congressional Diploma of Honor by congresswoman Maria Teresa Cabrera, for its educational work promoting culture, philosophy and volunteering.

Organization and structure

According to 1976's Manual del Dirigente (Leader's Handbook) the organization's structure is pyramidal and hierarchical. Professor Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke stated in 2003 that "the structure, organization, and symbolism of the Nouvelle Acropole [New Acropolis] is clearly indebted to fascist models." However, Serge Blisko, director of the French Interministerial Mission for Monitoring and Combatting Cultic Deviances (MIVILUDES) said to Vice magazine in 2014 that "the French government still considers New Acropolis a cult and it remains under surveillance".

Bibliography

  • About New Acropolis (Critical Review): Organization "New Acropolis" – a destructive cult