The 11th International Congress of Scholas Chairs concluded with the Bali Commitment, a call to link technological innovation with human dignity, education and youth participation.

What can human beings become in a world increasingly governed by algorithms? This question permeated the World Meeting Summit and the 11th International Congress of Scholas Chairs, held from September 4 to 6, 2026 in Bali, Indonesia.

Under the theme “United in Diversity: Building Trust for Our Common Future,” the event brought together more than 200 academic and social leaders, religious authorities, businesspeople, political representatives, and young people from over 85 universities and international organizations in 35 countries at the United in Diversity (UID) campus. Many more participated via live stream.

Over three days, the presentation of more than 60 academic papers and the dialogue spaces allowed for the sharing of research, experiences and questions about the impact of artificial intelligence on integral human development.

Through the Agora methodology, people from different generations, cultures, and disciplines came together to listen to one another and develop shared proposals. The exchanges addressed five major themes: education and discernment in the digital age; the mental health of children and adolescents; the governance of artificial intelligence; the future of work and human dignity; and the challenges to democracy, communities, and peace.

They all shared a common concern: how to guide technological development towards the common good, preserving the bonds and the ability to decide on our future.

The Bali Commitment and the voice of young people

One of the main results of the meeting was the Bali Commitment, presented during the closing ceremony by Mari E. Pangestu, Vice President of the Indonesian National Economic Council.

The text incorporates the contributions of the young people from the Young Changemakers Programme, whose active participation broadened the questions of the congress. As the document states:

“Young people aren’t just asking what artificial intelligence can do. They’re asking what human beings can become in a world increasingly governed by algorithms.”.

From this exchange, shared convictions emerged:

• We don't want technologies that think for us.
• The speed of artificial intelligence cannot exceed our ability to discern.
• Knowing how to use it is not enough; we have to learn to decide when to use it and when not to.
• We need technology that connects us without replacing our bonds.
• The future cannot be designed solely by those who create the algorithms.
• It is necessary to build ethical development strategies for artificial intelligence so that it becomes a constructive tool for society.

These conclusions place the algorithmic, This is understood as an ethical perspective on the development and use of algorithms, at the heart of a collective endeavor. The commitment proposes linking technological innovation with human dignity, solidarity, social justice, and care for our common home.

For Scholas, this conversation must be open to the whole of society and begin by listening to those who will live with the consequences of current decisions for decades to come.

A closing marked by encounter and shared spirituality

The closing ceremony featured speeches by Lily Li of the Lily Foundation for the Future and co-chair of the Olive Council of Scholas Occurrentes; Cherie Nursalim of UID; and Brother Paulo Fossatti, president of the Board of Directors of the Brazilian Union of Catholic Education and of the Catholic University of Brasília. The session was moderated by Stephanie Kesuma, Director of Technology and Operations at Astra Life.

The meeting also commemorated the second anniversary of Pope Francis' visit to Indonesia and the signing of the Istiqlal Declaration.

In keeping with the Balinese tradition of Tri Hita Karana, which expresses the harmony between humanity, nature and the divine, an ecumenical and interreligious prayer was held. It was co-directed by Monsignor Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage, secretary of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue of the Holy See; Monsignor Paskalis Bruno Syukur, Bishop Emeritus of Bogor; and Monsignor Yanuarius Teofilus Matopai You, Bishop of Jayapura.

Then, Father Marcin Schmidt, ecclesiastical advisor of Scholas Occurrentes, invited the authorities and participants to water a mangrove as a symbol of peace and unity in diversity.

From Bali 2026 to Brasilia 2027

During the closing ceremony, Brother Paulo Fossatti announced that Brasilia will host the XII International Congress of Scholas Chairs in 2027.

The path to that next meeting already has a proposal: to meet again virtually in October to recover what was experienced in Bali from the three languages of Scholas —mind, heart and hands— and to give continuity to the ideas and projects that emerged during the congress.

Based on this exchange, existing action-research communities will be updated and new ones will be promoted, with an agenda that articulates research, education, governance and youth participation.

Bali thus leaves a shared commitment: to transform the questions born from the meeting into actions that contribute to a profoundly human technological development.