Ismail Serageldin gave a moving and eloquent intonation in the concert organized at the old church in Siljansnäs. His words preceded the playing of Beethoven’s Pastorale. The message of beauty and truth was particularly apposite in the circumstances of the forum that would open the next day. Among the eminent audience was His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden. The annual Tällberg Forum gathers leaders from around the world for discussion and reflection. Under the theme In Search of the Common Sense, the mission of the forum this year, was to explore a path towards a sustainable balance between the systems of human activity and the natural systems.