SCIENTISTS WELCOME UNESCO INITIATIVE on SCIENCE for PEACE and DEVELOPMENT

Web version of a press release issued on 12th November 2001 by SGR

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) [1] welcomes UNESCO's newly declared World Science Day for Peace and Development [2].

The Day will be each 10 November, starting next year. Alan Cottey, SGR's coordinator of the UK Week of Science and Peace [3] said "SGR looks forward to supporting WSDPD and participating. We are pleased that the Day will be coordinated by UNESCO, and with a budget, albeit modest. For many years the International Week of Science and Peace has been celebrated by purely voluntary efforts, with no budget. We expect that worldwide coordination and publicity by UNESCO will increase significantly the impact of the participating events."

The UK Week of Science and Peace (UKWOSP2001), 5 - 11 November, has just ended. Events [4] included

• a course for staff from natural, cultural or historic sites, organised by Snowdonia National Park Study Centre
• The World's Greatest Ideas Party, thrown by the Institute for Social Inventions
• a debate on 'Science and Society - Time for a New Relationship?' organised by the Norwich Research Park
• a conference on 'Citizenship, Business Studies and Economics Education: The Global and Ethical Perspective', organised jointly by Just Business and the University of London Institute of Education
• a vigil for the imprisoned Israeli technician and whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu
• awareness and fund raising for appropriate technology projects that help to solve problems created by landmines. Organised by Norwich Landmines Action Group
• a conference on 'No Star Wars: Keep Space for Peace' organised by Sheffield CND.

Philip Webber, Vice-chair of SGR, says "The UKWOSP2001 programme offered a wide range of efforts towards peace building which are unfortunately more vital than ever in these troubled times."

Notes:

[1] Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) is an independent UK organisation of scientists committed to the ethical use of science and technology. SGR, PO Box 473, Folkestone, CT20 1GS, UK. Tel 07771 883696. Email: info@sgr.org.uk, website http://www.sgr.org.uk

[2] A PDF version of UNESCO's Feasibility study may be found here. More information about the decision is on the SciDev website

[3] More information may be found on UKWOSP2001

[4] The full list of events is on this link.

For further information contact Dr Alan Cottey, Coordinator of UKWOSP2001 (Tel 01508 492464 Email AlanC@sgr.org.uk). If he is unavailable, contact SGR press representative Jan Tari (Tel 07798 523534), or email pressoffice@sgr.org.uk