Astronomy for Peace

Presentation theme: future sustainability and worldviews

We as human beings are more alike than we are different. And yet around the world we find that all too often the differences are emphasized instead of the similarities. It was twenty years ago, while on sabbatical in Sri Lanka that I first encountered the idea of using astronomy to help promote peace. The retired director of the Sri Lankan Planetarium, Mr. T.C. Samaranayaka (Sam) and I talked about it at length. Sri Lanka was in the midst of a prolonged civil war. At the planetarium, Sam had brought together some of the young people from the different sides and was using astronomy to help them to see something bigger than themselves; something that might help bring them together and promote peace in their country. Since then, programs in the Canary Islands, Western Sahara, Colombia and Cyprus have pursued similar goals. Can astronomy help promote peace? My presentation will review these projects and look at the possibility of developing similar programs in other parts of the world.

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