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I N D I A Message
from on
the occasion of the
The world is facing today a trilemma, or a triple dilemma. Over 3 billion struggling to survive with an income of less than US $ 2 per capita per day, are crying for peace and equitable economic development. Countries in Southern Africa, Ethiopia and Afghanistan are in the midst of serious famines. There have been reports of children being sold for bags of wheat. The Roman Philosopher Seneca said 2,000 years ago, "A hungry person listens neither to reason nor religion, nor is bent by any prayer". Thus, one aspect of the trilemma is the craving for peace, and development which is equitable in social and gender terms. On another side, there is a growing violence in the human heart. Terms like ethnic cleansing and biological and biochemical terrorism are being widely used in the media. The revival of small pox is becoming a possibility. The nuclear peril has again raised its head. There are over 30000 nuclear weapons in the arsenals of major and minor nuclear powers. The availability of large quantities of highly enriched uranium increases opportunities for nuclear adventurism. The third side of the trilemma is the spectacular progress of science and technology, resulting in increasing technological divide between industrialised and developing countries. If access to technology has been a major cause of economic inequity in the past, the challenge now lies in enlisting technology as an ally in the movement for social and gender equity. In 1994, the report of the International Commission on Peace and Food which I chaired was released in UNESCO by its then Director General, Prof Federico Mayor. Unfortunately, the Peace Dividend we had then anticipated, as a result of the end of the cold war and the break up of the Berlin Wall, is yet to materialise. In fact, the expenditure on military hardware and internal security is increasing day by day, particularly after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Contemperory developmental challenges, particularly those relating to poverty, gender injustice and environmental degradation are indeed formidable. However, the remarkable advances now taking place in information and communication technology, space technology, biotechnology, agricultural and medical sciences, and renewable energy and clean energy technologies provide hope for a better common present and future. Genomics, proteomics, internet, space and solar technologies and nanotechnology are opening up uncommon opportunities for converting the goals of food, health, literacy and work for all into reality. It is however clear that such uncommon opportunities can be realised only if the technology push is matched by an ethical pull. This is essential for working towards a world where both unsustainable life styles and unacceptable poverty become features of the past. Also, there is a growing mismatch between the rate of progress in science, particularly in the area of molecular biology and genetic engineering and the public understanding of its short and long term implications. There is an urgent need for institutional structures which can inspire public confidence that the risks and benefits are being measured in an objective and transparent manner. Scientists and Technologists have a particularly vital role to play in launching an Ethical Revolution. The Pugwash movement, which I now have the privilege to lead, is an expression of the social and moral duty of scientists to promote the beneficial applications of their work and prevent their misuse, to anticipate and evaluate the possible unintended consequences of scientific and technological development, and to promote debate and reflection of the ethical obligations of scientists in taking responsibility for their work. It will be appropriate to quote in this context, what Bertrand Russell and Albert Einstein said in their famous manifesto of 1955 issued on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the use of atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "We appeal as human beings to human beings. Remember your humanity and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death". Shall we renounce war and violence as a method of settling disputes, or shall we put an end to the human civilization? This is the question facing us today. We are witnessing a growing intolerance of diversity and pluralism in human societies, as for example in terms of religion, ethnicity, political belief, colour, culture, gender and language. In contrast, the goal of sustainable development, accepted in various UN Conferences including the recently held World Summit on Sustainable Development at Johannesburg, as the only pathway to a happy human future, can be realised only if there is harmony between human kind and nature. It is obvious that we cannot be non-violent to nature, if we are going to be violent to each other. We now have a Global Convention on Biological Diversity to help in the conservation and sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity. We need urgently a similar Convention on Human Diversity. While a Convention alone will not be able to halt the growing intolerance of diversity, particularly with reference to religion and political belief, it will help to foster a mind set which regards diversity as a blessing and not a curse. Both biodiversity and human diversity are essential for a sustainable future. It is also necessary to reflect on methods of giving meaning and content to the ethical obligations of scientists in relation to society. The World Conference on Science held at Budapest in 1999 called for a new social contract between scientists and society. With a rapidly expanding Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) atmosphere in scientific laboratories, the products of scientific inventions may become increasingly exclusive in relation to their availability, with access being limited only to those who can afford to pay. The rich-poor divide will then increase, since orphans will remain orphans with reference to scientific attention. How can we develop a knowledge management system which will ensure that inventions and innovations of importance to human health, food, livelihood and ecological security benefit every child, woman and man, and not just the rich? I propose that the UN may explore the possibility of establishing an International Bank for Patents for Peace and Happiness. Scientists and technologists from all parts of the world should be encouraged to assign their patents to such a Bank, so that the fruits of scientific discoveries are available for public good. Such a Patents for Peace and Happiness Bank would stimulate scientists to consider themselves as trustees of their intellectual property, sharing their inventions with the poor in whose lives they may make a significant difference for the better. The French Mathematician, Marquis de Condorcet, who was a contemperory of Thomas Malthus, said over 2 centuries ago that the human population will stabilise itself if children are born for happiness and not just existence. The Government of Bhutan has taken the lead in developing a Gross National Happiness Index, based on the economics of human dignity, love of art and culture and commitment to spiritual values. Making all well to do members of the human family regard themselves as trustees of their financial and intellectual property will be essential for fostering a human happiness movement. We already have many philanthropic organisations for harnessing financial resources. The organisation, under UN auspices, of an International Bank for Patents for Peace and Happiness will help scientists and technologists to practice what the great Indian spiritual and intellectual leader Swami Vivekananda advocated as the true pathway to human fulfilment. "In this life, give everything you can - give money, give food, give love or anything else you can - but do not seek barter". |