– Raymond Kapral from the October, 1986 Notices Of The American Mathematical society:
“The Department of Defense (DOD) has established a new program called the University Research Initiative(URI) which is designed to strengthen the ability of universities to conduct research and educate graduate and undergraduate students in areas important to national defense.”
– Allyn Jackson
DOD Funding In Mathematics:
“The good part is that a lot of deserving work in mathematics and dynamical systems in particular will now be supported. The bad part is that the CIA and the DOD are doing the supporting. “I think the Reagan government has been escalating the arms race enormously, that the ‘star wars’ initiative is very dangerous and wasteful, and that DARPA–CIA funding forms a continuum with SDI research. “Defense agencies are not in the business of promoting free and open exchange of information. DOD will have to defend the legitimacy of its math program sometime if the program is to continue. I think that legitimacy will have to be in the form of actual technology transfers to DOD or defense related industries.Ultimately the work supported by these grants will shift toward applications in DOD’s interests. “Work tends to follow money. Over the long run, will DOD funds provide additional support for mathematics, or will they provide a competitive market for mathematical talent that will redirect it to narrow goals?” -Michael Shub UPS, 1986 Paul Cappon, Centre for Nuclear Disarmament and Community Health, Montreal, and Frederick Lowy, Dean of Medicine, University of Toronto, are among 10 prominent Canadian doctors touring the Soviet Union from Oct.16- 30. Plans were to be made for further medical exchanges between the two countries. J. Van Stolk, Dorothy Goresky and John Thompson are planning the AGM and board meeting for PSR for March 6 — 8 in London, Ontario. The next conference on PSR’s horizons is Montreal ’88’s HEALING OUR PLANET. Paul Cannon will chair the local organizing committee. Lloyd Etheredge, Nuclear Deterrence Without the Rationality Assumption, a discussion paper prepared for the Int’l Security and Arms Control Seminar, Yale Univ., Oct. 9, 1986. Available from SfP. Sister Rosalie Bertell, director of the International Institute of Concern for Public Health, will receive the 1986 Right Livelihood Award in the Swedish Parliament Dec8. The award is for her “vision and work forming an essential contribution to making life more whole, healing our planet and uplifting humanity”. Dr. Bertell, who belongs to the Grey Nuns Order, argues for setting our values straight, for telling the truth and creating equality among people: “We are at a crisis. The outcome will either be a breakdown or a breakthrough. I plead that we break through into a new way of life.”
Why A Network Of Research Directors For Science For Peace?
The greatest problem for previous research directors has been communication — a characteristic Canadian problem. The choice of a research director from outside the Toronto area and the suggestion that he should organize a network of associates throughout the country represent an effort to solve the communication problem and address that of over-centralization. I think that many of you may feel ‘as I do that it is difficult to define courses of action based on our scientific expertise and reputations to inform public opinion and decision makers. We are not used to handle that kind of problem. Nevertheless, if we are to advance our interests in peace and disarmament, — we must organize effectively to identify issues on which we can speak with authority and in a timely fashion.
– Paul LeBlond Research Director
Peaceful Use Of Outer Space:
A Tallahassee, FLA (USA) company offering burials in outer space was charged with operating an unlicensed cemetery. The company, Celestis Group, Inc., advertised that it will launch cremated remains packed into a gold-plated, lipstick-size capsule. For $3900 (US) the capsule would be placed in orbit around the Earth. For $4600 the capsule would be sent to distant space.
New Publication From PRI-Dundas:
Approaches to Peace Education,reports from Inter-University Workshops in Peace Education,#1 at York Univ,1983; #2 at Brock, 1984. Compiled by Sally Curry. $12. Send orders to PRIDundas, 25 Dundana Ave. Dundas,Ont. L9H 4E5
Call For Papers
December 10, 1986 is deadline for proposals for the annual conference. programme of the Canadian Peace Research and Education Association, meeting with the Learned Societies June 4 — 7 at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont. The proposal should provide title and a 100-word abstract of the paper to be submitted. Final papers are due March 15 and will be published in the CPREA journal: Peace Research.
Priority is given papers of CPREA members, but membership is available for presenters who have not yet joined the Society.
All correspondence and proposals should be directed to
Donald W. Bryant, Programme Chair R.R. #1, 560 Bayshore Blvd. Huntsville, Ont. POA 1K0
Chapters
Ottawa
Recognizing the United Nations International Year of Peace, Science for Peace is introducing a National Science Fair Award for the project that best illustrates a theme associated with the subject of Peace from Science. The prize will consist of a Certificate of Achievement and a week-long, all-expenses-paid,escorted visit to the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Nominations for the award are invited from panels of judges at regional Science Fairs, the Canada-wide Science Fair and le Consel de Developpement du Loisir Scientifique.
The Ottawa Chapter, which is organizing the project,reports that all preliminary work has been completed.
What needs to be done now is to contact members of Science for Peace and invite them to act as judges in Regional Fairs.
Donors to the award should make checks payable to Science for Peace and mail to the national office or to the Ottawa Chapter. A special roster of donors will be made. All contributions are tax exempt.
Co-organizers: James Neelin, A. Mingarelli
Toronto
A Science for Peace Workshop on Peace Keeping Satellites, part of the City of Toronto’s International Year of Peace programme, provided focus for a discussion at a St. Lawrence Centre Forum on the topic, Satellites for Peace — ISMA vs. Star Wars, Nov. 22. Specific recommendations from the workshop, presented to the Forum by Larry Morley, first director of the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing, were
That Canada accept the development of satellite sensor technology and data analysis for aerospace surveillance for arms control verification as a high priority for the new Canadian space agency;
That Canada unilaterally initiate the use of aerospace surveillance technology for supplying the Canadian UN ground force contingent with day — night, all — weather aerial surveillance system capability;
That data from the French satellite SPOT and Canadian RADARSAT be used by Canadian personnel as a training ground for international arms control verification and crisis monitoring.
A full report embodying these recommendations will be presented Dec. 10 in Ottawa to the Interdepartmental Committee on Space. After that date the report will be available to all SfP members.
– Eric Fawcett
Toronto Chapter launches a membership drive this month after a media event Nov. 1 launching Lydia Dotto’s Nuclear Winter book. Contacts at city universities are
Toby Fletcher — Humber College
Freda Formann — OISE
John Sakeris — Ryerson Polytechnic
Walter Zessner — George Brown
Chester Sadowski — York
Eric Fawcett — U of T.
Brock
– as of October 29, 1986
George Ignatieff speaks on “The Political Framework for Disarmament at Brock University in St. Catherine’s, Ontario. This Disarmament Week lecture launches a first membership drive of a new chapter — Science for Peace-Brock.
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