Students for Peace

Who we are

January 2003 marked the birth of Students of Science for Peace, the undergraduate student group of Science for Peace at the University of Toronto. Currently, we have roughly 20 active members who meet on a weekly basis. The majority are science students, though we have active members in the social sciences and humanities. Full details on our activities are on our web site: www.sfpstudents.org.

We are de facto members of Science for Peace, and meet based upon our common context and position as undergraduate students. Up to this point, there has been a significant gap in communications between our group and the main body of Science for Peace. With a concerted effort, this gap can be bridged in a fruitful manner.

Why we are relevant

Historically, Science for Peace has lent weight to soliciting membership and involvement from university faculty and specialists; this is vital to maintaining credibility, and should naturally continue. However, allow me to present some arguments for why investment of time and resources in Students of Science for Peace is also an important undertaking:

1. Many of the students in Students of Science for Peace are literally top of their class, and intend to pursue graduate studies. It can be said without exaggeration that these students will be the esteemed scientists and faculty of the future. If they find support and inspiration from Science for Peace at this crucial stage in their academic career, a lifelong commitment to being involved with and promoting the organization will be fostered.

2. Students of Science for Peace has been undertaking research and education efforts, and is therefore contributing in a concrete way to the mandate of Science for Peace. For example, our upcoming seminar series will cover the topics of Depleted Uranium Munitions, Missile Defence, Land Mines, Pharmaceutical Patenting and Sustainable Energy.

3. Many of the students in Students of Science for Peace have promoted Science for Peace among their professors, serving as means of outreach and publicity for Science for Peace.

How you can help us

Here are some suggestions as to how you can contribute to Students of Science for Peace:

1. Attend one of our Friday meetings, wherein you can give a short talk on your area of interest or speciality (i.e. current state of global warming research).

2. Share information with our research groups. Contact the research group heads via our website (www.sfpstudents.org), and email them primary documents and/or general resources.

3. Supervise a Science for Peace student research project through the University of Toronto. Undergraduate students can obtain a credit for independent research projects, provided that they have a professor supervIsor.

4. Attend our events, which will be posted on the Science for Peace email list-servers.

Please note that our members are always willing to volunteer with the activities of the main body of Science for Peace; consider us an inexhaustible source of free student labour.

I look forward to a year of fruitful collaboration.

Sidrah Ahmad Students of Science for Peace sidrah.ahmad@utoronto.ca

Note from the Editor: Students for Peace are currently working on starting chapters at several llniversities in Ontario in the spring. Science for Peace has made funds available for them to travel to other universities in order to help organize other students across Canada. Please contact Students for Peace or Science for Peace to help out with this campaign or to get a student group started in your city.