Working Group on Cooperation with Cuban Science

Science for Peace has established a Working Group on cooperation with Cuban Science. A noticeable amount of cooperative activity between Canadian and Cuban scientists already exists, so far on an ad hoc basis. Cuban scientists and students of science have visited and worked in Canada, chiefly in biological and medical sciences (so far as Science for Peace knows), but also in several other fields of the natural and social sciences. Canadian counterparts have done the same in Cuba and attended professional conferences there. The Royal Society of Canada sent an official delegate to the recent celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Cuban Academy of Sciences.

Science for Peace believes that cooperation among scientists and their students benefits both the growth of science and the cause of peace.

Continuing intense US efforts to isolate Cuba extend to science. E.g., the US forbade its mathematicians to participate in internationally sponsored conferences held in Havana in 1987 and 1993, except for a few “fully hosted”. Only recently, the US refused or delayed visas to internationally employed Cuban scientists invited to conferences in the US.

The (US) National Academy of Sciences, the American Mathematical Society and the relevant committees of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Royal Society of Canada, along with various international bodies, appealed unsuccessfully to the US authorities to comply with the policy of free circulation of scientists. They are continuing their efforts to have the US implement this policy, as formulated by the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) to which both the US and Canada adhere.

Science for Peace regards efforts to isolate the Cuban scientific community as damaging to science, both in spirit and practice, and dangerous to peace.

Consequently it has established this Working Group whose initial members are Lee Lorch (coordinator), Bob Baxter and Derek Paul. They ask you to send your comments, suggestions — and offers to help — to the Science for Peace Office.

Membership Secretary

We issue yet another call for a volunteer, preferably in the Toronto area, to serve as membership secretary. This not too onerous task is one of the absolutely vital ones that keeps Science for Peace afloat, and which does not require you to be a scientist. So why not volunteer now, before someone else beats you to it?

Agreement with Dundurn Press

We have just concluded an agreement with Dundurn Press to produce books for publication by Science for Peace. Under the agreement Dundurn will promote and market all of our previous titles in print that were co-published with Samuel Stevens as well as new books produced by Dundurn for us. The new arrangement will provide the essential promotion that our publications committee was never able to provide.