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`Make it a century of hope` : The Hindu
Tokyo Mar 26: `This century of education should become the `century of hope` during which the technology push should be matched by an ethical pull, and violence should give way to the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and consensus`, said M.S. Swaminathan, president, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, and UNESCO Chair in Eco-technology, here today.
Tokyo Mar 26: "This century of education should become the `century of hope' during which the technology push should be matched by an ethical pull, and violence should give way to the resolution of conflicts through dialogue and consensus", said M.S. Swaminathan, president, Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, and UNESCO Chair in Eco-technology, here today.
Accepting an honorary doctorate by the Soka University, Tokyo, Prof. Swaminathan said, "Let us continue to strive to make a difference to human dignity — a dignity where the uncommon opportunities opened up by modern science and technology and democratic systems of governance help to confer every child, woman and man on our planet the four freedoms which President Roosevelt advocated 60 years ago — freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom of expression and freedom of worship."
He said the first requirement for launching and sustaining a human revolution, which would lead to lasting human security and happiness was to bring about a change in the human mindset. Fear should give way to courage and conviction. Poverty can be abolished if there was a spurt of caring and sharing in the human mind.
All of us should consider ourselves as trustees and not owners of our intellect and surplus wealth. The tendency to make profit out of poverty should vanish. Above all, education of the kind fostered by the Soka University can help to stimulate the birth of an era of spiritual enlightenment and human unity, he stressed. The root cause of all the problems today lay in the growing mismatch between technological progress and ethical and spiritual evolution. There was widespread co-existence of conspicuous consumption and unacceptable poverty. Prof. Swaminathan said the equity dimension was not only important in relation to economic well-being, but also relevant in gender terms. The review of the progress five years after the U.N. Conference on Women and Development held in Beijing in 1995 revealed that there was growing feminisation of poverty.
"Women suffer from multiple burden on their time and often paid less, but work more."
Conferring the honorary doctorate on Prof. Swaminathan, Masami Wakae, Soka University president, said, "As a dedicated plant geneticist, you have worked tirelessly to eradicate poverty and famine from the world, which led to the astonishing transformations known as the Green Revolution. Moreover, in your capacity as the president of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, you have made outstanding contributions to the cause of non-violence and human dignity, which are highly instrumental in the realisation of perpetual peace. In recognition of your many illustrious achievements that all shine in the annals of history, we hereby confer upon you the degree of Doctor, Honoris Causa."
He said the first requirement for launching and sustaining a human revolution, which would lead to lasting human security and happiness was to bring about a change in the human mindset. Fear should give way to courage and conviction. Poverty can be abolished if there was a spurt of caring and sharing in the human mind.
All of us should consider ourselves as trustees and not owners of our intellect and surplus wealth. The tendency to make profit out of poverty should vanish. Above all, education of the kind fostered by the Soka University can help to stimulate the birth of an era of spiritual enlightenment and human unity, he stressed. The root cause of all the problems today lay in the growing mismatch between technological progress and ethical and spiritual evolution. There was widespread co-existence of conspicuous consumption and unacceptable poverty. Prof. Swaminathan said the equity dimension was not only important in relation to economic well-being, but also relevant in gender terms. The review of the progress five years after the U.N. Conference on Women and Development held in Beijing in 1995 revealed that there was growing feminisation of poverty.
"Women suffer from multiple burden on their time and often paid less, but work more."
Conferring the honorary doctorate on Prof. Swaminathan, Masami Wakae, Soka University president, said, "As a dedicated plant geneticist, you have worked tirelessly to eradicate poverty and famine from the world, which led to the astonishing transformations known as the Green Revolution. Moreover, in your capacity as the president of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, you have made outstanding contributions to the cause of non-violence and human dignity, which are highly instrumental in the realisation of perpetual peace. In recognition of your many illustrious achievements that all shine in the annals of history, we hereby confer upon you the degree of Doctor, Honoris Causa."