A new initiative recently opened to Canadian universities by the U.S. Department of Defense is receiving significant attention from U of T group Students of Science for Peace. The Department of Defense will provide funding to support research endeavors for specific projects that are mutually beneficially for both parties. As student group founder Sidrah Ahmad explains, “although no Canadian universities have yet signed on, it is a disturbing development and we want to get information out to the public. We want people to realize that as MacLean’s magazine’s top rated Canadian university, we have a leading role and if we take a stand against [the U.S. Department of Defense’s initiative], other universities might follow.”
Science for Peace is a UN recognized non-governmental organization with a mandate to promote research and education for peace. U of T faculty members founded the group more than 20 years ago, including professor emeritus John Valleau from the Department of Chemistry. With a diverse membership including natural scientists, engineers, social scientists and other scholars, the group has amalgamated knowledge and leadership to deliver forums and seminars discussing a wide range of relevant issues. Last year, renowned MIT professor Noam Chomsky was one of the prominent speakers invited to participate at an event organized by Science for Peace.
Ahmad founded the student chapter of Science for Peace last year. In her office, overlooking the quadrangle of University College, a library of reports, magazines and books line the shelves, indicating the group’s strong commitment to research on current events. As Ahmad explains, both Science for Peace and its student branch “promote peace and social justice, and want to ensure that science and technological expansion and development are used for the benefit of all people.”
The student organization offers various seminars, discussing a wide range of issues including past forums on depleted uranium munitions in Iraq, land mine use in Afghanistan, and pharmaceutical patenting on medicine access in developing nations. Ahmad indicates that not only do they promote the use of science for peace, but they also identify and focus on other relevant issues. The most recent seminar, “Energy without Oil” presented this past Thursday, focused on practical ways to introduce sustainable energy to developing nations.
Being part of the university community, “one of our main interests is reducing the amount of military and corporate influence on university research,” explains Ahmad. The infamous events surrounding U of T’s Dr. Nancy Olivieri, have been dubbed by some as one of the greatest academic scandals in Canadian history. In the late 1990’s, Olivieri was the focus of international attention after her corporate pharmaceutical sponsor, Apotex, attempted to prevent her from releasing unfavourable results from her clinical trials for one of their products. She was testing a drug meant to lower the amount of iron in the blood on children with the blood disorder thalassemia (see “New hope for heart failure,” below). Dr. Olivieri found that the drug did not in fact benefit the children. Apotex abruptly terminated the trials and issued warnings of legal action against Olivieri should she inform her patients at the Hospital for Sick Children of the risks she believed were associated with the drug or publish her findings.
With this in mind and the current issues surrounding the U.S. Department of Defense, Ahmad indicates the group will continue to offer seminars and organize anti-war demonstrations, while at the same time trying to engage new members who share a comparable interest and passion for promoting peace.
