The World Science Day for Peace and Development (WSDPD) is celebrated on Nov. 10 to raise awareness of science’s benefits for sustainable development, and in enhancing the prospects for peace.
This year’s theme is “Towards green societies: equity, inclusiveness, participation.” The objective is to bring people and scientific communities together to promote more holistic development, and to make lay people more sensitive toward challenges faced by science, while also enhancing confidence in and support for scientific endeavors.
“Science lies at the heart of the answer. It is a core part of the roadmap […] to make the most of the transformative power of education, the sciences, culture and media,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, in her message on the occasion of the 2011 WSDPD.
“Our position is clear–for a sustainable future, we must build inclusive and equitable ‘green societies’ along with ’green economies.' The two must go together.”
Green Societies means equity in science within all sectors of society, including between men and women, and all the different countries and sectors that contribute to the global stock of knowledge.
UNESCO established the WSDPD in 2001. The day was first celebrated on Nov. 10, 2002, and has been celebrated annually since then.
