. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .
An article in El Adelantado (translation by CPNN)
A group of professors from Campus Maria Zambrano of the University of Valladolid in Segovia have written the ‘Declaration for the Survival of the Planet’ in which they commit themselves to “coherently defend policies of ecological and social sustainability”. Its objective is to promote social debate and citizen awareness to “avoid the progressive deterioration of the planet”.
The professor Agustín García Matilla is one of the first signatories. / N. LL.
The promoters and first signatories of the manifesto, among which is the professor of Communication of the University of Valladolid, Agustín García Matilla, do not seek the support of the institutions, but the greatest number of adhesions by individual professors and professionals of the world of science, culture and communication. Considering the upcoming elections, the professors want to remind all political parties of issues that transcend any electoral contest and that present dilemmas that affect the survival of the planet, “says García Matilla.
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How can we ensure that science contributes to peace and sustainable development?
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Problems and challenges
“Global warming, the economic imbalances that increase inequality and excessive profit; the migratory crises that are caused by wars; hunger and misery, caused by them; the hijacking of politics by leaders who have forgotten their public service obligation; the use of religions as instruments for the annulment of autonomous and critical thinking and, at times, used for the promotion of fanaticism; the lack of equality between men and women, these are just some of the problems that have contributed to the present crisis. We have arrived at a decisive moment to avoid an irreversible deterioration of the planet, “says the manifesto.
The creators of the manifesto demand a political approach “for people” conceived as “service to the common good” and presided over by “a humanism that makes the culture of peace the main aspiration of those who inhabit this world”. In addition, the first seven signatories – Marta Laguna, Mari Cruz Alvarado, Rocío Collado, Susana de Andrés, Alfonso Gutiérrez, Luis Torrego and Agustín García Matilla – demand the fulfillment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as a starting point for a universal political consensus.
“The Planet’s survival depends upon education, science and culture, and hence we must act now to help mobilize the whole of Humanity”. This is the phrase that begins the manifesto. Its creators seek a majority support and a common voice to guarantee the same opportunities for men and women, identical opportunities for people with different abilities; as well as decent salaries and decent pensions.
The Pact
The manifesto concludes:”We appeal to all the governments and politicians of the world to commit to the signing of a Pact for the Survival of the Planet. Changes must be carried out without delay, interrupting the cycles of accelerated destruction, putting an end tos speeches of fear and the justification of the escalation of arms. Nonviolence, the culture of peace and the aspiration to a Universal Justice, are the demands that need to be put forward from education, science and culture.”