Final Report of the Workshop #WOMENFORPEACE
“War – the most bestial act of man on man” – Ungaretti
“A negotiated peace is better than an endless war – Papa Francesco”
The Workshop in memory of Prof. Luigi Borzacchini,già Prof. Of Mathematics of the University of Bari, who died two years ago, was held in the beautiful Aula Magna “Aldo Cossu” of University of Bari Aldo Moro, provided by ITARSA member University of Bari, on 6 November 15.00-18.30 CEST. MCAA provided the coffee break to the people in person attending the Workshop.
The Workshop, organized by (Italian Research Staff Association) the Italian researchers’ association of ICORSA International Consortium Research Staff Association, and Marie Curie Alumni Association focuses on the role of the women scientists on conflict resolution and peace solutions.: Women in Science play a key and indispensable role in building a world of peace, security, conflict resolution and in finding solutions for peace and development.
However, the arms race is global, in a world torn apart by wars and risks to the security of states. The war from the Middle East to Ukraine, from Sudan to Myanmar threatens 2024, bringing with it not only death and destruction but also migration, famine and loss of identity. Winds of war will still be blowing for a long time in 2024, while humanity is also under constant fire from the consequences of climate change. Further, women are at risk in the war territories above.
The Workshop wants to tell and raise awareness of the greater effort that women must make, fighting first and foremost to be heard and make space to be able to actively contribute to the promotion of peace. However, they represent only a minority of researchers in the world and are at risk for the precarity of their researchers careers :there is a gender gap in the number of women who graduate and work in STEM and this becomes decisive in a global economy that is experiencing the 4th digital revolution and rapid technological change due to adoption of “disruptive” technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Big Data, Cloud Computing, and others.
The need arises to broaden to “other” and non-majority readings and perspectives on realities, intersecting gender minorities, ethics of sexual orientation and ability. Women and girls belong to science and peace. It’s time to recognize that inclusion promotes innovation and that every woman and girl expresses her true potential.
The Workshop aimed at students, researchers, and trainers with the aim of giving all interested and operational stakeholders in the sector to increase their knowledge on current and forgotten conflicts and on the peacebuilding action of women in war zones, whether they are real and virtual in “disruptive” technologies. Among the panellists, scholars and academics, experts in new technologies, are invited to collect testimonies on the impact that these realities have on communities and on the role that women themselves play in promoting peace, security and conflict resolution.
Gianna Avellis, moderator, Chair of ICoRSA and ITARSA thanked the several organizations that gave the patronage to the event, namely University of Bari, CNR, Accademia Pugliese delle Scienze, MUSE, AW20, NGO Committee on Peace ONU, InnovaPuglia CPO Gender Equality Committee, and ICoRSA.
After Welcome Speeches
After the welcome speeches of Prof. Paola Nicchia, pro.rector of UNIBA, and Eugenio Scandale President of Accademia Pugliese delle Scienze, Ing. Francesco Surico Director General of InnovaPuglia, who collaborated with the Equal Opportunity Committee CPO of InnovaPuglia to the organisation of the event, mentioned in his talk Alfred Nobel 1905 “I am determined to set aside part of my fortune to establish an award to be granted every five years, for a total of six times, because if humanity fails to reform its current system within thirty years, we will inevitably fall back into barbarism. This prize will reward the man or woman who has persuaded Europe to take the first step towards general peace. I am not thinking of disarmament, as it can only be achieved in the distant future. (…) But it should be quite feasible to convince all nations to stand in solidarity against the initial aggressor. This would make wars impossible. If the Triple Alliance included, instead of just three, all nations, peace would have been assured for centuries”, and Jean Bethke Elshtain (1941-2013) The relationship between women, war, and peace is still, today, a theme that is anything but trivial or straightforward, and one that requires ongoing reflection and debate. Jean Bethke Elshtain, one of the most authoritative voices in the field, asserts this in the preface and introduction to her book Women and War:“. Neither women nor war represent straightforward categories. […] Today, at the end of the twentieth century, we live in a world increasingly polarized between light and dark, between ‘them’ and ‘us,’ between women and men. […] In an era of Manichaean confusion—us, the ‘good guys,’ versus them, the ‘bad guys’—this mindset, while comforting, is also false and dangerous.” Nonviolence, therefore, is presented as a genuine model of a politics for peace and also as a lifestyle capable of fully and grassroots-level engagement within society. War, as repeatedly stated, is primarily a consequence of inequality and a lack of information and education: the inequality of knowledge. This lack of awareness originates essentially from schools and educational processes, which are still too often saturated with false methodologies, as well as from families. Knowledge and Meritocracy are the true challenge to overcome inequalities and ensure a lasting global peace process. Science and Women can form the combination needed to reverse a dangerous trend of drift that exploits inequalities and ignorance, leading to conflicts of increasingly global scope.
The first Keynote speech Rita Assogna, member of NGO Committee on Peace ONU, Vienna, entitled Women’s Contribution to World Peace and Security. There are many conflicts in the world, some of which are close to us right now. Women represent about half of the world’s population and are at high risk in conflicts. In 2000, the UN Security Council resolution 1325 affirmed the importance of the equal participation and full involvement of women in all efforts for maintaining and promoting peace and security through “Participation, Protection, Prevention”. Gender equality and women’s leadership were considered of great importance for achieving and maintaining international peace and security. Despite this resolution women remain hugely under-represented in peace processes and in the control and non-proliferation of weapons. Considering the increasing number of female soldiers, it seems that gender equality is used only for the improvement of military efficiency. Almost all the countries going to war today are led by men. Due to the gender-based discrimination women leaders have political incentives to present themselves as “iron ladies” rather than peacemakers. According to gender stereotypes women are weak and passive, while men are strong and aggressive. Consequently, even if women leaders are more likely to want peace, they face political incentives to combat gender-stereotypical expectations of weakness by adopting relatively hawkish policies. Equal participation of men and women in leadership, political affairs and public life is not only a right, is the way to lasting peace.
Rosarii Griffin, UCC /ICORSA /IrishRSA/UCCRSA, Dr Rosarii Griffin is a specialist in International and Comparative Education (DPhil.,Oxford). Her work focuses on education and global sustainable development with a particular emphasis on gender equality and global education, STEM, Research Methodologies and Disability Studies. She has published 5 books in the area and is the co-editor of a monograph series. Rosarii is a Board member of the USA’s Global Virus Network (GVN), Secretary of the International Consortium of Researcher Staff Associations (ICORSA) and is a Board member of the Irish National body of Researcher Staff Associations (IrishRSA) as well as Chair of the Researcher Staff Associations in her own university UCCRSA), University College Cork (UCC), Ireland where she works. Her presentation, entitled “Women of Science for the Building of a World of Peace” highlighted the profound impact of notable female scientists as exceptional role-models whose work transcends traditional boundaries, fostering global peace and global general well-being. In this presentation, amongst other notable women of endeavour she explored the pioneering achievements of Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna in gene editing, Katalin Karik mRNA vaccine innovations, Tu Youyou’s malaria treatment, and Vandana Shiva’s advocacy for sustainable agriculture to mention but a few. These female scientists, through their groundbreaking research and dedication to ethical practices, address critical global challenges such as health crises, environmental sustainability, and social justice. Their research demonstrates how scientific advancements can be harnessed to create a more peaceful and equitable world especially in a world endeavouring to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals in a timely fashion.
Sveva Avveduto, Emeritus research Director of the National Research Council, Italian delegate to women 20 engagement group of G20, advisor of Women 7, group of G7, and President of the Italian Association Women in Science and member of ITARSA Board, focussed in her talk on the Women and Peace issue in educational, scientific and literary fields, underlining the fundamental role of women in preparing, promoting and maintaining the peace. She highlighted the important contributions of feminists on this issue.
During the Coffee Break, it was held the Exhibition “Women in Trences” by Rosa Capozzi of the Centro Teseo-Creatività tra Arte e Scienza in collaboration with UDI Macare-Salento. It was presented at the Workshop by Chiara Manchisi,Soprintendenza archivistica e bibliografica della Puglia.
Lucia Martinelli, next speaker, is a Senior Researcher at MUSE – Science Museum of Trento. A biologist, she obtained her Ph.D. in Genetics from Wageningen Agricultural University and a master’s degree in journalism and Scientific Communication. After significant research work in genetics laboratories in Italy and abroad, focusing on gene transfer in plants and the traceability of GMOs, she now studies the impact of scientific innovation on society at MUSE, within interdisciplinary European networks. For her pioneering work on gene transfer in grapevines, she received the 1994 Rudolf Hermanns Stieftung First Prize. A board member of the National Association of Women and Science, she is the President of the European Platform Women Scientists (EPWS) and a member of the EU W20 delegation and of the Equal Opportunities Committee (CUG) of the Autonomous Province of Trento, appointed as an expert by CGIL. Her talk “Museums’ role in supporting a cultural education for values that wars crush” concerned the role of Museums today, which in addition to being places for the preservation of cultural heritage, are above all powerful educational tools and agents of social change. This presentation, by highlighting concrete cases, sheds light on the role of museums in spreading values that are often destroyed or distorted during armed conflicts, such as peace, tolerance, human rights, solidarity, and respect for cultural diversity. By focusing on examples related to the role of women in armed conflicts, both as victims and active participants in war and peacebuilding, cases are presented where museums can counter disinformation and the manipulation of history by presenting facts and narratives based on historical evidence.
Carla Petrocelli, Prof. University of Bari and ITARSA Board member, presented “Lamarr’s double life. The red carpet and the resolution of the war”, which explores the fascinating duality of Hedy Lamarr’s life as both a glamorous Hollywood star and a pioneering inventor whose contributions significantly impacted World War II. While celebrated for her beauty and on-screen talent, Lamarr’s lesser-known achievements in technology, particularly her development of Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum communication, played a crucial role in advancing military strategies. It is intended to shed light on the intersection of entertainment and science, highlighting Lamarr’s legacy as a symbol of ingenuity and resilience in a time of global conflict.
Magda Theodoridou, Prof.University of Newcastle and past Chair of MCAA GEDI WG and Jenny Lind Elmaco, current Chair of GEDI WG presented “Marie Curie and Peace – Women, Science and Diplomacy”, which highlighted the Scientific Contributions of Marie Curie in Times of War: she developed mobile X-ray units (“Little Curies”) to aid in WWI, directly linking her scientific expertise to lifesaving work in times of conflict. In Women as Pioneers in Peace they underlined Marie Curie, as one of the women leaders in science, who laid groundwork for the integration of women in fields traditionally dominated by men. In Women in Science and Peacebuilding – A Historical and Ongoing Role, they focused on Science as a Tool for Peace: Marie Curie’s example showcases how scientific discoveries can support humanitarian efforts and bring communities together in conflict zones. In Inspiration for Future Generations, they tackled how today, women in STEM carry forward Curie’s legacy by contributing to peacebuilding through sustainable development, medical advancements, and ethical scientific practices as well as ensuring that new technology like Artificial Intelligence also amplifies and not hinder women in science. In Marie Curie’s Legacy in Science Diplomacy and its Role in International Peace Efforts, they pointed out the importance of Building International Collaborations: Marie Curie’s work spurred international partnerships, highlighting science as a bridge across nations. Marie Curie Alumni Association is an example of how networks today encourage cross-cultural and scientific exchanges to address global issues. In Science Diplomacy in Action: By sharing research and fostering open collaboration, Curie’s legacy underscores science diplomacy as key to promoting peace and addressing global challenges, then they underlined The Synergy of Science Diplomacy and Peacebuilding: Use of scientific collaborations among countries to address common challenges and improve foreign relations. In a world facing climate change, health crises, and conflicts, science diplomacy can provide neutral, fact-based solutions. Then they emphasized the need of Empowering Women in Science Diplomacy: Recognizing women’s leadership in science and peacebuilding can promote more inclusive, resilient, and peaceful societies.
Anna Maria Candela, Prof. Of Mathematics is currently the Director of Department of Mathematics at University of Bari and is member of Academic Senate of the University of Bari. She also is member of Permanent Committee of European Women in Mathematics, member of Accademia Pugliese delle Scienze. Besides her research work, she plays a role in Science Communication of Mathematics and contributes to the gender equality initiatives. Her talk “Starting from the Numbers to talk about Peace” started with investigating the state of the art of wars in the world because in her view, as in the scientific projects where you start as a first step to investigate the state of art of the research, by using the same approach, to construct a world of peace we have to investigate the current situation of wars and quantify the numbers of current conflicts and their consequences. For Quantifying Peace and its Benefits, she showed the Global Peace Index 2024 from The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank dedicated to shifting the world’s focus to peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and progress.
The Global Peace Index (GPI)
- was introduced in 2008
- ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness (99.7% of the world’s population)
- uses 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources
GPI measures the state of peace across three domains:
- the level of Societal Safety and Security
- the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict
- the degree of Militarisation
The measure of global military capability incorporates:
- military sophistication
- technology
- battle readiness.
The last keynote speaker was Angela Corcelli, professor of Physiology for 40 years at university of Bari with research interest in cellular physiology and biochemistry. P.I. of many research grants, including projects funded by Telethon and the Italian Minister of Defence. Presently she is the representative of the University of Bari in the academic network RUniPace (runipace.org), Angela talked on “Women for disarmament and non-proliferation”. The presentation discussed the role of women in the campaigns for disarmament and non-proliferation in the frame of a retrospective analysis of the initiatives taken by the University of Bari in humanitarian demining and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.
The Conclusions were drawn by Gianna Avellis and Mauricio Cardenas Rodrigez, from MCAA Italy Chapter, a Mexican researcher based in Padova since 2020, who obtained his BSc and MSc from the National Autonomous University in Mexico, and his PhD from the University of Glasgow, UK. He was a Marie Curie Sklodowska Actions Fellow from 2021-2023, and member of the Board of Directors from the MCAA North American Chapter, as well as founding member of the MCAA Mexican Chapter. Currently, he is the vice-chair of the MCAA Italy Chapter.
Gianna Avellis presented some books on the theme of the Workshop, such as the following:
- Scritti sulla Guerra – Simon Weil, French philosopher and militant of Jewish origin, in her writings 1933-1943 year of her death, she who at 34 years old let herself die of hunger because she could not go and fight on the front line against the Nazis, in the collection of articles , letters, and short essays written between 1933-1943 ON THE WAR underlines how “the great mistake of almost all studies relating to armed conflicts is to consider the war as an episode of foreign policy, while it constitutes above all a fact of internal politics, the most atrocious of all.”
- GAZA – Odio e Amore per Israele by Gad Lerner, where the author asked some crucial questions by referring Primo Levi: Which future will have this Israel? Which function can play the Jewish trend of tolerance?
- La Pace è l’Unica Strada- David Grossman: “Then comes the moment when everything is clear that the war has ended, and everyone knows it, in Israel and in Gaza, but they are not able to stop, it is not possible to stop. It is as if force had become the end itself rather than the means” – from “Peace is the Only Way”. David Grossman, always a convinced supporter of coexistence between Israel and Palestine, comments and analyzes in this book the complex relationship between the two peoples: he analyzes in particular the political parable of Israel, looking with a critical eye at the actions of the government and the ruling class of his Country: a country that today appears more vulnerable than ever, due to extremist currents and the decline of those democratic values that made it a “truly” Jewish state. Grossman continues to profess his hope for a peaceful future, in which everyone can feel protected and represented equally and above all “cultivate the history and traditions of their community without erasing those of others”.
- The Rebels that are Changing the World- Stories of Women who Resist, Believe and Fight – by Rula Jebreal. Women represent the hope of a better future for this planet, and we can see it through the unique, different and extraordinary stories of a group of women, modern-day rebels who, with their activism, their existence and their stubborn refusal to give up, have triggered epochal and profound changes in our present. From science to sport, from journalism to politics, to art, these women are laying the foundations of a more equal world, destroying gender stigma and paving the way for future generations. «
Gianna Avellis thanked all the participants, in person and online, as well as the speakers for their contribution to the success of the Workshop. The public in person were about 60 people and about 20 people followed online the Workshop.
