Opening of the 96EC WFSW – Elies Molins

Opening of the 96EC WFSW
Beijing-Huzhou – August 12-17, 2024
Elies Molins (part 2*)

WFSW DNA
The WFSW is, above all, a pacifist organization of committed scientists. As Jean-Paul said, peace is in our DNA. Historical figures like Joliot Curie and John Bernal were deeply troubled by the Manhattan Project and its consequences, leading them to rally scientists to use their intellectual power for peace and the betterment of humanity. We all dream of an Earthly paradise where everyone enjoys a minimum quality of life, with wealth equitably distributed, free from extreme social classes, and where we live in peaceful, sustainable harmony with the marvels of nature. What may surprise an extraterrestrial observer is that, for the first time in history, science and technology have made this vision achievable. The challenge now lies in how we organize ourselves.

LONG TERM EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE
Violence and wars are senseless. As I mentioned earlier, the effects of war linger for at least a century after its official end. Just last week, I watched a TV program about the Spanish Civil War, featuring the last surviving Spanish republican from Matthausen. Even now, graves from the Spanish Civil War are being excavated, and DNA analysis is being conducted to identify relatives. Descendants of the International Brigades, who defended democracy against Franco’s fascism, frequently visit the battlefields of the Ebro river. Many of them were famous and well known, such as George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway. Personally, I cherish photographs of my father with the republican forces in the Pyrenees, as well as his handwritten notes from the war. The fascist Serrano Súñer, Franco’s brother-in-law, passed away in 2003, but some remnants of that era continue to influence parts of the democratic system—85 years after the Spanish Civil War ended. As I said, it takes at least three generations to even begin to forget a war. Those who contemplate using violence must consider these long-term hidden consequences that continue to affect the lives of entire populations.

INEQUALITY
Today, fighting to maintain privileges makes even less sense, especially when the world’s wealth could be sufficient for everyone. A stark example of this inequality is the vast sums of money hoarded in tax havens—likely exceeding the amount circulating in global commerce.

CRITICAL THINKING
Young people, often unaware of history, are easily seduced by populist ideas. I frequently see complaints about high taxes, and people agree without much critical thinking. It’s simple to understand that low taxes primarily benefit the rich, and in places where taxes are higher, the quality of life tends to be better. Similar flawed reasoning is applied to immigration. The benefits of new energy and manpower brought by immigrants are overshadowed by propaganda focusing on a few isolated criminal cases. Critical thinking is more essential than ever, especially in the face of manipulated media and fake news.

CLIMATE CHANGE AS THE REAL COMMON ENEMY
We may consider ourselves intelligent animals, and in some respects, this is true—we’ve achieved incredible things with our brain-controlled hands. The potential of Artificial Intelligence only adds to this. However, we also need to act as an intelligent community, as our survival depends on it. Currently, we’re far from that goal. Yet, as a global community, we are failing to behave intelligently. We face a formidable enemy of our own making: climate change and its consequences. Despite this, we continue to waste significant resources on weapons, pointless wars, and futile debates. The true threat is not an asteroid from the sky—it’s already here, hidden in our air and water.

STOPING WARS
The wealth we generate must now be directed toward vital and transcendent objectives. Unfortunately, much of it is squandered on producing weapons and sustaining wars, and to a lesser extent, on unnecessary and extravagant luxuries. We must demand a legitimate justification for every war. I suspect the reasons will never be convincing, as they are often based on subjective, hidden agendas, such as the enrichment of a select few. Negotiating conflicts would be more beneficial for all parties involved and for the global community as a whole. In this regard, I believe that any war makes us all culpable for failing to prevent and stop it.

50 YEARS TRUCE
A population of 10 billion people exerts an immense impact on our relatively small planet. As scientists, we are privileged to observe the magnificence of nature. We take great pleasure in exploring oceans, delving into the atomic structure of materials, developing new mathematical models, and inventing new machines—each of us driven by our unique passions. But now, we face an urgent and critical task: to promote critical thinking and persuade decision-makers to prioritize what truly matters. I propose we cease weapon production and halt all wars and persecutions for the next fifty years. During this time, let every nation, under the coordination of the United Nations, dedicate all efforts to reversing climate change and its consequences.

RISK OF MAMMAL EXTICTION IN UNLIVABLE PLANET
We must convince ourselves that violence should never be used to resolve disputes, whether within families or between nations. We need to recognize that producing even a simple weapon, like a rifle, is a missed opportunity to save our grandchildren’s future. I want my grandson continue enjoying the beauty of trees and birds, and I hope he never accuses us of failing to do everything possible to prevent our biosphere from becoming as hostile as it was after the Chicxulub meteorite wiped out the dinosaurs. After that event, only a few small mammals—our ancestors—survived in caves 66 million years ago. If we don’t act now, in a few million years, an intelligent insect might say: “An asteroid killed the dinosaurs, but mammals were driven to extinction by the foolishness of one species that believed it was the most intelligent in the Universe.”

WEAPON COSTS REINVESTED IN ODS
The WFSW was founded to prevent the use of nuclear weapons against humanity—a mission that, while not yet complete, has so far been successful. However, the challenge we face today is even greater. The Federation must increase its influence because we are convinced of the nobility of our cause. We must eliminate violence at all levels, teaching future generations that it is never an option, and channel the full power of science and technology toward saving Earth’s ecosystems and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals.

WFSW ECHO AND NETWORKING
Within the WFSW, we need to work with greater efficiency and find new ways to achieve our goals. Our discussions and documents should not be confined to exchanges among representatives; they must reach every member of each affiliated organization. Moreover, these organizations must commit to using their networks to spread our vision. Twenty years ago, raising global awareness of climate change seemed an impossible task. Now, we must convince everyone that urgent, collective action is necessary. The global response to COVID-19 demonstrated that such unity is possible, and decision-makers will only take up this cause when the public demands it.

We must communicate more effectively and broadly, gather more resources, and build relationships with other scientific associations, governments, NGOs, and committed groups like science journalists, international education networks, ISCU, INWES-International Network of Women Scientists and Engineers, and others.

More human resources and dedicated effort will nourish the tree of the WFSW. A larger tree will stand taller, with more leaves—and as we know, leaves absorb and sequester carbon dioxide, helping to heal our planet.

Beijing, August 12th 2024

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* The presentation was organised as follows:

– Preamble -Jean-Paul Lainé
– Brief presentation of the FMTC – Jean-Paul Lainé
– Priorities and activities – Jean-Paul Lainé
(FR: https://fmts-wfsw.org/2024/12/expose-introductif-jean-paul-laine-pekin-2024/)

– The world today: existential threats – Elies Molins
– The future of the FMTC, the roadmap – Elies Molins
(EN: https://fmts-wfsw.org/2025/01/opening-of-the-96ec-wfsw-elies-molins/?lang=en)
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Graphic Composition: OTC, Portugal
Portuguese version: https://otc.pt/wp/2025/01/02/elies-molins-sobre-a-federacao-mundial-dos-trabalhadores-cientificos/