Author: Alan Alves-Brito
Affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
Country: Brazil
Title: Astronomy for development in Portuguese-speaking countries
The PLOAD — Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development — was
established in 2015 by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) with the goal of
promoting astronomy as a tool for sustainable development in Portuguese-speaking
countries. Portuguese-speaking nations — Brazil, Portugal, countries in Africa (Angola,
Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe — Lusophone
Africa, LA, hereafter) and in Asia (East Timor) — have been historically challenged by
socio-economic, political, educational, scientific and technological issues, making them
key countries in which astronomy can be a tool for development. Our PLOAD Group is
primarily focused on the implementation of the IAU’s Strategic Plan, which seeks to take
advantage of the multiple dimensions of astronomy that benefit society and can trigger
development, with special regard to the millennium development goals established by
the United Nations (UN) in 2000 and updated in 2015. In this work, I will present a global
perspective of the PLOAD actions, highlighting the Brazilian experience and discussing
some of our main results, which were recently presented in a paper published in Nature
Astronomy.
References:
[1]: Alves-Brito et al 2019, Astronomy for development in
Portuguese-speaking countries, Nature Astronomy, 3, 366.
[2]: Carnoy, M., Khavenson, T., Fonseca, I., Costa, L. & Marotta, L. Cadernos
de Pesquisa 45 , 450–485 (2015).
[3]: ROSA, K. Science identity possibilities: a look into Blackness,
masculinities, and economic power relations. Cultural Studies of Science Education,
2018a.