Author: Prospery Simpemba
Affiliation: Copperbelt University, Department of Physics
Country: Zambia
TITLE: ASTRONOMY FOR POST-CONFLIC REGIONS
Astronomy [1] is one field that has no boundaries as every human being enjoys the
magnificent beauty of the night sky. However, engagement with people in post-conflict
countries or regions in terms of astronomy education, development and outreach has been
limited due to the absence of peaceful environments in which to conduct these activities. This
is due to the impact of low levels of trust [1] created as a result of conflict. In this
presentation, we share the experiences of using astronomy education to foster peace,
inclusivity, diversity and empathy in a bid to create environments of inclusivity with lessons
learnt from the July 2019 International Institute on Peace Education (IIPE) conference in
Cyprus [3].
References
[1] J. D. Steele, Popular Astronomy, (1899), American Book Company, USA.
[2] UNDP, Capacity Development in Post-Conflict Countries, Global Event Working Paper,
(2010).
[3] https://www.i-i-p-e.org/iipe2019