The Wall of Peace

1. The Wall of Peace Jean Lilensten, IPAG – CNRS, France Ronald Van der Linden, Petra Vanlommel, ROB, Belgium Anna Belehaki, NOA, Greece presented by Christine Amory Mazaudier, LPP-CNRS, France

2. 2003: COST 724First European network on Space Weather24 countries + ESA Several goals were assigned to the group : To do good science To create an internatinal Sp. Wth meeting (ESWW) To create an international Sp. Wth journal (SWSC) To create a European Sp. Wth center (STCE, Brussels) To create a European Sp. Wth. Web portal To know who we are : what definition for Space Weather ?

3. At that time, we had only one definition for Space Weather: • Conditions on the sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life or health. • US National Space Weather Plan

4. Conditions on the sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life or health. • US National Space Weather Plan Confusing. The weather is a phenomenon. But space weather is also about forecasts.

5. Conditions on the sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life or health. • US National Space Weather Plan Only specialists can understand this definition. It is too elistist.

6. Conditions on the sun and in the solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere that can influence the performance and reliability of space-borne and ground-based technological systems and can endanger human life or health. • US National Space Weather Plan Based on fear !

7. Finally, in 2007: Space weather is the physical and phenomenological state of natural space environments.  The associated discipline aims, through observation, monitoring, analysis and modelling, at understanding and predicting the state of the sun, the interplanetary and planetary environments, and the solar and non-solar driven perturbations that affect them; and also at forecasting and nowcasting the possible impacts on biological and technological systems Approved by 24 countries, the EC and ESA Translated in different languages

8. 2013: 10th edition of the European Space Weather Week(ESWW) Amongst several new initiatives came the translations of the definition in as many langages as possible. This is very important. In several langages, words had to be invented. Inventing words is a gift to Mankind. It gives access to concepts. Although respecting all the cultures, it proves that through Science, all the cultures can say the same things.

9. This is why we called it « the wall of Peace » • It was soon endorsed by the UN-COPUOS, and funded by STCE in Brussels, as well as 2 European space weather projects : ESPAS and E-Heroes Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office at Vienna

10. We got 56 translations: • Afrikaans, Arabic, Armenian, Bahasa Indonisian, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese, Chinese traditional, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Esperanto, Farsi, Finnish, French, Georgian, German, Greek, Haoussa, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Irish, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Kazakh, Kinyarwanda, Kiswahili, Korean, Latin, Lituanian, Nepali, Norwegian, Peuhl, Polish, Portugese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Tamazight, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Urdu, Vietnamese, Welsh, Yiddish, Zulu Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office at Vienna

11. The city of Antwerpen aggreed to have it printed in a big poster. • Posted in front of the Central Railway Station during 5 days, so that thousands of people could see it. • Close to it, a smaller poster said: Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office at Vienna

12. The Wall of Peace “ The ethics and logic of science are universal. They transcend geographic frontiers and ideological divides. Respect for facts and abhorrence of prejudices are inherent in the scientist's morality. ” Joseph Rotblat during his last speech as Pugwash president in 1997 Pugwash Conferences and Joseph Rotblat, joint Nobel Peace Prize 1995 In 2003, the first European network on Space Weather was created with participants of 23 countries. It resulted in many outcomes, including the European space weather week which celebrates its 10th anniversary, and a definition of Space Weather approved officially by the representatives of the 23 countries. Since then, this definition was translated in many languages by scientists all around the World. Indeed, we find it of prime importance that all the cultures can access the concepts in their own words. In several languages, words had (and have) to be invented. Therefore, the colleagues making the translations made a precious gift to their language-speaking people and, using a word bigger than us, to Mankind. Thanks to the Science, all these languages, all these cultures are still telling the same thing. They gather in this definition and, to follow Joseph Rotblat, “They transcend geographic frontiers and ideological divides”. This is why this exhibition is called the "wall of peace". We thank the Office for Outer Space Affairs of the United Nations for supporting this Wall of Peace Initiative. Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office at Vienna

14. Notice that the names of the translators do not show up : they all accepted to make this gift anonymously to their Peoples. They vanish behind their cultures. This is very generous. Of course, no name from the Program Committee members appears as well (obvious, isn’t it?) Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office at Vienna

15. The Wall of Peace will now be presented during outreach and official events in Brussels. I may move to other countries as well. We plan to increase the number of translations and put them all on the European Space Weather Portal Office for Outer Space Affairs United Nations Office at Vienna