Science and Technology for the Future,Contents, Preface ...

provided with the latest sound and verifiable scientific data on which to base
their decisions, particularly in such fields as education and the environment.
After all, within all societies, as well as on a world-wide scale, we witness the gap
between the ‘have’s’ and the ‘have-not’s’ as well as that separating the ‘know’s’ from
the ‘know’s not’. And of increasing importance, is finally the gap that wxists between
those who have work and those who do not.
My hope is that our sights can be set on the turn of the century and through our
activities over the coming years better prepare the world for free, prosperous,
educated and environmentally sound life in the twenty-first century.
We must share our planet and we must also provide access to learning, not only for
certain privileged countries or people but for everybody, so that alle are able to
benefit from knowledge and its applications. I agree that in the ethical context, there
are many terms of reference, not only the economic ones; such as ecological and
development ones, and the full enjoyment of human rights.
What can we do in order to find a way out of the labyrinth in which we find ourselves?
I like to recall one statement by Albert Einstein: “In a moment of crisis only
imagination is more useful than knowledge”. We need knowledge, but we also need
imagination. We need to dare. It is for this reason that we gave this colloquium the
title ‘a fresh look’. Indeed, we need to have a new approach that can help humanity
at this crucial moment on the threshold of a new millennium.
INTRODUCTION
BY KLAUS-HEINRICH STANDKE
In the Decade since the United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for
Development, which took place in August 1979 in Vienna, there have been significant
changes in the perception of international cooperation in science and technology.
Following on from the accepted concept of ‘globalization of science’ there is now
notion of the ‘globalization of technology’. Within an increasingly multipolar world
economy, a number of successful new patterns for international scientific and
technological co-operation have been developed, including governments, industry
and the scientific community. Although a more favourable environment is currently
emerging for both South-North and East-West dialogue on the role of objectives of
development co-operation in general and on the nature of scientific and technological
co-operation in particular, there are also increasing risks of a further isolation of the
least developed countries from the dynamics of science and technology.
At the end of this difficult time-span, Unesco’s Colloquium on Science and
Technology for the Future, held in Paris from 14 to 16 June 1989, attempted to
facilitate a ‘fresh look’ at international co-operation at the eve of the last decade of
this century..
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