Science for Peace
Elíes Molins, ICMAB-CSIC, Spain
Thursday, 22 October 2026, 11.30 AM
Sala d'Actes MATGAS and ONLINE (Register here)
Abstract
The FMTS-WFSW (fmts-wfsw.org) is a NGO partner of UNESCO created in 1946 with the main aim to avoid any further use of nuclear bombs against humans. 21 affiliated organizations of four continents (increasing every year) and individual members. Today, the nuclear threat remains, but we currently face even more challenges, like the climate change and its consequences, or the bad managing of conflicts. Violence and militarization must be eradicated, but we’re taking the reverse direction. The huge power provided by the progress of science and technology must be used for the peace and well-being of all, but unfortunately we allow that they are employed for less noble purposes. The Sustainable Development Goals create an illusion of a better world for the XXI century. Now, people feels disoriented when observe the increasing of risks at all levels while the governance is held by blind leaders, able to manipulate opinions with confusing messages only for their immediate benefit. There is a high responsibility of the scientists to rise their voice to the entire world in order to identify the authentic guidelines that must orient us. After the seminar, a debate is foreseen.
Short bio
Dr. in Physics and Research Professor at the Materials Science Institute of Barcelona (CSIC of Spain). Currently Head of the Department of Advanced Structural and Functional Crystallography. My research topics have covered several aspects of structure-property relationships such as in porous materials for catalysis, although our more known contributions are in the study of the nature of the hydrogen bond.
On the other hand, I’m President of the Researcher Staff Association of CSIC (API-CSIC) and currently Co-President of the World Federation of Scientific Workers. The WFSW was created after the WWII with the purpose that scientific knowledge would no longer be used against humans. Unpredictably, our initial concerns about the nuclear war have increased in the recent years, and also others very important and new have raised. So, we are now extremely worried for the destruction of our environment that compromises our own survival and for the lack of peace and equality.
