The Pavilion Opening Ceremony was tangible proof of the resourcefulness of the women in the Network, and it set the stage for the direction activities would take for the duration of the NGO Forum. It shared the slot with IT¹s ŒDo It Herself¹ Book Launch, and provided a forum for OFAN members to meet one another informally.
Chaired by Programme Coordinator, Josephine Beoku-Betts, the opening ceremony saw the official opening of the Pavilion by Jayshree Mehta, Vice President of GASAT. With Jayshree Mehta¹s presentation, everyone, even the least scientifically oriented among us, was able to see the importance of science and technology in our own lives. She challenged us to ask ourselves ŒWhat is science?¹, and circulated some simple toys made using basic scientific principles. Science and technology, she said, can be made simple and accessible to all. She went on to challenge the assumption that science is objective and neutral, and maintained that it is socially determined and constantly changing. She also pointed to the fact that science and technology are major tools for overcoming underdevelopment, and that non-formal and formal education relevant to the needs and aspirations of the people, have an important role to play in developing scientific literacy for all.
Also participating in the opening ceremony were Lydia Makhubu of TWOWS, Ilse Marks of UNIFEM, and Alice Mastrangelo of IWTC, who outlined the roles their respective organizations were playing in the re-envisioning process being undertaken by OFAN. The Pavilion opening ceremony also included entertainment and thought-provoking presentations by network members. Among the groups presenting were FAWE, WEDO, Yesterday¹s Papers, ATI, AAAS, Worldwide Network, and EMB Productions. By the end of the ceremony, participants had all but forgotten their initial problems, were relaxed and all set to put the Pavilion activities in motion. Exhibits were set up, activity areas were allocated and appropriately decorated, and the networking began in earnest.
Next section / Newsletter index / OFAN Home page
For comments on this site and information, contact shuyer@ifias.ca