Chemistry and Chemical Education as a Bridge to Peace

Abstract

Chemistry and chemical education can be important tools to advance the peace process, especially in the Middle East. The Middle East is a region in conflict for many years. This part of the world is of particular importance because it has a source of energy that is a strategic resource: fossil fuel. This nonrenewable source of energy not only fuels economic and political conflicts, but its worldwide use also places at risk the sustainability of life on Planet Earth, by polluting the environment and contributing to climate change. The Middle East also has major problems of air and water quality, which will require regional cooperation to solve. Geopolitical borders are only lines on a map; air and water do not recognize these lines. Therefore, any work concerning the environment - especially air and water quality - must be done in collaboration between nations. Chemistry is an international language. A chemist from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the USA, and a chemist from Bethlehem, Palestine, use the same chemical notations, and can communicate scientifically to one another without understanding each other's spoken language. Building on the international language of chemistry, three major international conferences called the “Malta Conferences” and formally titled “Frontiers of Chemical Science: Research and Education in the Middle East” were held in 2003 [1, 2, 3], in 2005 [4, 5, 6], and in 2007 [7, 8, 9]. In these conferences, chemists from 14 Middle East nations gathered to discuss solutions to the problems of air and water quality, energy resources, and chemical education in the Middle East. These collaborations between the chemists have yielded results that are a cornerstone for a bridge to peace.