Recognizing the Importance of the Malta Conferences

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the greatest example of science diplomacy, the Malta Conferences, their founder and president Professor Zafra Lerman, and the important work that the conferences facilitate. This year marks the ninth meeting of the Malta Conferences. The conferences help identify unique opportunities for collaboration to meet the scientific and technological challenges of the Middle East region. In the Malta Conferences, the common language of science is used for science diplomacy, which serves as a bridge to peace, tolerance and understanding.

These peace congresses have made it possible for scientists from countries that are often on opposing sides of political and cultural conflicts to meet in a politically neutral environment, where they can collaborate on solving regional problems, and forge relationships that bridge deep chasms of mistrust and intolerance. These unique gatherings draw scientists from many Middle East countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

In each of the Malta Conferences, Middle East scientists meet with science Nobel Laureates to catalyze enduring collaborations on scientific and technological problems, including water scarcity, environmental degradation, nuclear and chemical security, science and technology education for all, energy, and climate change.

The founder and president of the Malta Conferences, Professor Zafra Lerman, is my friend and constituent. Professor Lerman is a life-long champion for human rights, freedom, and peace. For more than four decades, she has worked tirelessly to promote peace and justice around the globe, especially among nations whose governments are hostile to one another.

Professor Lerman has received over 40 international awards, including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Clinton, the Royal Society of Chemistry Nyholm Education Award, the American Chemical Society George C. Pimentel Award, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Award for Science and Diplomacy, the American Physical Society Andrei Sakharov Prize, and the UN NOVUS Summit Peace and Justice Award. Professor Lerman received her bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and her Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Despite many obstacles to success, the Malta Conferences have developed several avenues for change: Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, and Kuwait formed a working group on Drinking Water Quality Assessment in the Middle East; Palestinian students from Al Quds University in Palestine are pursuing PhD studies at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel; a women's group was formed in order to empower women scientists across the region, and encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM; and a unified science curriculum for the Middle East is being developed which will include climate change, chemistry, nuclear security, and ethics. More than 700 Middle East scientists and 15 Nobel Laureates are now in the network.

I would like to thank Professor Zafra Lerman and the Malta Conferences for their continued hard work to bring peace to the Middle East.

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