Science as a Catalyst for Peace and Development

Nov 8, 2019 | UN Environment
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Despite the benefits of indigenous knowledge, today the relationship between what some call “Western” science and traditional knowledge is difficult at best. Today, Western science plays a role in every aspect of our lives, from the phones and computers we use every day to the very food on our plates. But the most important question today is how we can use that science to transform our society—to a new, sustainable one rooted in healthy environments. A healthy collaboration between Western science and indigenous knowledge systems could help us to accomplish that, but to do so, the two must first gain a better understanding of each other.

This World Science Day for Peace and Development, celebrated annually on 10 November, is themed “Open science, leaving no one behind”. Open science is the movement to make scientific research and dissemination accessible to all levels of society, amateur or professional. One way that open science could lead to a sustainable future is by helping to capture the experience of indigenous peoples in future assessments of climate change and to reflect indigenous knowledge on a global scale. In doing so, it could help to do away with the old rivalry between Western science and indigenous knowledge systems.