The people of the Congo “desire to learn from Israel, ” scientists from 29 countries assembled at a conference here were told by Francois Silaut, delegate from the Republic of Congo attending the parley. He expressed the appreciation of his country to Israel for sending a medical team of physicians, nurses and medical technicians during the present emergency in the newly established independent African state.
The international conference of scientists, which is taking place at the Weizmann Institute of Science here, also heard today representatives from other African countries lauding Israel’s achievements in science and in other fields of development. Delegates from 14 Asian and African countries are participating in the parley in addition to scientists from the United States, Europe and Latin American countries.
Abba Eban, Israel Minister of Education and president of the Weizmann Institute, addressing the conference said that the aim of the parley is “to seek wider understanding of the fact that scientific knowledge and technical capacity are just as essential to a community’s welfare as availability of natural resources and capacity. ” Discussing the problems of the new states, he pointed out that, whereas only three independent African states with a total population of 30, 000, 000 people had been represented at the United Nations when the world organization was established, the U. N. now includes 20 new independent states with an aggregate population of 230, 000, 000.
“Acquisition of a flag by a new State, ” said Mr. Eban, is not enough. In the awakening continents, the attainment of political freedom has not been attended by a parallel liberation of their peoples from social and economic ills. Across Africa and Asia, hundreds of leaders of newly liberated states find themselves suddenly charged with responsibilities at once formidable and inspiring. The problems they face cannot await solutions that have been evolved by many generations. Unless Democratic institutions prove themselves responsive to the challenges of economic welfare, they will fall into disrepute and eclipse. “
PRIME MINISTER OF CHAD QUOTES HERZL AT SCIENTISTS PARLEY
Gabriel Lisette, Deputy Prime Minister of the Chad, expressed the hope that the underdeveloped countries would gain from “this confrontation of scientists and statesmen
B.P. Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal, told the conference that problems of various underdeveloped countries are “rather similar, ” requiring joint discussion of ways to solve those problems.
Dr. Arthur Lewis, principal of University College of the West Indies, delivered an address in which he stressed the fact that the basic economic objective of the new States is “to achieve self-sustaining growth. “
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
