EDUCATION FOR PEACEOPCW Conference on Education and Outreach

22/23 September 2014

Breakout Session 2, Panel 4

Crafting Messages That Work

Moral education of students

and ethical dilemmas of scientists

Chrétien Schouteten

chretienschouteten@kpnplanet.nl

OVERVIEW

• Biographical note and Interests

• Ethical Dilemmas and Chemical Weapons

• Experiences and Statements

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

• Research-assistent in polymer chemistry

• Educator of chemistry teachers

• Chemistry teacher

• Retired

MY INTERESTS

Moral education

of students:

• Critical thinking

• Careful communication and cooperation

• Awareness of own behaviour and social responsibility

• Personal development

Ethical dilemmas

of scientists:

• Human side of science

• Social responsibility

• Biographical stories

• Peace

Use of chemical weapons,

incendiary bombs,

herbicides, cluster

munition, landmines …

• Justice

Sharing of raw materials,

sources of energy,

knowledge, technology,

licencies, fraud, credits for

scientific discoveries …

• Sustainability

Innovations, green chemistry,

environmental protection,

biotechnology, genetic

modification, research on

animals …

ETHICAL DILEMMAS

CHEMICAL WEAPONS

• Chemistry

• Biology

• History

• Ethics

A special role to

emphasize the human

factor:

•Literature

•Visual Arts

•Performing Arts

CHEMISTRY + BIOLOGY

• Definition and types

• Differences with biological weapons

• Structure and properties

• Toxicology

• Dual use

• Synthesis, analysis, protection, prevention,

treatment and destruction

• Working and effects of nerve gases

HISTORY + ETHICS

• Use in the past

• Ieper (1915-1918)

• Halabja (1988), Tokyo (1995), Damascus (2013)

• International politics and laws

• CWC and OPCW

• Scientific freedom?

• Social responsibility of chemists?

• Chemistry for war or peace?

• From moral awareness to a moral code?

LITERATURE

• Poems

Dulce et Decorum Est, Wilfred

Owen;

Anthem for Doomed Youth,

Siegfried Sassoon;

• Novels

Under Fire, Henri Barbusse;

Goodbye to All That, Robert

Graves;

All Quiet on the Western

Front, Erich Maria

Remarque;

The Janus Head, Hermann

Heinz Wille;

Summer 14, Rolf Hochhuth;

Regeneration-Trilogy, Pat

Barker

VISUAL ARTS

• Comics

Fritz Haber I-IV, David

Vandermeulen

• Paintings

Gassed, John Singer Sargent

• Drawings

Christ with Gas Mask, Georg

Grosz

• Etchings (51)

The War, Otto Dix

• Cartoons

From man-monkey to monkey-

man, Albert Hahn

JUST TWO EXAMPLES

Christ with Gas Mask,

Georg GroszFrom man-monkey to monkey-

man, Albert Hahn

PERFORMING ARTS

• Music

War music, war songs

• Films

War films

Haber, Daniel Ragussis;

Clara Immerwahr, Harald

Sicheritz

• Plays

Poisonous Gas in Our Country

A TV talkshow:

chemist, general, peace activist,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, war

sociologist, industrialist

The Chemist

A family tragedy:

Fritz Haber and his 2 wives and 2

sons, Max Planck

Willem Lodewijk Gymnasium

Groningen, The Netherlands, 2001

Gymnasium 1

Severomorsk, Russia, 2004

POISONOUS GAS IN OUR COUNTRY

(not only) ENTHUSIASM AND FUN

THE CHEMIST

Centenary Fritz-Haber-Institute of Max-Planck-Society

Berlin, 2011

Theater 89

EXPERIENCES

A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

STIMULATES:

• connecting chemistry,

society and ethics

• showing the complexity of

ethical dilemmas

• recognizing and analyzing

moral issues

• ‘humanizing’ chemists

• broadening and deepening

knowledge and abilities

• interest, engagement and

critical thinking, careful

communication and

cooperation

• awareness of social

responsibility

• personal development

• creative expression of

thoughts and feelings

JUST A FEW EXPRESSIONS OF STUDENTS

Martin Wagemakers e.a. Erik Jan Blanksma e.a.

A FEW MOREWouter Hilhorst e.a. Benne Holwerda e.a.

THE LAST ONE …Mathijs Klooster

1.

Teachers have a task in promoting the moral education of students. It is a special challenge for chemistry teachers to connect this moral education to ethical dilemmas of chemists.

2.

Too many chemistry teachers are unaware, unable or unwilling to realise this connection. Educators of chemistry teachers should structurally draw more attention to ethical dilemmas of chemists.

3.

A multidisciplinary approach of ethical dilemmas is necessary and should include (if possible) literature and arts in order toemphasize the human factor. Students should be challenged to express their thoughts and feelings in a creative way.

STATEMENTS

STATEMENTS

4.

OPCW should give more support to (educators of) chemistry teachers in (ethical) questions connected with the subject chemical weapons.

5.

OPCW should organise every year an international conference for (educators of) chemistry teachers in order to share experiences and best practices with the subject chemical weapons.