Jayantha Dhanapala has been elected as the new President of the Pugwash

(October, 30, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Jayantha Dhanapala has been elected as the new President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. The Pugwash Council, meeting in Bari, Italy, unanimously elected Dhanapala on the occasion of the 50 anniversary of the first Pugwash Conference.

Dhanapala is the eleventh person to hold the title. He follows in the footsteps of such eminent scientists and thinkers as founder Bertrand Russell, and former presidents Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin, M.S. Swaminathan, and Sir Joseph Rotblat. He will work together with members of the Pugwash Council, a highly distinguished group of 31 internationally-respected scientists and policy figures.

The purpose of the Pugwash Conferences is to bring together, from around the world, influential scholars and public figures concerned with reducing the danger of armed conflict and seeking cooperative solutions for global problems. Meeting in private as individuals, rather than as representatives of governments or institutions, Pugwash participants exchange views and explore alternative approaches to arms control and tension reduction. The Pugwash Conferences take their name from the location of the first meeting, which was held in 1957 in the village of Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, the birthplace of the American philanthropist Cyrus Eaton, who hosted the meeting.