A word from the chairman

I am writing these lines shortly before leaving for the INES Council meeting in Riga (25-28 July 1997). We choose Latvia as a meeting site, hoping to get first hand impressions of this transition country a few years after reobtaining its independence. Latvia is challenged by economic and ethnic problems. We will spend a full day for excursions and exchanges on approaches towards more sustainability in the region.

Some 35 representatives of member organisations and INES projects will meet at the council session. Major points on the agenda are:

- a review of current projects and the networking function of INES,
- a brainstorming on next steps, and
- an election of a new Executive Committee.

Let me now report about some recent developments within INES:

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Shortly after the successful INES congress in Amsterdam, a plan for a next congress is already drawing considerable attention within and beyond INES. The idea is to use the symbolic appeal of the year 2000 for a congress on CHALLENGES FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AT THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW MILLENUM. Representatives of various organisations in Sweden (including the Academy of Sciences) have voiced strong interest in this congress project. A preparation meeting will be held on 29 July in Uppsala, Sweden.

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The Proceedings of the Amsterdam Congress CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT have finally come from the printer. The volume has 576 pages, 200 more than originally anticipated. The price is approx. DM 55.- including shipping. The proceedings will be mailed to everyone, who ordered them during the Congress. Additional orders should be sent to the Network office.

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The INES office will mail the INES Annual Report 1996 shortly. The report gives an overview over the development of INES projects and INES at large. It has turned out that two disarmament-related projects (SWENESCO’s work on conversion and INESAP’s work on nuclear disarmament) suffer from funding shortage. Funding agencies apparently have shifted their priorities, although the issues are still pressing. Project work within INES is a demanding challenge because projects have to operate largely in a self-supporting way.

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Luckily, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has committed additional funds for support of special projects within INES or its member organisations. These funds are meant to give critical edge support to smaller projects, which are already on their way, but need supplementary funding to become a success.

Applications for special project support of up to $500.- per case should be directed to me:

hartwig.spitzer@desy.de -- Fax: +49 40 8998 3282

or to Reiner Braun at the Network Office.

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Networking within INES remains a hot topic, which needs much improvement. A healthy network needs lively nodes. I like to see such nodes strengthened on the regional level. Members of the Executive Committee have volunteered to act as regional contact and coordination nodes. You will find a list of the contact persons and their regions in this issue.

I wish dearly that both individual members and representatives of member organisations make ample use of this option.

If you have questions about INES and your role in it, if you want to raise issues of concern, if you are looking for support or cooperation in the region, please approach your regional coordinator.

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The INES Newsletter is still the main vehicle for communication of news from INES at large to its membership and beyond. Starting March 1 of this year Armin Tenner has taken over from Claus Montonen the important task of the acting editor. Armin is a retired professor of physics in Amsterdam. He was a leading figure in making the INES Congress in Amsterdam happen and has co-edited the Proceedings with Philip Smith. Thank you, Armin, for your commitment and diligence!

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The main forum for electronic communication within INES is the discussion list INESnet. INESnet has some 85 inscribed members. Recently some members voiced concern about the lack of qualified input into INESnet. It is my wish to use INESnet for more regular and rapid information about recent developments within INES. Tobias Damjanov is in charge of editing and distributing such information via INESnet and to all Council members who are on e-mail. The new service WHAT’S NEW IN INES has been edited twice. If you want to be included contact Tobias at tobdam@aol.com.

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I would like to remind you of the INES Whistle Blower Fund. Limited financial and other support can be given to individuals, who are threatened because of their efforts to protect other people, the society or nature against severe damage. Priority in the general fund is given to cases revealing in the secret work on weapons of mass destruction. Please direct questions and suggestions to

- Dr. Günter Emde
, Seeoner Str. 17, 83132 Pittenhart/Germany, Fax: +49-8624-829880,
- Dr. David Krieger
, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, 1187 Coast Village Road, Suite 123, Santa Barbara, California 93108 USA, Fax: +1-805-568 0466.

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INES has two new member organisations:

- Centre for Development of Small Scale Industries and Local Technologies, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
- CESTA, Centro Salvadareno de Technologia Apriopriada, El Salvador.

Both organisations work on the field of applied engineering for sustainable development. Welcome!

Let me conclude by welcoming also all new individual members.

With my best wishes to all of you.

Hartwig Spitzer