Dear Everybody,

There is a saying, the origin of which escapes me, that goes like this: "When the mountain does not go to Mohamed, Mohamed goes to the mountain!" This is what comes to mind with respect to the recent debates about Science and Research in economically disadvantaged countries.

The world is not homogeneous and the world is fairer if it becomes homogeneous with respect to opportunities offered to its citizens. Perhaps not everybody agrees with this statement, but I believe the majority does. Scientists do not have the same opportunities and the same resources around the world either to develop and present their work, or to listen to other people's work. A lot of talent goes wasted and a lot of scientific progress is hindered because of that.

It has often been suggested that scientists from ex-Eastern block countries should be offered special allowances to participate to major International Conferences, or page charge wavers to publish in certain re-known journals (NOTE: IAPR sponsored journals are re-known and do not have page charges-I have to put from time to time a good word for IAPR otherwise the Executive committee will dismiss me!). Conference organizers, and journal managers, however, have to balance their books at the end of the day, and this is not always easy. Besides, there are several countries, apart from the ex-Soviet block where the salaries and resources of the academics are orders of magnitude lower than those in the Western world. Where does one draw the line? Which scientists should be helped and which should be left to struggle on their own? Perhaps the mountain cannot he moved to Mohamed! But then, maybe we can make Mohamed move to the mountain! What about organizing our major events in less privileged countries? What about sponsoring/adopting/enhancing their major events and publications? Clearly, one should not organize the nth ICPR among some starving tribes in Africa; they would hardly be benefited from it!

However, there are plenty of countries with substantial intellect to offer that could host most if not all of our major outlets of expertise! True, scientists from Western countries will probably loose something if that policy were to be adopted, but it would be a mere scratch in their budget and a mere ripple in their CVs not to be able to claim the organization of a major scientific event! On the other hand, they will have the chance to travel to some of the countries that had been closed to the western visitor for decades if not for centuries!

For things to work, however, nice ideals must be escorted by nice money! Nobody likes to feel that is taken for a ride and that is the feeling created if American prices are charged in countries where things and services cost orders of magnitude less than in America! Perhaps conference organizers of countries that need to be helped should bear that in mind when they set up their budgets. It must be remembered that fares to such countries are usually very expensive for the western visitor and this expense should be compensated by the local expenses being kept low. Only then will Mohamed be able to go to the mountain, meet the local people, talk with them, listen to them, learn from them, teach them and be friends happily ever after!

And as the season calls it:

PEACE ON EARTH AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Maria Petrou