Charter

This document was adopted in July 1987 and modified following the work done during the Congress held in 2007.

INTRODUCTION

The promotion of scientific activities outside an academic setting goes back a few decades in many countries. Interest in these activities, and the long term impact on the continuation of science in our society have been great enough, in many ways, to bring about numerous international exchanges.

This charter was written in order to provide a framework to the international union of all organizations working with science and young people.

20 years after its adoption, it was slightly modified and amended.

MAIN OBJECTIVE

Foster the interest among youth from all countries for science and technology in order to:

• prepare them to understand better the world in which they live, to get better inserted in it and to bring their contribution to the progress;
• increase their awareness of the universal dimension of science and of its sensible use as a tool to bring peoples together for peace;
• promote in the framework of a double solidarity, planetary and transgenerational, the preservation of the environment and sustainable development.

This Charter makes reference to the reflections and conclusions of the great principles elaborated in the Charter of the United Nations (1945), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), and the UN Millenium Development Goals (2000).

Within MILSET, resolutions have been made following the Grenoble White Book (2001), the Moscow Congress and its Call by Youth (2003), the Tunis Youth Congress held in the framework of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS, 2005), the Congress of Vera Cruz (2006) and the Congress of Marly-Le-Roy (2007).

The four main subjects dealt with in the following pages form the foundations of the International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology (Mouvement International du Loisir Scientifique et Technique - MILSET), which organizations joining MILSET should agree to. The four subjects are :

• scientific and technological progress,
• scientific culture,
• preservation of the environment and sustainable development,
• international development and peace.

The subjects are discussed after a general presentation of leisure science activities, and a summary of the characteristics which distinguish leisure science organizations from all those working with science or with young people.

CONTRIBUTE TO PROGRESS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY THROUGH A SPECIFIC ACTION TOWARD YOUNG PEOPLE

Science and technology play an important role in today's world and offer new perspectives for solutions to the many problems related to health and sustainable development. Young people therefore have an essential role to play, which they must prepare for from their early learning years. The continuation of science is being prepared now. The encouragement of interest for science and technology- in young people is therefore a goal to pursue.

Schooling itself, however, is not sufficient for a person to choose to specialize in sciences. Many myths, most notably about the necessary intelligence, must be eliminated.

The openness and the attractiveness of activities promoted by popular science organizations contribute largely to a positive relationship between young people and science. Although the age of the target group varies from one country to another, most organizations work with young people between the ages of 14 and 21 years. Some organizations aim to make children aware of science beginning at age 6 or 7. Discovery, creativity, flexibility, and participation in individual or group activities give the activities an appeal that standard school programs can not easily offer.

The organizations should strive to provide activities with a stimulating and adaptable framework for participants, particularly young ones. In this context, popular science has a well-defined role in the encouragement of those apt to change their interest for scientific leisure to one for a profession in science which will affect the society of tomorrow. Scientific progress cannot, however, be measured only by the number of people who choose careers in science. It can also be evaluated by the general public's absorbtion of scientific information. For this reason we must emphasize scientific culture.

BRINGING SCIENCE TO PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SCIENTIFIC CULTURE

Scientific culture can be defined as our knowledge of the elements that make up our surroundings. The exact sciences help us understand the rules governing natural phenomena; environmental science help us understand what makes up our world; human sciences help us understand ourselves and our cultures; technology helps us to create new things, using our existing resources. Each field provides a person with references which allow him to solve problems and act on the resulting solutions in his community.

The bringing of science to the people, or the development of scientific culture is a basic goal for all societies, from developing countries which have to continually try to improve living conditions to industrialized countries which must promote understanding of the technological changes which happen every day. The will to discover and understand the scientific phenomena and technology which affect us more and more should indeed be present in all of us.

Faced with environmental problems and technology, an individual require a scientific concern as well as the ability to be critical of the information spread on these subjects. One must be able to make an enlightened judgement on what is said and avoid believing everything that is said to be backed by scientists.

The development of scientific culture therefore allows people to adapt their lifestyle to the progress of their society and to better contend with the challenges of the future.

Organizations promoting popular science have a special role to play since they are particularly apt to integrate technology with a person's general culture. Besides, experience shows that the many activities undertaken help develop new approaches to certain fields and thus allow the coming together of modern and traditional science.

Lastly, besides organizing activities that are within easy reach of everyone, the organization should try to spread their scientific information, and promote their activities, as well as expose them to the public, and participate in others organized by other groups.

ECOLOGICAL AWARENESS AND PRESERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

Ecological, environmental and sustainable development questions are in the forefront of the concerns of many organizations promoting popular science. The natural sciences sparked the popular science movement in many countries, and more than any other field of science, attracted young people to discover the world around them. From the sixties onward, new technology meant an increase in the concerns of clubs, while an awareness of environmental problems updated the purposes of groups whose activities had been in the traditional fields.

Many groups are presently studying the environment, informing the public about protection and improvement of sites, pushing to improve attitudes toward the environment, and working in parks and reserves to make the public more aware of the importance of nature conservation, all to improve the balance and harmony between man and his environment.

Organizations promoting scientific leisure activities should therefore reserve a special place for the ecology and the environment and should support initiatives which aim at public awareness of related questions.

SHARING EXPERIENCES AND WORKING TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE

Organizations which aim at promoting popular activities in science and technology should develop programs which will allow them to reach their target groups in their community, region, or country. The characteristics of each country, the prevailing problems, and the proposed solutions of each organization may become a source of inspiration and enrichment to all those who have shared in them.

For this reason, as much as their resources will allow, popular science organizations should encourage international exchanges between two or more countries, with no barriers as to language, race, and religion.

Leisure activities in science, because of the nature of its goals and its impact on young people, becomes an excellent cause for useful exchanges among representatives of different cultures on a common subject, though seen through different mentalities. Aside from the direct consequence of new ideas for activities for each organization's target group the exchanges will promote a better understanding of peoples and cultures, and bring together representatives with the same goals regarding science and young people.

The exchange of ideas on scientific questions seen from the point of view of leisure activities and discovery gives way to interesting opportunities for peace and harmony which help balance out the all too frequent antagonism caused by irresponsible use of science and technology.

SPECIFIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIZATIONS WORKING IN THE FIELD OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Organizations which work in the area of leisure activities in science and technology have some common characteristics which differentiate them from other organizations concerned with science or young people.

It must first be emphasized that the organizations in question organize or promote activities dealing with science or technology. The activities are chosen by the participants, and are held in a leisure setting with a certain flexibility, despite the possible limitations imposed by the need for quality. The activities should encourage discovery and creativity, and can be done individually or in a group.

Besides, the activities chosen should be done using scientific methods, based on observing, questioning, experimenting and analyzing. The pedagogy of the project is the most adapted to support this approach. These are the basic elements of the type of activities with which the organizations are concerned, although they will differ depending on the participant's age group, level of education, and knowledge of the field in question.

Lastly, the activities are aimed mainly at young people, without excluding other people who may gain from them. They must be open to as many people as possible in order to promote the development of scientific culture.