Dr. Yiorghos Leventis, Director of International Security Forum (ISF), represented the organization upon invitation at the XXIV Winter Course of the International School on Disarmament & Research on Conflicts (ISODARCO), Italian Pugwash Group. The course focused on the theme of Eliminating Nuclear Weapons and Safeguarding Nuclear Technologies. A group of about 80 participants drawn from around the world gathered in the Dolomitian resort of Andalo, Trento (NE Italy) for a week of lively discussions (9-16 January 2011). The debates programme, principal lecturers and list of participants is available at www.isodarco.it. Dr. Leventis has been a regular contributor to the ISODARCO debates since 1995.
In the margins of the course, the ISF Director held a series of cordial meetings with Pugwash officials briefing them on ISF activities. Dr. Leventis held private meetings in turn with Carlo Schaerf, Professor of Physics, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Director of ISODARCO and with Mr. Giorgio Franceschini of the Frankfurt Peace Research Institute (PRIF, Germany), Director of the Winter Course.
Dr. Leventis held also an introductory briefing meeting with Pugwash Secretary General, Paolo Cotta-Ramusino, Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Milan, Italy. Prof. Cotta-Ramusino brings to the task more than 25 years of active involvement in nuclear weapons and international security matters. He has been a leader of the Italian and European movement of scientists for disarmament. The Director of the International Security Forum discussed with Prof. Cotta-Ramusino the current state of affairs in the Middle East seeking ways of promoting reconciliation meetings in Cyprus.
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