THE University of Guyana in collaboration with the Religion, Science and Environment Research Group (UG-RSERG) is hosting a symposium today under the theme, ‘Religion and science for environmental sustainability’.

According to a UG press release, the public is invited to participate in this one-day symposium which will be held in the Education Lecture Theatre at the Turkeyen Campus, commencing at 08:30 hrs.

The symposium, the release stated, is motivated by consciousness of the debates over the existence of conflict between religion and science, based largely in the conflict thesis which has its origins in the 1876 publication of the scientist William Draper.
It will specifically address the issue of conflict between religion and science and its impact on the environment, while aiming to forge a purposeful union of religion and science for the development of a more sustainable future for Guyana. It is hoped that this would also provide a model for the rest of the world.
The main presenters at the symposium are drawn from religion and science. Fr Malcolm Rodrigues S.J., Swami Aksharananda and Maulana Abu Bakr Haniff will present papers on perspectives from Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, respectively, and Professor Godfrey Bourne will present perspectives from science. Additionally, papers will be presented by researchers and/or practitioners, as submitted, as part of an open call for papers, the release stated.
Within a few months of the conclusion of the event, the release said, participants will be sent a copy of a book which will be the substantive material output of the symposium, the release added.
The UG-RSERG is a small group of scientists from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Guyana (UG) who began collaborative research in April 2012. The group focuses on interdisciplinary research which seeks to understand phenomena emerging at the crossroads of religion, science and the environment to inform and help create a more sustainable future for Earth.
Written By Shivanie Sugrim