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A good view from space

By John Marks and Rusty Schweickart IHT
Friday, February 7, 2003

Ilan Ramon

JERUSALEM Just before he died in the space shuttle Columbia, the Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon wrote to Israel's president, Moshe Katsav, to say that the mission was for the benefit of all mankind and that from space the world seemed united.

While circling the globe, Ramon cited the contribution that Arab scientists had made to the mission. He appealed for "peace and better life for everyone on Earth."

The Israeli fighter pilot was not the first astronaut to voice such ideas. At the height of the Cold War, American astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts came together to form the Association of Space Explorers.

At the first planning meeting of the association in 1984, the astronaut Rusty Schweickart and James Hickman of the Esalen Institute, the project coordinator, noted that "having seen Earth from a vantage point that blurs political differences," people who have traveled in space "share a unique perspective." Participants agreed to use their influence and terrestrial connections to seek solutions to global issues of mutual concern.

If Ramon had lived, he would certainly have joined the association, which counts 159 Americans, 87 Russians and space travelers from 26 other countries, including Afghanistan, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Syria. He would have become part of an organization that has the stated goal of promoting "the exploration of space to enrich the quality of life on Earth, bring nations together, advance science and technology, and stimulate intellectual curiosity and the advancement of knowledge."

This creed of the space explorers reflects a very different ethos than the one today in the Middle East. Violent struggle is the norm. So is the biblical adage of "an eye for an eye." Unfortunately, the warning of Mahatma Gandhi goes mostly unheeded: "An eye for an eye, and soon the whole world is blind."

From the shuttle, Ramon glimpsed the possibility of a Middle East where people could live harmoniously. "I feel like I represent first of all the state of Israel and the Jews, but I represent also all of our neighbors, and I hope I will contribute to the whole world and especially to our Middle East neighbors," he said.

Some in the Arab world reciprocated. After Ramon died, the Israel Defense Forces received messages of condolences like this one from a Palestinian resident in Nablus: "Ilan is a courageous person who lost his life for the sake of humankind."

In a region of suicide bombers, reprisal attacks and collateral damage, visions of peace and coexistence do not predominate. Yet no matter how violent the region, the experience of Ramon and his fellow space explorers is a reminder that peaceful alternatives are still possible.

Marks is founder and president of Search for Common Ground, an international organization which promotes conflict resolution. Schweickart, an Apollo 9 astronaut, is founder of the Association of Space Explorers.