The Amanar: Under the Same Sky project aims to inspire Saharawi youth of Algeria through astronomy, using it as a tool to promote peace, cultural exchange and mutual understanding. The project’s second phase has begun in which an international team of astronomers and educators are travelling to the refugee camps in Tindouf to conduct astronomy outreach activities.

 

The project’s first phase was carried out during the months of July and August in Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria, with Saharawi children visiting the Canary Islands during the summer months as part of the program Vacations in Peace. These activities consisted of visits to professional observatories, and interactive activities.

 

15 October marks the start of the second phase of the project in which an international team of astronomers and educators are travelling to the refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria to carry out astronomy outreach activities with students and teachers in eight educational centers and share astronomy with the general Saharaui community. Participating schools will receive a small telescope and an educational kit prepared by the international Virgo collaboration to support didactic astronomy education. These activities aim to contribute towards the improvement of the quality of scientific education in the Saharawi refugee camps and to provide educational resources to local schools and local teacher training in science and technology.

 

The project is an initiative of GalileoMobile in collaboration with the Canary Islands Association of Friendship with the Saharaui People (ACAPS) and is supported as an IAU100 Special Project, the IAU Office of Astronomy for Development, and the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.

 

More information about these activities are available on the project website.

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