IARU Region 1 EUROCOM Working Group Chairman Gaston Bertels, ON4WF
This "Space" poster shows (L-R) US astronaut Mike Foale, KB5UAC -- a native of England, and European Space Agency astronauts Thomas Reiter, DF4TR, of Germany, Pedro Duque, KC5RGG/ED4ISS, of Spain and Frank de Winne, ON1DWN, of Belgium.
IARU Region 1 President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR
AMSAT organizations participated in organizing the event.
"Amateur Radio is the ideal preparation for a future career in a wide range of science, technology and engineering roles," Bertels told the opening-day audience. "Many young people who qualify as radio amateurs continue to pursue higher education in science, technology and engineering disciplines. Radio amateurs provide a valuable reservoir of skills for communications, information and high-tech industries, and many amateurs are employed in these areas."
Bertels singled out the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (DARC) and the Réseau des Emetteurs Français (REF-Union) -- respectively the IARU member-societies of Germany and France -- for their delegates' help in making the exhibition possible. He also cited the Amateur Radio satellite (AMSAT) organizations of Italy, Germany, Great Britain and France for providing "valuable input" to the event.
In her opening remarks, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Mechtild Rothe of Germany stressed the vital role Amateur Radio has played in education and emergencies. National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR) Chairman Shri Suri, VU2MY, presented a gold medal to Spanish MEP Fernando Martin, EA8AK, for his support of Amateur Radio in India, and a silver medal to Bertels. The NIAR sponsored the 2004 Andaman Islands DXpedition, which turned into an emergency communication effort after the Southeast Asia tsunami.
Exhibits and posters stressed emergency communication, space communication, well-known radio amateurs, training young people, and careers directly influenced by Amateur Radio. Displays included one on electromagnetic compatibility that demonstrated HF interference from several sources, including broadband over power line (BPL). Others touched on Morse code, PSK31, and space communication. On exhibit were engineering models of Sputnik 40 and the L/S-band antenna for the Columbus ISS module. Bertels, who is also Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) vice chairman, outlined the ham radio activities on the space station and noted the fundraising effort now under way to provide and install the Columbus Amateur Radio antennas.
All members of the European Parliament received exhibition flyers in English, French and German. RSGB representatives also handed out brochures to MEPs that explained the benefits of Amateur Radio. "The aim was to raise the profile of Amateur Radio among Europe's politicians, and highlight the important contribution the hobby has to offer in many areas of society," Bertels said.
The exhibition attracted "significant interest" from MEPs and visitors to the European Parliament and proved to be a "huge success," Bertels said. "One Polish MEP was so impressed that he pledged to become a radio amateur."
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