The calls for the “March for Science” have also been expressly welcomed by the President of the Humanist Association of Germany, Frieder Otto Wolf. The promotion and defense of science is a central concern for modern humanists, he said.
With the “March for Science”, people in numerous countries are speaking out against the increasing spread of so-called “fake news” and “alternative facts”. It is not only the denial of climate change, evolution or the benefits of vaccinations that has gained popularity in parts of German society. In other subject areas, scientifically sound facts are also denied, relativized or so-called “alternative facts” are presented as being of equal value in order to make political capital out of them and deprive constructive dialogue of its ground. “However, since constructive dialog is a fundamental basis of our democracy, such a development affects not only scientists, but our society as a whole,” explains the German network for the March for Science, which will also take place in many cities in Germany on April 22, 2017. The call for the “March of Science” in Berlin states that the supporters want to “raise public awareness of the importance of findings and verifiable research results for our society. Science and research are pillars of freedom and prosperity.” Over the past centuries, science and research have developed into a central building block of our civilization and the constantly growing knowledge makes humanity fit for the future. “Anti-Trump is too short-sighted for us,” the Berlin appeal continues, and: “The anti-science stance of a president with little education is merely an expression of a social trend that denounces scientific facts and reliable knowledge. We are in favour of science and research as an achievement of civilization that is indispensable for our open democracy.”
All people who are not professionally or otherwise active as scientists are also expressly invited to the demonstrations. Everyone for whom knowledge and scientific thinking are important as an elementary basis for informed decisions in the private, public and political spheres is called upon to take part in a “March for Science”.
The President of the Humanist Association of Germany is therefore also calling on people to take part in one of the numerous rallies on April 22, 2017: “Modern humanism cannot do without enlightenment, enlightenment cannot do without science. Even if science alone does not provide comprehensive enlightenment – as individual natural scientists and humanists unfortunately occasionally exemplify – the promotion and defense of science is a central concern of all people who hold modern humanist views. The cause of the March of Science is of great importance for our global society and I hope that its voices will be heard widely and sustainably,” says Frieder Otto Wolf.
Further information
Website of the German “March for Science” network including an overview of local initiatives: www.marchforscience.de
