The Future of the March for Science in Germany
Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of people went into the streets on April 22, 2017 to demonstrate that scientific knowledge is a non-negotiable foundation of the discourse of our society. In Germany, we co-ordinated 22 marches with more than 37,000 participants. This was the second-largest number worldwide after the US.
To continue our work, we have now registered the March for Science Germany a non-profit organization. Thus, we will be able to receive funding from other non-profit organizations, which will benefit the local initiatives.
Although we are still called “March”, demonstrations will likely play a smaller role in our future work. Rather, we will focus on concrete projects that support our cause. Freedom and truth as the two core values of science represent the overarching goals.
Science requires freedom to do justice to its noblest task, to strive for truth. Restrictions of freedom occur much earlier than when scientists are oppressed and hindered in their work, as we are currently observing in Hungary, Turkey, and other countries. Freedom is also restricted here, through conditions of scientific work and incentive structures within the science system.
Therefore, we will initiate, support, and conduct projects who pursue the goal of fostering the values freedom and truth and to counteract developments that threaten or restrict these values. From the feedback after April 22, the following topics and action fields could be derived:
- Science and Society
- Science and Education
- Science and Politics.
The ways in which science communicates (and the ways in which it is communicated) is crucial for achieving a real dialogue within these fields. Science communication therefore represents the “how” which links the three topics (the “what”s). The March for Science has clearly shown the need for changes.
All those to whom a clear distinction between ascertained knowledge and personal opinion is important are invited to continue the work for the freedom of research and science—not only scientists.
You can find more information on our FAQ page.