A quick stop in Italy, where marches are scheduled in Rome, Milan, and Caserta.
Feeling left out? Want some coverage for your satellite march?
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Last month, scientists in the US united to organize a March for Science.
The march will be a celebration of our shared passion for science, and also a push for public support for the scientific method and those who work in research. Enthusiasm spread quickly, and now hundreds of thousands of people all around the world are rising to participate.
We urge the citizens and visitors of Italy to join the cause.
Changes in US policies on research have led to an incredible surge of solidarity across the planet as people unite behind the shared concerns of scientists.
Yet the current US political environment continues to encourage the denial of scientific evidence and mis-characterizes scientific consensus as the mere opinion of a few.
The time has come for all people who support scientific research to take a public stand.
We believe it is important for science to respect the will of democracies across the world, so that scientific work may benefit everyone in our communities and not simply the interests of a privileged few.
Who are we? We are scientists and science enthusiasts, and our diversity is our greatest strength.
We are of all ethnicities, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations, skill levels, socio-economic backgrounds, political views, and nationalities.
Our diversity provides an open forum for perspectives and ideas, and that forum is fundamental to strong scientific research.
But the bond that unites us is the knowledge that science is the common heritage of all people across the globe. We are also united by a love for curiosity. While scientific research is difficult, it is equally thrilling. And this curiosity gives us the determination to pursue scientific truth, the biggest hope for a better future.
As our American colleagues have written, this movement can't and won't end with a rally.
Indeed, this rally is only the first step. It is a call to action for the world to continuously defend science at all levels — from schools to universities — and to adequately support the researchers who labor to create the scientific results we rely on. Training and basic research are not a luxury or an expensive burden, but a valuable investment.
Finally, we recognize that the research community must be more transparent to the public. We believe it is important for science to respect the will of democracies across the world, so that scientific work may benefit everyone in our communities and not simply the interests of a privileged few.
After all, science is at its best when we ambitiously apply its ability to prevent or relieve human suffering from calamitous events. So we must reaffirm and emphasize the role of science in our societies, our governments, and our lives.
In support of the initiative launched in the US, we call upon all citizens for a march in Rome and the rest of Italy on 22 April, 2017, the same day as the march in Washington and elsewhere in the world.
Let us march together!
