Science, not silence. For everyone who believes that alternative facts don’t exist.
Celebration of science and a call for support – that’s the goal of the March for Science that is being held in 450 cities around the world on Saturday, 22 April. And you can take part in this global initiative in the Netherlands, too. In fact, Dutch universities like Erasmus University Rotterdam are calling all students, teachers, and scientists to support the March. But why should you? What’s objective science got to do with your life? Well, a lot actually.
‘The March for Science is for everyone who believes facts are important and that alternative facts don’t exist,’ Professor Maarten Frens of Erasmus University College explains. He’s playing a leading role in the Dutch version of the march that will take place in Amsterdam (at Museumplein).
Join the March for Science because…
- … you need facts to rule a democratic country. Policy without science is just guessing. An objective climate agenda, for example, needs scientific research and discovery.
- … science has a huge impact on our daily lives. For instance, there are still people who believe that vaccinating kids can cause autism. By deciding not to vaccinate their children, they’re threatening their health and that of other kids in the playground.
- … it seems there’s an alarming global trend towards seeing science as an opinion rather than something objective. Overwhelming scientific evidence is rejected, even by policy makers and opinion leaders. The march is meant to emphasise that science tries to be as objective as possible.
- … all around the world, research institutes and universities are under pressure. Think, for example, about the situation in Turkey or the Central European University in Budapest that’s threatened with being shut down. And in the US, all research results related to climate need to be politically approved.
- … you have your own reason to treasure science. You’re very thankful for clean drinking water, for example. Or you have a great passion for gender equality. Look at the hashtags #WhyIMarch or #Thanks2Science on Twitter to see why other people choose to join the March for Science.
Read more about the March for Science in this interview with Maarten Frens (Erasmus Magazine), or visit the March for Science website.