Events
The World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research
In February 2020, in cooperation with the Commission of the African Union and thanks to the support of the Associazione Luca Coscioni, Science for Democracy organized the 6th session of the World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting was dedicated to the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications.
A book of abstracts, “The Right to Enjoy the Benefit of Science”, from the World Congress can be downloaded here.
Stay tuned for more information about the 7th session of the World Congress!
Blossoming STEM of Women/Exacta-Mente Mujeres
Since 2022, Science for Democracy has co-organized an annual free educational event for high schoolers around the world on International Women’s Day, March 8th. The event always takes place in English and Spanish, and features women in different STEM disciplines speaking about their experiences, to encourage girls to enter STEM fields.
More information about the past years events can be found at the following links:
2024, 2023, 2022
Give CRISPR a Chance
Since 2019 SfD has organized several public events throughout Europe to discuss and explain CRISPR technology. On these occasions, public speeches explained CRISPR and the consequences of the 25 July 2018 ruling of the European Court of Justice. Scientists then consumed a CRISPR-produced rice snack to demonstrate the safety of the technique.
Euroscience Open Forum
In July 2022, SfD participated in the Euroscience Open Forum in Leiden, Germany. We spoke during the session titled: Understand Public Policy Making Through A Game: The Case Of Euthanasia.
A Human (rights)-Centered AI Design Hybrid Event
In September 2022, Science for Democracy organized a public forum to discuss the impacts of artificial intelligence on the life of EU citizens, followed by a networking event with the Italian Scientific Community in the Netherlands.
(Digital) Democracy is a Human Right
In December 2022, SfD co-organized an event in Brussels that brought together key players to define a path forward for the strengthening of political rights and protection of the rule of law and democratic values in the European Union.
Book Launch of the Right to Science: Then and Now
In December 2021, SfD hosted the launch of the book The Right to Science: Then and Now, edited by Helle Porsdam and Sebastian Porsdam Mann.
Science for the Environment: Knowledge and Action
In 2019, SfD organized a panel at the House of Europe in The Hague, Netherlands, to discuss what science and politics can jointly do for the living environment. Among participants there were academics, European activists, and politicians.
United Nations and European Union Collaborations and Contributions
General Comment 25
In 2020, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the UN Treaty Body in charge of supervising the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, issued General Comment 25 on the Right to Science. SfD participated in the public process of developing this comment.
UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science
At the 40th General Assembly of UNESCO, the 193 Member States tasked UNESCO with the development of international guidelines on “Open Science”. Science for Democracy participated in the global consultation with their suggestions. The recommendation can be read here.
Commission on Narcotic Drugs Side Events
In 2019 and 2020, SfD co-organized multiple side events at the Commission in Vienna. In 2019, SfD was apart of the events: “Science in context: freedom of research and practice with controlled substances“, together with MAPS, ICEERS and Associazione Luca Coscioni; and “Alternative values, alternative facts: drug policy and justice as casualties in the struggle between authoritarianism and democracy“, with Stop the Drug War and others. In 2020, SfD held the events: “Social norms and rituals. Individual and collective self-regulation strategies in cannabis use” and “Human Rights Tools: Incorporating International Justice and Targeted Sanctions into Drug Policy“.
Massive Open Online Course on Communicating Science in Africa
In March 2020, SfD closely collaborated with UNESCO; the African Union Commission for Human Resources, Science and Technology (AU-HRST); and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA AfriCenter) to create a Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) on Communicating Science in Africa.
Open Access and Recruitment of Academic Staff
In June 2019, a member of Science for Democracy represented the organization at the VII permanent Commission of the Camera dei Deputati (Culture, Science and Education), to reform the recruitment of academic staff.
European Parliament Elections
In spring of 2019, SfD submitted a document of 11 points to candidates of the European Parliament elections, including issues ranging from sexual and reproductive health rights, disability, end of life decisions, human and vegetal genome editing, to embryo research, controlled narcotics and policy evaluation processes and impact evaluation.
Science for Inclusion
In October 2018, SfD participated in the general discussion by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on the General Comment on the “Right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress”. Following the discussion, SfD also organized a panel event on science and inclusion at the UN headquarters in Geneva.
Talks and Discussions
High-Level Dialogue on Responding to the Climate Emergency to Protect Human Rights
In 2022, the Governments of Chile and Colombia asked the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to issue an advisory opinion to clarify what obligations States of the Organization of American States have to combat climate change as a matter of international human rights law. SfD participated in the High-Level Dialogue on Responding to the Climate Emergency to Protect Human Rights, which was attended by the judges of the Court. SfD also presented an amicus curiae brief to the Court at the public hearings held in Brasilia, Brazil, on May 23-24, 2024.
Collaboration with University of Turin Strategic Litigation International Human Rights Legal Clinic
In December 2023, Cesare Romano (secretary general) and Marco Perduca (founder) of SfD gave a guest lecture on the Right to Science in Italy at the University of Turin.
Seminar on the future of Artificial Intelligence in the context of Industrial Ecology
In June 2021, Science for Democracy supported a seminar on the future of artificial intelligence in the context of industrial ecology. It was part of the Industrial Ecology Day and aimed to collect community views on the current and long-term application and implications of AI for the field of industrial ecology.
Advancing Knowledge-led Development through the Right to Science in Africa Symposium
In November 2019, SfD, with Associazione Luca Coscioni and the Law Faculties of the Addis Ababa and Turin Universities, presented the seminar: “Right to Science”. The seminar addressed the implications of the RtS for a country such as Ethiopia.
Campaigns and Appeals
EU CAN DO IT – The Petition to the European Parliament on Covid-19
Coronavirus – Never again
StopGlobalWarming.eu European Citizens’ Initiative
Appeal for the Human Right to Science
Petition to the European Parliament to include financing of human genome editing in Horizon Europe’s 9th framework program
Grow Scientific Progress European Citizens’ Initiative
Webinars
October 2023: “Psychedelics Avant-gardes”
March 2021: “1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs“
March 2021: “Academic Freedom Under Attack”
January 2021: Does “Equal” mean “Better”?
November 2020: “The Human Right to Science – The Webinar and the Appeal to the member states of the United Nations“
September 2020: “Right to die: a European Perspective”
April 2020: “The Right to Science and Why it Matters”
Workshops
Workshop on the Right to Science and its applications to the formulation of political goals
Workshop on the future of evidence-based policy
Tools and Books
P-Cube
Science for Democracy has been an integral partner in the Erasmus+ project, P-Cube. The project built an educational strategy game designed to teach different groups of people the theory and practice of public policy making.
The Research and Self Determination Index
The Research and Self Determination Index (RSDI) is a tool to measure the freedom of scientists and citizens (particularly patients) to make decisions that affect their activities and lives. Science for Democracy was a partner in creating the index.
The Freedom of Scientific Research Open Access Book
Several SfD members contributed to this book on the freedom of scientific research. The contributors are drawn from many disciplines, and approach the issues in diverse ways to secure the widest representation of the many interests engaged. They include some of the most distinguished academics working in this field, as well as young scholars.
