Following the movement initiated in April 2017, the second edition of the March for Science takes place this year on April 14th. Members of the International Younger Chemists Network (IYCN) are actively participating in the event, and IYCN as a network itself supports the ideas of the March for Science movement.
IYCN’s mission statement: “communicate, collaborate, educate and mentor” is directly connected to the March for Science. As chemists and therefore also as scientists, we strongly support the three main points of the March for Science movement:
1. Legislation, policies, and government programs are based on evidence and scientific consensus.
2. Publicly funded research is available to the public without censorship, especially when that research is relevant to policy-making.
3. There is robust, sustained, and generous government support for scientific research and education.
IYCN, as a global network, supports and promotes these ideas worldwide. As scientists, we strive not only to advance science, but also to educate the general public about our work. At the same time, we are committed to stand up to policies that have a negative impact on local or global societies. We strongly believe that scientifically-based facts must be considered when making decisions impacting society.
Marches are a useful endeavour, but should not be the only mechanism used to support the three points mentioned above. We should be creative and find multiple formats of introducing and explaining science to the public. IYCN is establishing multiple communication channels with the society via various projects worldwide. For instance, a relevant initiative oganized by an inspiring group in San Diego, California is the “Two Scientists Walk Into a Bar” (http://www.rhfleet.org/events/two-scientists-walk-bar). Similar ideas should be identified and distributed around the world. IYCN as a global network will catalyze this process, in agreement with our mission statement.
If you, as a young chemist, are participating in a March for Science event, please send us a picture of the March with one or two sentences stating why are you participating. We will create a collage of all the pictures that we receive and highlight the role of younger chemists in the March for Science. We also welcome your ideas on how scientific knowledge can be brought to the public in an open and creative way.
Please send your picture and your statement to the following email:
Pictures posted on social media using #ScienceMarchIYCN will also be collated and shared by IYCN to younger chemists worldwide.
Sincerely,
Evijola Llabani (Chair), Lori Ferrins (Vice-Chair), Fatima Mustafa (Secretary), Felicia Lucci (Finance Chair), Sebastian Weber (Social Media Chair), Sophie Carenco (Governance Chair), Catie Rawlins (Conference Presence Chair) and Courtney Ngai (Public Outreach Chair)
