World Science Day is celebrated on 10th of November worldwide. This day illustrates the significant role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.
It is essential to realize that scientists are generally speaking actually one of the most responsible types of people and not how you would imagine them due to negatively displaying movies or TV shows. In reality, they have to follow specific rules strictly to not facilitate the violation of human rights or endanger the future human life on earth. They are even trying to find solutions for the irresponsible actions of other human beings. A clear example for this would be climate change. Most of our society is not aware about the negative footprint they leave on our planet and scientists are there to find solutions for the negative impact we have.
This new way of thinking, to prevent any more harm or compensate, can be adapted to a lot of areas and working fields. Take, for instance, agriculture: scientists are already genetically modifying plants to make them more resistant to the symptoms of climate change. This means science gives us the opportunity to make plants more heat/cold resistant, less in need of water and less susceptible to pests. Definitely needed in a time in which droughts and other natural catastrophes are more common than ever.
Developing and making the populations of the world more equal is only possible if we all collaborate and share our scientific knowledge. In order to support this message, the World Science day was established on the 10th November 2002. This year is the 20th anniversary of the World Science Day for Peace and Development and the last two years, which are characterized by the covid Virus, have shown once again how important it is to share our knowledge. Only that way people from all around the world could be vaccinated this fast and the states could prevent any more harm by collaborating internationally.
This point makes obvious why Science Day also enforces Peace: science brings people together by letting them put their differences aside to work as equals on the same issue for a greater outcome. In order to keep the World Science Day for Peace and Development so special and realize its purpose of Peace, the UNESCO even establishes cooperations between scientists living in regions marred by conflict - one example being the UNESCO-supported creation of the Israeli-Palestinian Science Organization (IPSO).