SCIENTISTS FOR PEACE – A GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION
Scientists for Peace is a global Call to Action promoted by the Pontifical Academy for Life and sponsored by the Dicastery of Integral Human Development. It’s opened to scientists, researchers, and academics from all disciplines, of any nationality, cultural tradition, political and religious orientation. To subscribe to the Call, you must complete the form below.
SCIENTISTS FOR PEACE
Scientific research, in its methods and objects of investigation, can be a decisive practice for peace. It is driven by a quest for truth, built on rigorous methodologies, and grows through the sharing of knowledge and a willingness to continually question itself. Competition and debate are not lacking in today's scientific community, but the way they are addressed can be based on transparent communication of information and the overcoming of personal interests, with a view to contributing to the common heritage of knowledge, even beyond national borders.
For this reason, at a time when the language of war and the unleashing of violence are taking on a tragic global significance, which also limits scientific research, scientists and academics are called upon to speak out for peace and to commit themselves to finding ways of reconciling and resolving conflicts, starting from the daily practice of their research.
The Pontifical Academy for Life and the other promoters of this Call invite scientists, researchers, and academics from all disciplines, of any nationality, cultural tradition, political and religious orientation, to sign a
GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION
so that scientific research may offer its original, decisive, and mandatory contribution to the construction of peace, which "has the gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding" (Message of Pope Leo XIV for the 59th World Day of Peace 2026).
To this end, they propose that signatories:
- recognize scientific research itself as a significant practice of peace;
- assess the impact of their research on the construction of a culture of peace;
- cultivate the spirit of universal fraternity that characterizes scientific research;
- value international scientific communities and societies as places of scientific diplomacy, based on large international and collaborative projects;
- promote research projects involving scientists and institutions from diverse peoples and cultures;
- contribute to critical reflection on monopolistic systems and the misalignment of the intellectual property system that can create injustice and conflict;
- monitor the risk of dual use of research results, developed for peaceful civilian purposes but usable for improper purposes, including in the military sector;
- put discoveries and inventions at the service of peace, contributing to the debate on the design and use of weapons for legitimate defense;
- develop research aimed at the non-violent resolution of conflicts and the eradication of their causes.
Vatican City, January 1, 2026
World Day of Peace
