Pontificia Accademia per la Vita

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 59^th 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

1. Francesco PROFUMO, Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
2. Antonio Giulio DE BELVIS, Associate Professor, Faculty of Economics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy)
3. William SULLIVAN, Georgetown University (United States)
4. Jozef GLASA, Slovak Medical University in Bratislava (Slovakia)
5. Martha TARASCO, Hospital Español de México (Mexico)
6. Alberto VILLANI, Bambino Gesù Children Hospital Roma (Italy)
7. Gert Jan VAN DER WILT, Emeritus full professor, Radboud University Medical Centre (Netherlands)
8. Giovanna Elisa CALABRÒ, Department of Human Sciences, Society and Health, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Cassino (Italy)
9. Frans VAN ITTERSUM, Amsterdam UMC The Netherlands - FEAMC (Netherlands)
10. Angel RODRÍGUEZ LUÑO, Pontificia Università della Santa Croce (Italy)
11. Mario PICOZZI, Pontificia Accademia per la Vita (Italy)
12. Emilce CUDA, Holy See (Argentina)
13. Rev. Charles Davis JAMES, Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (India)
14. Antonio G. SPAGNOLO, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Italy)
15. Marvin BERKOWITZ, University of Missouri-St. Louis (United States)
16. Vicente BELLVER, University of Valencia (Spain)
17. Gifty IMMANUEL, Center for AIDS & Antiviral Research (India)
18. Kendra THOMAS, Hope College (United States)
19. M. Therese LYSAUGHT, Loyola University Chicago (United States)
20. Stefano SEMPLICI, University of Rome "Tor Vergata" (Italy)
21. Jean-Marie OKWO-BELE, Independent (DR Congo)
22. Vincenzo LIONETTI, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Italy)
23. Kristina CALLINA (United States)
24. Nelson Arns NEUMANN, Commissioner at Georgetown University - The Lancet Commission on Faith, Trust, and Global Health (Brazil)
25. Laura GORLA, Duke University  (United States)
26. Deborah KOCHEVAR, Tufts University (United States)
27. Federico DE MONTALVO JAASKELAINEN, Universidad Pontificia Comillas (Spain)
28. Paulo REBELO, AFR (Brazil)
29. Konstantinos KORNARAKIS, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece)
30. Rodrigo Clemente THOM DE SOUZA, Federal University of Parana (Brazil)
31. Pedro SPINETI, Academia Fides et Ratio - Rio de Janeiro / Rio de Janeiro State University (Brazil)
32. Jos WELIE, President, St. André International Center for Ethics and Integrity (France)
33. Cibaka CIKONGO, Academy for Life (DR Congo)
34. Laura PALAZZANI, Lumsa University (Italy)
35. Carolyn ALDWIN, Oregon State University (United States)
36. Amauri GODINHO JR, Fides at ratio Academy (Brazil)
37. Dale BLYTH, University of Minnesota - Retired (United States)
38. Aníbal GIL LOPES, PAV, National Academy of Medicine (Brazil)
39. Cory Andrew LABRECQUE, Université Laval (Canada)
40. Ronald CÁRDENAS KRENZ, Universidad de Lima (Peru)
41. Daniel LAPSLEY, University of Notre Dame (United States)
42. Willis OVERTON, Temple University Emeritus (United States)
43. Michael LAMB, University of Cambridge (Great Britain)
44. Jacqueline LERNER, Boston College (United States)
45. Henk TEN HAVE, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh (Netherlands)
46. Olinda TIMMS, St Johns Research Institute, Bangalore (India)
47. Reagan MILLER-CHAGNON, Colorado State University (United States)
48. Alexandra FREUND, University of Zurich (Switzerland)
49. Margaret Beale SPENCER, University of Chicago (United States)
50. Thomas LICKONA, State University of NY at Cortland [retired] (United States)
51. Ty PARTRIDGE (United States)
52. Anne PETERSEN, University of Michigan (United States)
53. Joseph MCFALL, Children’s Institute; University of Rochester (United States)
54. Kirsten OLANDER, Tufts University (United States)
55. Anastasios PETKOU, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
56. Krzysztof WIAK, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland)
57. Zuzanna GĄDZIK, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (Poland)
58. Ilkamarina KUHR (Germany)
59. Daniele DE LUCA, Paris Saclay University (France)