Between 9 and 15 November, the International Week of Science and Peace is celebrated, and 10 November marks the World Science Day for Peace and Development. Established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2001, this observance underscores the essential role of science in society and the urgent need to affirm it as a cornerstone of a global commitment to peace and sustainable development.

In the current context — marked by threats to peace, genocide, and the global rise of the far right — the Public Science Forum of CeiED – Universidade Lusófona highlights these UNESCO initiatives, which call for reflection and dialogue on science as a common good.

As scientists and builders of knowledge, thinking about peace means thinking collectively — not only among ourselves but also with communities, schools, associations, local authorities, museums, and other cultural spaces. It means recognizing that peace is a dynamic and participatory process, one that nurtures our ability to value human dignity and to care for one another and for the world we inhabit. Science is part of this broader understanding — one that goes beyond the mere absence of violence. Conflict is inherent to human and social relations; it can foster human development when overcome sensitively, creatively, and nonviolently.

Science, as a space for social interaction and dialogue, understood as a common good, inspires the endurance of peace by mapping practices and shaping scenarios that contribute to sustainable development — supported by informed, research-based decisions. It is within this framework that science emerges as a privileged space for learning to live together.

According to UNESCO’s Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights, adopted in 2023 — marking the 50th anniversary of the 1974 Recommendation — education is reaffirmed as a central element for peace and international understanding, emphasizing the need for science and education that embody these principles. Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the April 25th Revolution in Portugal, this moment recalls a shared responsibility to revive the revolution’s ideals: democratic education and science, promoting peace and development.

Global challenges such as climate change, poverty, misinformation, and other environmental, social, economic, and geopolitical risks deeply affect scientific production. As both a theoretical and empirical framework — and often as an object of study itself — interdisciplinary research in education and development cannot remain indifferent to these threats to global peace and human existence. Researchers therefore carry the responsibility of adopting epistemological and operational stances that enable transformative decisions in response to the critical state of our world. International recommendations continue to outline roadmaps toward the construction of more just, inclusive, and peaceful societies.

A science committed to global cooperation faces the challenge of imagining and realizing change in a time defined by urgency and uncertainty. Whether through global citizenship, gender equity, the preservation of historical memory, or digital education, countless contributions point toward an understanding of science as a common good.

At the international level, four guiding principles stand out for science in the service of peace and sustainable development:

• Equitable and sustainable management of natural resources is essential to prevent conflict and promote peaceful development;
• Preserving scientific capacities across countries is fundamental for peace, sustainability, resilience, and recovery;
• Diversity is a key factor for excellence in science, technology, and innovation, ensuring their relevance and impact; and
• A commitment to realizing the universal right to science.

A science understood as a common good is grounded in human rights, committed to accessibility and quality, and free from all forms of discrimination. It is guided by an ethics of care and solidarity, upholding gender equity, respect for diversity, and inclusion. It guarantees safety, health, and well-being, and relies on lifelong learning and continuous transformation.

Such a science is co-created, defending freedom of expression, belief, religion, and cultural manifestation. It promotes the ethical and responsible use of digital technologies, connects the local and the global, and fosters dialogue between cultures and generations. Ultimately, it is a science guided by shared responsibility for peace, human rights, and sustainable development, for the benefit of all people.

In times of uncertainty, one certainty remains: our individual and collective commitment — to think and act with consideration, recognizing the existence of the other as an essential condition for building peace and science as a common good.

 Useful link: UNESCO – Recommendation on Education for Peace and Human Rights