5 DE ABRIL DE 2014

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In addition to indispensable financial resources, quality in education and science involves other factors such

as rigorous evaluation, high standards, freedom and a very clear focus on knowledge touching on every level of

education.

Without freedom there’s no science. That’s why Brian Cox, quantum physics, discussing “Why science is

essential for modern democracies” said “For a democracy to function correctly, we need as many citizens as

possible to at least have an understanding of the scientific method” and technological punch.

We live in a society — as Carl Sagan always emphasized — a society that is entirely based on science, it is

based on technology and engineering. All the great, important decisions that our democracies will be forced to

take in the next decades, and all the way into the 21st century, are based on science — they’re based on

scientific method, they’re based on an understanding what reason and reaching conclusions based on

evidence is.

In fact, these are two priority areas in the Europe 2020 Strategy to overcome the economic and financial

crisis currently being experienced in Europe, in particular when the following strategic goals were laid out:

investing at least 3% of the EU's GDP in R&D, lowering the school dropout rate to less than 10%, and the

target of at least 40% of the latest generation having a higher education degree.

As such, it is essential to carefully apply public money so that it materialises in an actual investment in the

future of younger generations. But, in OSCE region the challenge is beyond that.

In a globalised world, having skills and capacities is not enough; it is essential to create citizens who are

free, independent, responsible, aware and active. Countries need the same qualities. They need

entrepreneurial spirit, individual initiative and the boldness to innovate is imperative.

And it is unavoidable to strength democracy in all OSCE regions and manage to go forward in scientific

methods.

There are obstacles to the advance of democracy: competing ideologies, uncertain loyalties, corruption.

Some people feel they have god-given rights to impose their views on others, trample others’ civil liberties.

And here the values of science have much to say, because scientific values are lessons for democracy:

honor (a scientist accused of plagiarism will be ostracized by his community); teamwork (engagement with the

contrarian view); and the freedom to enquire, challenge and think.

Much of what we will be in the coming decades, as a people and as an aggregate body, will depend on our

efforts in the area of science, our knowledge and our ability to translate the results of research into socio-

economic value and job creation. But also the role of science in strengthening our democracies.

“Democracy and science interact to assist us with the emergence of an informed and participating citizenry.”

These are also societal values worth protecting.

“The promotion of all these values is the culture of promoting humanism.” Science is a big part of this. And

so is democracy.”

A Deputada Isabel Santos e o Deputado Miguel Santos participaram nos trabalhos da Comissão da

Democracia, Direitos Humanos e Questões Humanitárias.

Foi apresentado, pela Relatora desta Comissão, Gordana Comic (Sérvia), o projeto de relatório para a

próxima sessão plenária: o principal tema em discussão serão as migrações na região OSCE e a situação de

vulnerabilidade de mulheres e crianças, muitas vezes vítimas de tráfico. Referiu ainda a mais-valia dos

emigrantes para os países de acolhimento e o combate ao racismo, extremismo e xenofobia.

Usaram ainda da palavra o Embaixador Robert Kvile, Presidente do Comité da Dimensão Humana da

OSCE (referiu as prioridades da Suíça para esta área: a liberdade de imprensa, minorias nacionais, políticas

de género, pena de morte e tráfico de seres humanos); Dunja Mijatovic, Representante para a Liberdade de

Imprensa da OSCE (referiu que a liberdade de expressão é um direito fundamental para as democracias. Os

Parlamentos devem ser os primeiros defensores da liberdade de expressão e de imprensa); e Janez Lenarcic,

Diretor do ODIHR da OSCE (mencionou as atividades do ODIHR nas áreas dos “human rights defenders”, a

visita recente a Guantanamo, o nacionalismo agressivo e o racismo contra emigrantes e minorias, a situação

das comunidades Roma e Sinti, políticas de género e a cooperação do ODIHR com a AP OSCE em missões

de observação eleitoral que tem registado progressos bastante positivos).

A Deputada Isabel Santos, Presidente da Comissão, introduziu um debate sobre “Rule of Law” tendo

afirmado: