How Rational and Evidence-Based is German Politics?
Discussion on the launch of the bus campaign and the "March for Science" on May 4 in Berlin
Bus campaign meets March for Science: On May 4 the Secular Bus Campaign starts in Berlin, which protests against the failure to comply with the constitutional requirement of separation of church and state under the motto "Schlussmachen jetzt!". Since this 4th of May is also the day of the international "March for Science", which calls for a stronger consideration of scientific findings, a high-profile panel discussion in the Urania Berlin brings the concerns of both initiatives to a common ground.
"Politics is not about rational arguments, but about interests," says Michael Schmidt-Salomon, philosopher and spokesman for the board of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung. There is worldwide evidence of this - also in Germany, as the largely fact-free political debate on § 219a StGB (advertising for abortion) has shown. Schmidt-Salomon discusses the question of how rational German politics is with Tanja Gabriele Baudson, a researcher on giftedness and creativity who co-initiated the German "March for Science" and was awarded the title "University Teacher of the Year" by the German University Association in 2018, and with the author Philipp Möller ("Isch geh Schulhof"), who completed internships in various parliamentary groups for his upcoming book project "Isch geh Bundestag". His experience: Politics leaves the ground of rationality whenever significant economic or religious interests are involved.
Admission to the first evening event of the Secular Bus Campaign 2019 at the Urania Berlin (An der Urania 17, 10787 Berlin) on 4 May 2019 begins at 7 pm. Admission is free. An event held by the Giordano Bruno Stiftung, the March for Science Germany, the Secular Bus Campaign 2019, and the Säkulare Humanisten an Berliner Hochschulen.
Bus campaign starts at Potsdamer Platz
The first press conference of the Secular Bus Campaign 2019 will take place in the campaign bus, which will be located on Potsdamer Platz, on Saturday at 1 pm. The location with a view of the BahnTower was chosen not least because Deutsche Bahn had prohibited advertising for the bus campaign in its Berlin railway stations. On its tour through Germany, the campaign will visit 25 cities in order to spread the message "Church state? No, thanks! 100 years of constitutional breach are enough" to promote greater awareness of the constitutional requirement of the worldview neutrality of the state. Numerous evening events are planned to coincide with the tour, including a ceremony to mark the constitutional anniversary of "70 years of the Basic Law" on May 22 in Karlsruhe.
Overview of the Berlin dates of the bus campaign:
- Saturday, May 4, at 1 p.m.: Campaign bus at Potsdamer Platz / press conference
- Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m.: Evening event in the Urania Berlin "Isch geh Bundestag: Wie rational und evidenzbasiert ist die deutsche Politik?"
- Sunday, May 5, at 1 p.m.: Campaign bus at Pariser Platz in front of the Brandenburger Tor
Further information on the secular bus campaign:
Information about the March for Science: