Physics societies sign ‘Declaration for the Future’ in Münster
In Münster, the city of the Peace of Westphalia, the Physical Societies of Japan (JPS) and Germany (DPG) have addressed the public with a joint ‘Declaration for the Future’ in the quantum year 2025. In it, they advocate using scientific findings for peaceful purposes and for shaping a future worth living. They also call for a strengthening of existing international commitments to refrain from the development, production, testing, deployment or use of weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons. The presidents of the two societies, Prof Seiji Miyashita (JPS) and Prof Klaus Richter (DPG), signed the ‘Declaration for the Future’ on 14 November at Münster City Hall.
In the declaration, the two professional societies acknowledge the special responsibility of physicists. While their research has led to many achievements for the benefit of humanity, it has also enabled the development of nuclear weapons. On the other hand, however, they have the expertise necessary, for example, to control nuclear weapons or monitor disarmament efforts. The declaration is aimed primarily at the younger generation of physicists, who, 30 years after the end of the Cold War, are confronted for the first time with a situation in which tensions worldwide are rising again and the existing nuclear arms control treaties will soon be expired.
“The declaration signed today by the Physical Societies of Germany and Japan is of central importance to the University of Münster,” emphasised Prof Michael Quante, Vice-Rector for Internationalization, Knowledge Transfer and Sustainability. It expresses the willingness of scientists and their institutions to assume social responsibility. “We have a duty to share our knowledge of scientific and technological advances with society and to point out the opportunities, but also the risks, that these developments present for the future. The ‘Declaration for the Future’ is an exemplary success in this regard.”
JPS and DPG are two of the most important national physics societies internationally. With more than 52,000 members, the DPG is the largest physics society in the world. Both societies invite other physics societies and academic organisations to join the ‘Declaration for the Future’.
The topics of responsibility and disarmament are also reflected in the programme of the closing event of the Quantum Year, which will take place on 15 November in Halle Münsterland. The local organiser of the closing event, which is under the patronage of the German Physical Society, is Prof Stefan Heusler from the Institute for Physics Education at the University of Münster.