Science, technology and Solidarity

In: The International journal of engineering, social justice, and peace: IJEJSP, Band 8, Heft 1, S. 92-110

Abstract

Science and technology are changing. We have seen the emergence of open and citizen-based science practices in the context of facing pandemics, such as COVID-19, xenophobia, or inequality, among others. Open science is a movement that advocates the collective construction of knowledge. This perspective has shown its importance with the emergence of rapid response initiatives to the current situation at national and international levels. This article discusses the relevance of knowledge commons and transparent objects in the era of intellectual property. Solidarity technoscientific initiatives become a vehicle to pose free culture as a pillar of a human future based on mutual support. In that sense, universities, publishers, students, the scientific and engineering community, and even citizens are creating efforts around open science intending to share results, data, designs, specifications, and even resources despite new socio-political limits and precautions. We argue that a technoscientific movement based on solidarity, free and open culture, is key to permeate and transform the various layers of governments, research institutions, and citizens-led initiatives. To address this, several examples are exposed offering a brief critical appraisal in the context of open science, a concept still in the making.