We publish herein the text in its entirety approved by the components of the Scuola Normale at the session of the day before yesterday, Tuesday 26th March 2024.
 

PISA, 28th March 2024. The Scuola Normale Superiore, reiterating the complete contents of the motion approved by its Academic Senate on 28th November 2023, and in the light of the UN resolution of 25th March 2024, once again urges the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in order to prevent further escalation of an already desperate humanitarian situation increasingly seen as an unacceptable form of collective punishment of the Palestinian population.

Following on from the above motion, and in line with its firm commitment to the “Scholars At Risk”network, the Scuola Normale has decided, as a first concrete manifestation of solidarity and in order to encourage dialogue in the Middle East, to put out a call for two research grants for topics relating to the study of the context and the conflict between Israel and Palestine, designed in particular for Palestinian and Israeli scholars at risk of physical harm or whose academic freedom is compromised.

In these circumstances of exceptional and growing seriousness, the Scuola Normale Superiore considers itself called upon, together with the entire international scientific community, not only to affirm its steadfast solidarity but also to engage in critical and far-reaching reflection on the ramifications of its own work.

To this end, the Scuola Normale:

1. affirms the necessity to plan its research and teaching activities in line with Art. 11 of the Constitution of the Italian Republic, which repudiates war as a means of negating the freedom of other peoples and of solving international disputes;

2. undertakes, in line with the constitutional dictate, to exercise extreme caution and care in its assessment of institutional agreements and proposals of scientific collaboration potentially leading to the development of technologies utilisable for military purposes or to the enactment of any form of oppression, discrimination or aggression towards the civil population, such as is taking place at this moment of time in the Gaza Strip;

3. is putting into place the procedures for ensuring that the said principles are given full expression in the Regulations of the Scuola Normale, by integration or modification where necessary;

4. requests that the MAECI and the MUR reassure the scientific community that all calls and projects promoted by them in favour of industrial, scientific or technological co-operation with other nations rigorously adhere to the constitutional principles, with particular reference to Art. 11;

5. in consideration of the above mentioned principles, requests the MAECI to reconsider its  “Bando Scientifico 2024” (“2024 Scientific Call”) issued on 21st November 2023 establishing the Italy-Israel agreement of industrial, scientific and technological cooperation.            

 

The Scuola Normale Superiore furthermore:
 

6. undertakes to promote awareness and dialogue among all the components of its community regarding the developments of the situation in Palestine, asking its Director to convene, by the end of April, a general assembly dedicated to the topic and to the favouring of further initiatives;

7. confers to the Director a mandate as spokesperson at all institutional offices, and in particular at the MUR, MAECI and CRUI, concerning the positions expressed in the motion herein;

8. undertakes the publication on the Scuola Normale web site of the text of the motion and its dissemination through its media channels.