MPs in call for new public holiday for Darwin Day

via http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/205

MPs are being urged to give their support to an Early Day Motion tabled in the House of Commons to make Charles Darwin’s birthday – 12th February – an annual public holiday.

The motion, tabled by Ashok Kumar MP, which has already received the support of ten other MPs says:

That this House notes the extraordinary achievements of Charles Darwin; notes that 2009 marks both the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species; welcomes proposals for the creation of a Darwin Day in recognition of the ground-breaking work of the British scientist responsible for the theory of evolution by natural selection; and calls for Darwin's birthday, 12 February, to be designated a public holiday in honour of one of the fathers of modern science and one of Britain's greatest, if not the greatest, scientific minds.

2009 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’ and campaigners are making use of these anniversaries to redouble their efforts to have the day marked officially. In 2003, over 40 distinguished academics, philosophers, scientists and writers called for a new public holiday, including philosopher Simon Blackburn, biologist Richard Dawkins, co-discoverer of DNA Francis Crick, author Philip Pullman and writer and broadcaster Claire Rayner. Members of the public are being urged to write to their own MP to request their support for the motion.

Andrew Copson, BHA Director of Education and Public Affairs said, ‘Charles Darwin is one of the greatest and most influential thinkers who ever lived and one of Britain’s greatest scientists. In the middle of February we could all do with an extra public holiday and recognition of this particular day would be a great way of celebrating Britain’s great contribution to science, reason and freethought.’

The British Humanist Association supports the campaign to have Darwin Day made a public holiday and is running its own series of events in 2009 to celebrate Darwin’s anniversary.

Notes

You can read the EDM (number 377) here

You can email your MP and urge him or her to sign EDM 377

For further comment, contact Andrew Copson by email or on 020 7079 3584 or 07534 248596

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing the interests of the large and growing population of ethically concerned non-religious people living in the UK. It exists to support and represent such people, who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs.

Mission & Strategy Statements - Darwin Day Holiday Campaign

Mission: To campaign for a National UK Public Darwin Day holiday on 12th February 2012 (or sooner) and thereafter annually
Strategy:

1. Contact MPs who signed Ashok Kumar's Early Day Motion 2002
   
2. Seek MPs (eg Evan Harris) to promote campaign in Parliament
   
3. Campaign targeted at British Humanist Association & BHA Science Group
1. Over 40 distinguished academics, philosophers, scientists and writers signed a BHA letter in February 2003 calling for a Darwin Day holiday.

Arguements for a Darwin Day Holiday in UK

1. A holiday celebrating Darwin would send out a signal that science matters, in an era when pseudo-science, fear of science and creationism / ID seems to be gaining ground.
2. The number of holidays in the UK (eight) is relatively small compared to the number in many other European countries. However, direct comparison is inaccurate since the 'holiday in lieu' scheme of deferrment does not apply in most European countries, where holidays that coincide with a weekend (29% of fixed-date holidays) are 'lost'. In fact, the average number of non-weekend holidays in such countries, is marginally higher (and in some cases lower) than the UK (source: wikipedia)
1. needs corroborating and elaborating