In the last two decades the developed world has initiated a broad transformation... a miraculous change in paradigms

Spain, until now, has scarcely contributed to any of the big concepts and technologies which are constructing the future. Even thought the accumulated knowledge in all these areas and their implications are leading the way to follow in economics, politics, social... The path chosen by Spain in these last 25 years is somehow a paradox. In this time the Spanish economy has succeed in occupying a prominent international position. And it has been achieved without investing generating knowledge but providing services, particularly tourism and leisure; keeping a production policy economically competitive and, we should not forget, spending the European Cohesion Founds and Regional Development... In these days, however, the model in which the Spanish economy is based starts to show symptoms of exhaustion. The industrial replacement, the emerging economies, or the increasing Spanish dependence in external technology and science, are more then real threats. Such situation provides no time for delay...

As signers of this document, active biomedicine scientist, believe to represent a large part of the scientific community. Aware of the serious deficit to overcome and the benefits that the investment in Science will bring to the Spanish society, we propose a large National Agreement for the Sciences were in addition to the government and the political parties, the regional governments, economic and social representatives, the scientific themselves. >del *Pacto de Estado por la Ciencia*. February 24, 2004

The number of objecting scientist, in disagreement with the military spend in the Spanish scientific research (R&D), has already passed 2000 individuals. In detail, there are already 2050 researchers that has manifest their commitment to not participate in any research concerning weapons nor the army. The scientist demand to the Spanish Government 'a progressive transfer of the R&D defense budged towards social and civil objectives'...

This information was publicly released in the Campaign 'For Peace: Not to the Military Research' promoted by the Fundacio Per la Pau, the Spanish Federation of Engineers without Frontiers and more than 40 NGOs, students associations, worker unions and social groups from all around the country, demanding to the government a change in orientation towards civil R&D.

According to the OCDE, Spain is the second developed country that invest more in military R&D, just after USA. For the 2004, the government spends a 32% of the public R&D budget for military programs. This is three times more than the main funding program for Universities and Public Research Centers. Since 1995 the military R&D has increased a 475% >de *El número de objetores científicos a la investigación militar llega a los 2000*. February 18, 2004

WE REQUIRE that the future of science in Spain to the an state matter (supra-governmental issue), with the needed parliamentary consensus to organize and carry out a scientific planning a middle and long term, without ambiguities derived form political shifts. As a result, the research budget has to be increased and to reach, as means of the GNP percentage, the European average in short, with a clear and concise pluriannual funding protocol; the up dating and adaptation of the administrative process to a highly competitive and changing environment; the increase of the independence of the R&D administration; the re-definition of the public administrative organisms, the increase of the Scientific contents in public education, the design of long term strategies, that let to an increase of the number of scientists per inhabitant, and the design of political activities that award and dignify the scientific endeavor. >del *Manifiesto por la ciencia*. April, 2003

related context
> oecd science, technology and industry scoreboard 2003. towards a knowledge-based economy.
> science misuse. february 24, 2004
> berlin declaration: science and culture accessible to all internet users. november 5, 2003
> science commons: building a free flow of knowledge. march 15, 2002

imago
> ibero-science: what's going on?