The European Council of Skeptical Organizations ( ECSO ) is an umbrella of skeptical organizations in Europe .
Goals
Founded we 25 September 1994 the CSAO AIMS to co-ordinate activities of European organizations and Individuals That aim at Critically Investigating pseudoscientificstatements and comments Regarding claims of paranormal phenomena, and to make the results of investigations icts Known to the public broad. [1] It is possible to continue the series of European congresses that preceded its foundation [2] and supports a biennial congress and a symposium every other year. [1]
The Charter of the European Council of Skeptical Organizations states that it
1) To protect the public from the promulgation of claims and therapies which have not been subjected to critical testing and thus to pose a danger to them.
2) To investigate by means of controlled tests and experiments on the subject of these phenomena. In particular this applies to the term „paranormal“ or „pseudoscientific“. However, no claims, explanations or theories will be rejected in advance of objective evaluation.
3) To promote public policy based on good practice in science and medicine. [3]
The Charter was signed by Amardeo Sarma ( GWUP ), Michael Howgate (UK Skeptics), Miguel Angel Sabadell (ARP), Paul Kurtz ( CSICOP ), Tim Trachet ( SKEPP ), Arlette Fougnies ( Para Committee ) and Cornelis de Jager ( Stichting Skepsis ). [3]
Structure
Board of directors
Cornelis de Jager served as first president until 2001, when he was replaced by Amardeo Sarma (2001-2013), [4] who was in turn succeeded by Gábor Hraskó . Since September 2017, the ECSO is composed of: [1] [5]
- Claire Klingenberg ( Sisyfos ) – President
- Tim Trachet ( SKEPP ) – Vice President
- Amardeo Sarma ( GWUP ) – Treasurer
- Paola De Gobbi ( CICAP ) – Member
- Pontus Böckman ( VoF ) – Member
- Catherine de Jong ( VtdK ) – Associate member
- Leon Korteweg ( DVG ) – Associate member
- Michael Heap ( ASKE ) – Associate member
- András Gábor Pintér ( SzT ) – Associate member
Member organizations
The ECSO brings together the following skeptic groups: [6]
Local name | English name | Abbrev. | Founded | Region served | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alternativa Racional a las Pseudociencias – Sociedad para el Advance del Pensamiento Crítico [7] | Rational Alternative to Pseudoscience – Society for the Advancement of Critical Thinking | ARP-SAPC | 1986 | spain | Founding member. [3] |
Association for Skeptical Inquiry | Association for Skeptical Inquiry | ASKE | 1997 | United Kingdom | |
French Association for Scientific Information | French Association for Scientific Information | AFIS | 1968 [8] | la France | Member since 2001.[9] |
Comitato Italiano per il Controllo delle Affermazioni sulle Pseudoscienze | Italian Committee for the Investigation of Claims of the Pseudosciences | CICAP | 1989 | italy | |
Belgian Committee for Critical Analysis of Parasciences | Belgian Committee for the Critical Analysis of Parasciences | Para Committee | 1949 | belgium | Serves Wallonia andBrussels . Founding member. [3] |
Círculo Escéptico | Skeptical Circle | THIS | 2006 | spain | |
Föreningen Vetenskap och Folkbildning | Science and Popular Enlightenment / Swedish Skeptics Association [10] | VoF | 1982 | sweden | |
Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften | Society for the Scientific Investigation of Parasciences | GWUP | 1987 | DA-CH | Based in Roßdorf , Germany. Founding member. [3] |
Irish Skeptics Society | Irish Skeptics Society | ISS | 2002 | ireland | |
Klub Sceptyków Polskich | Polish Skeptics Club | KSP | 2010 | poland | Member since 2017.[5] |
Zetetic Observatory | Zetetic Observatory | OZ | 2003 | la France | [11] |
Skepsis ry | skepsis | skepsis | 1987 | finland | |
Skeptiker Schweiz – Verein für kritisches Denken | Swiss Skeptics – Association for Critical Thinking | Skeptiker | 2012 | switzerland | [12] |
Stichting Skepsis | Skepsis Foundation | skepsis | 1987 | Netherlands | Founding member. [3] |
Studiekring voor de Kritische Evaluatie van Pseudowetenschap in Paranormal Het | Study Circle for the Critical Evaluation of Pseudoscience and the Paranormal | SKEPP | 1990 | belgium | Serves Flanders andBrussels . Founding member. [3] |
Szkeptikus Társaság | Hungarian Skeptic Society | szt | 2006 | hungary | |
Vereniging tegen from Kwakzalverij | Association against Quackery | VtdK | 1881 | Netherlands | No formal membership yet. [13] |
Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos | Czech Skeptics Club Sisyfos | Sisyfos | 1995 | Czech Republic |
Furthermore, the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI, formerly CSICOP), whose founder and long-time chairman Paul Kurtz was actively involved in its formation (especially because of the Skeptical Inquirer had many subscribers in Europe), [3] and the Israel Skeptics Society are associate members of the ECSO. [6]
European Skeptics Congress
European Skeptics Congresses (ESCs), in which skeptical organizations from many different European countries participate, have been held ever since 1989. The conferences are often held in the month of September, and may be held to date. The ECSO was formed at the 6th ESC on 25 September 1994 in Ostend , Belgium . Since its foundation, the ECSO co-ordinates in the organization of new ESCs that take place (on average) every other year, and is hosted by a different member organization each time. Skeptical organizations that are non-ECSO members may also send their delegations. Past ESCs have been: [2] [14]
Event | Dated | City | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1st European Skeptics Congress | 5-7 May 1989 | Bad Tölz | West Germany | |
2nd European Skeptics Congress | August 10-11, 1990[15] | Brussels | belgium | |
3rd European Skeptics Congress | 4-5 October 1991[16] | Amsterdam | Netherlands | |
4th European Skeptics Congress | July 17-19, 1992 [17] | St. Vincent | italy | |
5th European Skeptics Congress | 29-31 August 1993 | Keele | United Kingdom | Theme: „Science for Life: Health, Medicine and Well-Being“. Organized by the UK Skeptics. |
6th European Skeptics Congress | September 23-25, 1994 | Ostend | belgium | Theme: „Science, Pseudoscience and the Environment“. [18] ECSO formed. [3] |
7th European Skeptics Congress | 4-7 May 1995 | Roßdorf | Germany | |
8th European Skeptics Congress | 4-7 September 1997 | A Coruña | spain | |
9th European Skeptics Congress | September 17-19, 1999 | Maastricht | Netherlands | Hosted by Stichting Skepsis [19] |
10th European Skeptics Congress | September 7-9, 2001 | Prague | Czech Republic | Theme: „Rise and Development of Paranormal Beliefs in Eastern Europe“ [4] |
11th European Skeptics Congress | 5-7 September 2003 | London | United Kingdom | |
12th European Skeptics Congress | 13-15 October 2005 | Brussels | belgium | Theme: „Pseudoscience, Alternative Medicine and the Media“ [20] |
13th European Skeptics Congress | 7-9 September 2007 | Dublin | ireland | Theme: „The Assault on Science: Constructing a Response“ [21] 100+ expected. [22] |
14th European Skeptics Congress | 17-19 September 2010 | Budapest | hungary | [23] |
15th European Skeptics Congress | 22-25 August 2013 | Stockholm | sweden | Theme: „ESCape to Clarity!“ [24] [25] |
16th European Skeptics Congress | September 10-13, 2015 | London | United Kingdom | Organized by Association for Skeptical Inquiry and Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit [26] |
17th European Skeptics Congress | 22-24 September 2017 | Wrocław | poland | „Where great minds meet“ Organized by Klub Sceptyków Polskich and Český klub skeptiků Sisyfos [27] |
Other
Chairman Gábor Hraskó stated in a 2015 interview [28]the heads of ECSO are the first to be active leaders for the various European groups. Several have disappeared, others are still active with new leaders, it is important to establish networks. At the 2015 conference held in London, Hraskó felt that he had learned about organizing from the UK skeptic groups. They operate differently than the continental Europeans, which tends to be one group that runs everything. The UK groups are all independent and more grassroots, but they work together on big conferences and projects. The 2017 conference „hopefully will be with the Polish and Czech skeptics“. Hraskó stated that the Czech skeptics disappeared for some time, and they hoped that they would reorganize the Polish and Polish the plans for the 2017 conference.17th biannual European Skeptics Congress 2017 in Wroclaw, Poland. [29] They were denied access to their initial subject on religious grounds, [30] then changed to the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics at the University of Wrocław . [29]
Catherine de Jong stated that having an organization overseeing the Europeans is helpful to disseminate information when planning for European planning. She gave the example of faith healer Peter Popoff being one who planned a tour of Europe. The UK skeptic Michael Marshall was able to contact the ECSO, who in turn was able to notify all the leaders of the other groups. They were able to share information and plan how to handle the events. [31]
Awards
During the 6th World Skeptics Congress (Berlin, 18-20 May 2012 [32] ), co-sponsored by the ECSO, GWUP and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), the ECSO presented the „Outstanding Skeptics Award“ to Wim Betz ( SKEPP) and Luigi Garlaschelli ( CICAP ) „in recognition of [their] dedication and outstanding contributions in promoting science and investigating extraordinary claims“. Simultaneously, the CSI presented Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst with the „In Praise of Reason Award“ in „recognition of [their] distinguished contribution to the use of critical inquiry, scientific evidence, and reason in evaluating claims to knowledge“. [33] [34]
See also
- European Humanist Federation
- List of skeptical conferences
- List of skeptical organisms
- QED: Question, Explore, Discover
- The Amaz! Ng Meeting (TAM!)
References
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- ^ Jump up to:a b Mahner Martin (February 2002). „10th European Skeptics Congress: Rise and Development of Paranormal Beliefs in Eastern Europe“ . Skeptical Inquirer . CSICOP . 26 (1). Archived from the original on 28 May 2014. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
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- Jump up^ „13th Congress of the European Council of Skeptical Organizations (ECSO)“ . ISS website. 2007. Archived from the original on 19 April 2015 . Retrieved 23 May 2014 .
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