The chorus of support for the teaching of evolution continues, with statements from the Association of Science-Technology Centers; Ecsite, the European Network of Science Centres and Museums; and NATHIST, the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Natural History.
The statement from the Association of Science-Technology Centers affirms, "ASTC and its members — science centers and museums around the world — present information based on scientific evidence. ASTC's members are committed to advancing the public understanding of science and contributing to the development of a scientifically literate society." With regard to evolution, it states, "Evolutionary theory is central to modern science." ASTC's members include nearly 600 members in forty-five countries.
The statement from Ecsite explains that its "policy for public engagement is to present the theory of evolution as the best explanation for the ongoing generation of diversity of life on Earth." It also "strongly endorses the teaching of the theory of evolution in European schools as a core part of the science curriculum and we urge that views such as creationism and intelligent design should not be taught as science." Ecsite's members include more than 400 institutions in fifty countries.
And the statement from NATHIST describes evolution as "the best current explanation for how the diversity of life around us came to exist. It remains the only compelling scientifically rigorous account of how life evolved on our planet for which a great deal of empirical evidence has been accumulated in natural history collections," and endorses the presentation of evolution in public engagement activities. NATHIST is one of the International Committees of the International Council of Museums, representing 30,000 museum professionals across the globe.
All three of these statements are now reproduced, by permission, on NCSE's website, and will also be contained in the fourth edition of NCSE's Voices for Evolution.