“Fake news and conspiracy theories? Let’s empower (ourselves for) science! is a project of significant importance for Slovenia. It will help promote critical thinking and increase scientific literacy. The latter is our best defence against disinformation. In the age of social networks, disinformation and conspiracy theories are spreading at an incredible rate. We are witnessing the prevalence of personal opinion over fact and the making of generalized judgments on complex issues in society and the world. We live in a time in which too often more trust is put in influencers than scientists, in pseudoscience than science. In such a world, the role of science and education in fostering critical thinking and understanding of the world around us is immense. Promoting science and encouraging critical thinking is therefore crucial. As the President of Slovenia, I am aware that we must actively fight against deception and for the truth, against disinformation and hate speech, at all levels of society. Therefore, I support the project Fake news and conspiracy theories with honorary patronage, and I wish for a lot of imitators in society and academia.“
