[***The questionnaire is at the bottom of this message, Mod.***] Hello friends, Please note this proposed meeting, along with the questionnaire. I hope that you-all will help me respond to it by sending back comments to me directly regarding your concerns on the issues raised. And, of course, if your organization is interested in the meeting, please feel free to correspond with AAAS directly. All the best, Anne Anne Anderson National Coordinator Psychologists for Social Responsibility 2604 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20008 (202) 745-7084 (202) 745-0051 fax -------------------- Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 10:36:34 -0500 From: "Victoria Baxter" <vbaxter@aaas.org> To: <Psysrusa@cs.com> Subject: Re: meeting on human rights info Anne: Subject: May 17 Meeting on Science and Human Rights About five years ago, the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program sponsored a meeting on human rights casework and advocacy on behalf of scientists. The AAAS definition of scientist is a broad one, encompassing natural, physical and social scientists, engineers, health professionals and teachers and students in those fields. The meeting was designed as a workshop, to give interested scientific societies an opportunity to share their ideas and experiences. Five years is a long time and a lot has happened since then. New people and organizations have become involved in human rights work, the human rights landscape itself has changed, and information technology has revolutionized the way we work and share information. The Science and Human Rights Program recently received a suggestion that it was time to hold another human rights workshop. We like the idea and would like to go ahead. We have done some preliminary planning, and are now seeking additional input and ideas to make sure that the workshop would respond to your needs. When and Where: We are tentatively planning a one-day workshop on Thursday, May 17, at AAAS in Washington, DC. The day would be organized into morning and afternoon sessions, and participants would be welcome to attend either session or both. Who: Anyone who currently works on behalf of human rights within the context of their professional affiliations, or who would like to. Our outreach and focus will be to scientific and related societies, broadly defined, but interested representatives from other professional or academic groups would be welcome to attend. What: The structure will be informal, with ample opportunities to learn from one another: discuss problems and solutions, share best practices and lessons learned. One option would be to have a guest speaker/facilitator make a short presentation on the topic, followed by an open discussion, monitored by the facilitator. That is only one possibility and we welcome suggestions on others. Cost of Workshop: None. Food, lodging and travel would be at your own expense SHR would provide assistance in finding accommodations if needed. Topics: The following topics have come up in preliminary brainstorming sessions. They are illustrative, not exhaustive and are meant primarily to stimulate your thinking on topics you would like to see included. - How to work with the Board of your organization. How to encourage the Board to sign letters and take other actions on behalf of human rights. - Update/review of human rights law: New human rights instruments have been adopted or have come into force recently. Examples include the Internatial Criminal Court, the Human Rights Defenders' Declaration, the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor. Review of basics: difference between signing, acceding to and ratifying an instrument; reservations and optional protocols; regional human rights treaties; how to check a country's ratification status, etc. - How to work with volunteers. How to keep human rights work sustainable whether working with volunteers or with staff. - How to conduct an effective letter-writing campaign. - Monitoring the effectiveness/success of your human rights work. - Other forms of human rights advocacy. For example, outreach to groups in the South, support services for refugee academics. - How to verify information that comes in from the field. - Incorporating economic, social and cultural rights into your casework and advocacy. - Coordinating joint actions with other groups and improving networking - Education and outreach to domestic constituencies. How to keep your colleagues interested and involved in human rights work. - How to avoid or deal with burnout, in yourself and others. - Using information technology effectively. - How to keep working together after the meeting. A short questionnaire is attached as a Word Document. Please fill it out and return it to Victoria Baxter by email (vbaxter@aaas.org) or by fax (202) 289-4950 by February 23. Thank you for your help. Regards, Victoria Victoria Baxter Project Coordinator Science and Human Rights Program American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1200 New York Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20005 Tel: 202 326 6797 Fax: 202 289 4950 http://shr.aaas.org --------------- SPRING MEETING QUESTIONNAIRE Name: Organization: Address: Phone: Fax: Email: URL: Would you be interesting in attending this event? Y N Can you suggest the names of individuals and/or organizations we should invite? What topics would be most useful to you? (Feel free to select items from the list given in the email or provide your own.) Please suggest resource people for the topics you have identified? Would you be willing to help plan this event? Do you have other comments or suggestions? Return by February 23, 2001 to Victoria Baxter vbaxter@aaas.org or fax (202) 289-4950
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