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Scientific associations are dedicated to service, both to their members and to the public. Promoting the realization of human rights provides scientific associations an opportunity to meet their responsibilities to both. Indeed, many scientific associations have recognized this and have incorporated human rights into their work. They also have valuable experience to share in setting up and sustaining human rights programs. By developing human rights-related activities and services specifically for the scientific community, and by leveraging the experience of its members, the Coalition can build the commitment and capacity of scientific associations to engage meaningfully in human rights advocacy, develop effective responses to human rights challenges, and contribute their unique skills and knowledge to the larger community dedicated to the realization of human rights.
Proposed activities to be pursued through this area of activity include to:
- Conduct outreach and provide guidance to members of scientific associations who want to establish human rights committees, sections, working groups, etc.;
- Organize general and discipline-specific human rights training sessions for interested scientific associations and their leadership (e.g., in-coming human rights committee chairs);
- Encourage and assist scientific associations to incorporate human rights themes into annual meetings in the form of human rights workshops, trainings, lectures, and other appropriate vehicles;
- Compile and disseminate both general and discipline-specific human rights education and training resources for introducing human rights into academic curricula, subfields, and/or clinics.
- Identifying and documenting the human rights activities carried out by scientific associations with the aim of making the findings available online;
- Assessing the needs of scientific associations in detecting and addressing human rights issues, bringing science to human rights problems, and providing training in human rights;
- Developing a strategy for getting scientific associations involved in this Area of Activity, including those associations highly involved in human rights work and those with no involvement to date.
For further information about the working group’s objectives and activities, click here.
If you wish to find out more about this working group and how your association can participate, please contact the working group co-chairs, Clinton Anderson (American Psychological Association) or Lee Herrring (American Sociological Association).
(page updated
03/31/2009
)
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