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Scientific Society Profile: The APS Committee on International Freedom
of Scientists
This is a new series featured in the Report on Science and Human Rights detailing
the human rights related activities of scientific societies. A list of societies
that currently have human rights or scientific freedom committees is available
on our website at: http://shr.aaas.org/scisocs/
The American Physical Society (APS) is a membership organization representing
the interests of over 40,000 physicists. APS’s human rights work is coordinated
by the Committee on International Freedom of Scientists (CIFS). CIFS began its
work in 1976 as a subcommittee of the APS Panel on Public Affairs, which was
created in the mid-1970s in response to interest in the physics community about
societal issues. CIFS became a standing committee in 1980.
The APS bylaws state that CIFS “shall be responsible for monitoring concerns
regarding human rights for scientists throughout the world. It shall apprise
the [APS] President, the Executive Board and Council of problems encountered
by scientists in the pursuit of their scientific interests or in effecting satisfactory
communication with other scientists...” Cases like the oppression of colleagues
in Argentina during the “dirty war” and other countries experiencing
widespread human rights violations and the well known case of persecution of
Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov galvanized the physics community around issues
of human rights and scientific freedom.
CIFS is an active organization, drafting appeal letters and sponsoring petitions
on behalf of physicists whose human rights have been violated. They are currently
co-sponsoring a petition on behalf of 19 Chinese colleagues who were incarcerated
solely for having exercised their internationally recognized rights to freedom
of expression and association. CIFS also has a focus on US policy and practices
that affect scientific freedom, such as the issue of visa denials for foreign
researchers, students, and professionals.
SHR recently spoke with Noemie Benczer Koller, the current chair of CIFS. Dr.
Koller is a faculty member in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers
University. She joined CIFS in 2001 and was elected the Chairperson the following
year. Her term as Chair ends in December 2003.
SHR: What kind of arguments do you make to the physics community about why
a physicist should care about human rights?
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| Noemie Benczer Koller, 2002. Photo by Dennis Connors |
NK: The best concise statement on why physicists care about human rights was
enunciated by the APS council in 1989:
“In consideration of the international dimensions of science and the
need of scientists of all nations to maintain professional contact with colleagues
at home and abroad, the American Physical Society has adopted the following
statement on The International Nature of Physics
Cooperation:
Science belongs to all humanity and transcends natural boundaries. As in
the past, science can serve as a bridge for mutual understanding across political
and ideological divisions and as a vehicle for the enhancement of peace. In
particular, APS believes that it is important at this time to strive for more
open dialogue among scientists to enhance international cooperation.
To achieve its full potential and to benefit all mankind, science requires
that governments respect basic human rights, allow open communication, and
avoid interfering with the rights of scientists as they carry out their professional
work.
The APS expects that any action by any government restricting the freedom
of inquiry by physicists or the normal performance of their scholarly work
be the result of accepted judicial procedures in which the rights of individuals
to defend themselves against accusations are not curtailed.”
SHR: What do you think are some of the most important human rights issues
or cases for CIFS right now?
NK: We have a number of colleagues in prison in China, Russia and Cuba. I believe
the Cuba problems are the most pressing issues the present time. It has also
come to CIFS attention that the civil rights of American citizens of foreign
birth have been limited. We are trying to keep awareness on some of these issues.
We are concerned with many of the issues with visa denials of scientists.
We are also working on the internationalization of our efforts, i.e. trying
to create a dialogue with our sister committees in sister societies abroad.
This aspect of our work has become important particularly since the Iraq war
as we have lost the respect of our colleagues who do not feel we, the US, act
according to our moral principles.
SHR: How do you measure the impact or the success of your efforts?
NK: That question is hard to answer. In general, progress, as measured by the
response to our letters on behalf of imprisoned colleagues, is very slow. But
we feel that keeping pressing the authorities creates the possibility of their
changing their views, keeps the prisoners aware that they are not alone and
gives them some hope to live by. Meetings with US officials concerning with
issues like visas also seem to produce snail-like advances. But, in the end
I feel we have always prevailed. ¨
Next Issue: The Human Rights Committee of the American Statistical Association
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