Please examine and support the UN Proposal entitled "Freedom of Research Act". It preserves our right to conduct scientific research worldwide in an effort to better each others lives...a requirement in our hallowed social contract.
As a scientist, I can tell you that the VAST majority of us are NOT interested in world domination or any other devious thing like that. We have simply fallen in love with a body of knowledge and want to learn as MUCH as we can about it and put it to use to better each others lives. Whether a longer lasting light bulb or a cure for cancer, we just wanna do what we're best at in a RESPONSIBLE and HONEST manner.
Trust me, VERY little HURTS more than knowing you have information that could be groundbreaking and useful, needing only to test it, and someone telling you "NO".
My resolution allows for decent, respectible, and honest researchers to conduct work that IS necessary to bettering our lives.
Thank you,
COLS
http://www.nationstates.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi/page=UN_proposal1/match=research
Freedom of Research Act
Category: Human Rights; A resolution to improve worldwide human and civil rights.
Strength: Strong
Proposed by: Logical Society
Description: SUMMATION: A Resolution to protect responsible research worldwide.
PREAMBLE: Our humanity is a special and sacred gift. Those who understand this believe in taking care of each other and respecting the sanctity of humanity thorough an unwritten social contract. It is the single thing that makes us the most advanced organism on this planet. In abiding by this contract, it is our obligation to ensure the health and well-being of our species. Throughout history, advancements in this field have come through the RESPONSIBLE use of laboratory animals in scientific research. This Resolution aims to PROTECT the right of the research community to use non-Homo sapiens in laboratory research.
BODY: ALL living organisms are sacred in some way and deserve a certain level of respect. From the family dog to the dust mite, every animal serves a purpose with its existence. Groundbreaking research in AIDS, cancer, CF, MS, spinal injuries, the list goes on, is brining us closer, every day, to cures for some of our worst ailments. Some of this research REQUIRES the use of live animals as a Petri dish cannot always reliably replicate a living organism. Therefore, the right ot conduct RESPONSIBLE research on animals shall be forever protected according to the following:
(a) Each nation shall involve a Council on Scientific Research which will review and either accept or deny ALL requests for animal research based on standard operating procedures (SOP).
(b) The SOP will be universal for all UN Member nations and will be decided through a meeting of all national Councils which will meet first within 60 days of passage of this resolution, and henceforth yearly on that date to review and amend practices and procedures
(c) Included in this Resolution and NOT subject to amendment are the following:
a. IF the death of the animal is REQUIRED, it will be done in a human and swift manner.
b. IF the research is on a terminal condition, death for the animal MUST occur according to part a above AS SOON AS relevant data is collected. In short, the animal may NOT suffer the full course of the disease unless ABSOLUTELY necessary.
CONCLUSION: This Resolution will protect the right for scientists and researchers worldwide to conduct research using animals in a responsible manner, thereby protecting and preserving our ability to improve the quality of life worldwide.
Approvals: 18 (Fodea, Xaqon, Kristinuria, Painful intrusion, Taraguy, Markodonia, _Myopia_, Mattigool, Scyphia, Quixotia, Lamoni, The Anarchist Hardcore, Halfassedstates, Forkissa, ReVtopia, Magical elven gnomes, Artemisia Absentia, Pecuniae)
Status: Lacking Support (requires 116 more approvals)
Voting Ends: Wed Dec 17 2003
Many in the population of Londana fear that this proposal is attack on their fundamental rights. In fact, a considerable faction of the Londanian population consists of non-Homo Sapiens. It would be political suicide for us to approve a proposal which basically gives an unelected council the right to decide who in our population shall die.
We believe that trampling on our population's rights to life and liberty is far worse than preventing a few scientists from conducting experiments that may prove fruitless.