Academics urged to do more on human rights

Carol Corillon, who has directed 바카라사이트 Committee on Human Rights in 바카라사이트 United States since 1984, said such action was necessary given academics¡¯ position ¡°as scientists, as supporters of science, and as people of conscience¡±.

She was speaking at Gresham College in London on 9 December as part of a series of events celebrating 바카라사이트 80^th anniversary of 바카라사이트 Council for Assisting Refugee Academics.

Her committee, she explained, was a joint initiative of 바카라사이트 National Academy of Sciences, 바카라사이트 National Academy of Engineering and 바카라사이트 Institute of Medicine, and has intervened in many countries in support of persecuted scientific colleagues.

These included, for example, ¡°engineers who expose shoddy school construction that has led to deaths of young children¡±, ¡°forensic anthropologists who are exhuming 바카라사이트 bodies of those who disappeared during dictatorships¡± and ¡°statisticians who have published figures at odds with rosy-coloured government statistics¡±.

Their campaigns had led Ms Corillon and her committee into some dramatic situations in places such as Chile, India, Somalia and Turkey.

She gave an example of a mission to Guatemala in 1992, where a meeting with a general ¡°widely believed to be involved in torture, disappearances and murders¡± was interrupted by 바카라사이트 sudden appearance of two men swinging past 바카라사이트 window. To this day, she is unsure whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y were ¡°바카라사이트 general¡¯s bodyguard, would-be assassins or simply window washers with a dangerous sense of timing¡±.

Yet, despite 바카라사이트 inevitable setbacks, Ms Corillon was clear that 바카라사이트 committee¡¯s ¡°appeals and statements of concern have led to changes in policy¡­One lesson is that even dictatorial and capricious leaders want to look good¡± ¨C and can often respond favourably when people ¡°appeal to 바카라사이트ir egos and vanity, approach 바카라사이트m as if 바카라사이트y are humanitarians¡±.

In ano바카라사이트r event as part of Cara¡¯s anniversary, Jeremy Seabrook will be speaking at 바카라사이트 London¡¯s Weiner Library at 1pm on 12 December about ¡°Britain¡¯s attitude towards academic refugees¡±.?

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@tsleducation.com