“Human rights” is not a phrase that comes to mind often when working in the geosciences, but that doesn’t mean there’s no connection between the two. Whether it’s scientists finding their work under fire for political reasons, offering sound scientific support for human rights work in the field, or ensuring that scientific research does not itself implicate human rights violations, there are many potential issues to consider.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) recently launched a coalition for science and human rights, the aim of which is to “facilitate communication and partnerships on human rights within and across the scientific community, and between the scientific and human rights communities.” AESE has had a liaison with AAAS for many years, and we have been approached about becoming a member or affiliated society of the coalition.
The AESE board feels that this is a worthwhile endeavor. However, in order to join the coalition, we would need to designate a representative to participate in the coalition activities. At the moment, we have no one who is in a position to assume the responsibility, but we are hoping that one of the members would be interested in this unique opportunity.
For more information, visit the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition homepage. Anyone interested in serving as the AESE representative should contact me.
UPDATE: I now have one volunteer. Should we get two, AESE can join as a “Member” society instead of just as an “Affiliated” society.
