Scientists and health professionals do not work in a social vacuum. They are influenced and constrained by the social and political environment . If the goal of science and health care is to empower people, issues related to scientific freedom and social responsibility should be of central concern to scientists and health care professionals. It is therefore imperative that professional organisations of scientists and health workers continuously monitor freedom and social responsibility within themselves and in society at large.
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has a permanent Committee on Scientific Freedom and Responsibility. In 1976 this committee began a worldwide programmc, titled ‘Science and Human Rights Programme on behalf of scientists, engineers and health professionals whose human rights have been violated. This programme is based on the premise that scientific socictics should encourage international rcspcct for human rights standards, as embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international treaties, as a matter of scientific freedom and responsibility.
Since 1992, each year the Science and Human Rights Programme publishes a Directory of Persecuted Scientists and Enginners and Health Professionals.
The latest directory, released in June 1995, described cases of 524 professionals from 36 countries whose human rights have been violated. It provides detailed information on each professional, including name, profession. affiliation (university, hospital, health care centre…), the type of human rights violation (arrest, torture. disappearance . ..). date(s) on which the violation took place, charge, sentence, present status of the individual and the date on which the AAAS began action in defense of this person.
The directory also gives names and addresses of the relevant authorities to whom protest letters could be sent. In fact, one of the objectives of publication of this directory is to encourage letter writing so that pressure is exorted on government to stop human rights violations. A sample letter for this purpose is provided.
The directory has succinct information on the status of human rights in India.
AAAS uses Science Human Rights Action Network (AAASHRAN) for building international campaigns for these professionals. The analysis of cases taken up by AAASHRAN is also included in the directory. It tabulates these cases into 74 professional categories. Of the 524 documented casts of professionals in the directory, 35.5% are engincers and 33.3% are health professionals. Thus, one third of the professionals suffering worldwide from human rights abuse are those providing health care. Such high vulnerability of engineers and health professionals is of great concern.
This directory is a must for all professional associations, human rights and other organisations and all concerned individuals. The professional associations in our country can learn much from it. They, too, must document violations of human rights and be counted in defending and extending the rights of our people. If we fail to do so, professionals would neither be able to safeguard themselves nor would they find it easy to preserve their professional ethics.