Commission for truth and reparations for F&M

[msbrown at cwcom.net]

Do people know about this?  (the very end of the message has been lost).
MB
************

Original message from: "Thomas Daffern" <iipsgp at clara.net>
Sent: Tue, Jul 24, 2001, 2:54 pm


PRESSRELEASE 



TRUTH AND REPARATIONS COMMISSION FOR FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE, 

IIPSGP, Camlad House, Forden, Welshpool, Powys, Wales, SY21 8NZ Tel & Fax 01938
580319 
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 


Date: July 24, 2001 

Contact: Mary Napper 01939 233834 or 01938 580319 Mobile 0788 169 4414 email:
<iipsgp at clara.net> 

You are warmly invited to a meeting which is taking place in Welshpool, Powys,
convening a TRUTH AND REPARATIONS COMMISSION ON FOOT AND MOUTH to inquire into
all aspects of the Foot and Mouth Disaster which has been affecting the UK since
February 2001. Further outbreaks continue and there is no sign of a real cessation
to the disease. Newspaper reports recently announced that over 2 million animals
may have died needlessly due to faulty mathematical modelling underlying the
current 3 km contiguo 
The Commission, which will function as a non-statutory public citizens' inquiry,
will receive testimony on the record, from all interested parties. We therefore
invite anyone who: 

* has strong views on the foot and mouth crisis 

* feels the government has adopted the wrong policy in dealing with it 

* feels that human rights, animal rights or civil liberty issues have been infringed


* feels that MAFF (now DEFRA) has acted with undue incompetence or duplicity


* feels the devastating effects on the UK economy of current policy need accounting
for and reparations 

* has information which can assist the development of the work of the Commission


* feels they have a factual grievance against any individual government official
or agency 

* feels the veterinary profession have failed in their duty to uphold high ethical
and intellectual standards in the medical treatment of diseased animals 

* feels the scientific case for current policy has not been argued conclusively
or accurately 

* feels there are genuine and workable alternative policies 

* who has any other information regarding this whole scenario 

* or who feels the government has been doing an excellent job and the current
policy is absolutely the right policy and they have evidence to submit why this
is the case 

To submit evidence please attend in person or write in for tabling at the opening
TRUTH AND REPARATIONS COMMISSION which will be held on Saturday 4 August 2001
at the Council Chamber, Welshpool Town Hall, Broad Street, Powys, from 2-6pm.


We also invite expert witnesses from all relevant professions to come forward
and submit evidence regarding the way this policy has been arrived at and then
implemented to attend the first session. Journalists who have been covering
the story and who wish to attend either as witnesses giving evidence or to cover
the meeting are welcome. The working of the Commission will be impartial and
seek to arrive at an open and accurate picture of what has happened. All gathered
testimony will be submitted (with perm 
Our view is that this is not soon enough, since the evidence indicates that
current policy alone will be unable to eradicate the disease, and meanwhile
the tourist industry throughout the land and the rural economies in particular
are suffering devastating blows, from which many sectors will find it difficult
to recover. For this reason we are taking the initiative to launch a Commission
at this stage rather than waiting for the government to act. Your help and assistance
in this matter would be deeply app 
The Commission will be chaired by Dr. Thomas Clough Daffern, an international
educator and philosopher who has a wide experience in this field, having organised
and co-chaired over 30 meetings in the House of Lords from 1993-2000 on "Ethics
and Public Policy" and more recently has initiated and chaired the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission for Stonehenge which has held over 17 public meetings
in Wiltshire involving the police, English Heritage and members of the public,
inquiring into al 
NOTE: 

The above information is being circulated to all signatories of the Global Green
University Petition against Foot and Mouth Policy. 

The Commission is a new initiative in view of the fact that petitions and meetings
have so far failed to be taken seriously by those in a position to review and
change policy. We feel the time has come to initiate a formal citizens public
inquiry in the form of a truth and Reparations Commission. 

All persons critical and/or sympathetic to the current policy and concerned
with its implications are invited to send in evidence either in person or by
post beforehand. The whole point of the Commission is to try to arrive at the
actual truth concerning this outbreak concerning: origin, remedies, consequences.
We will be reviewing the scientific facts, the political and interdepartmental
confusions, the economic consequences. 

A further flyer giving more details is enclosed as an attachment. Please circulate
this information as widely as possible among your own contacts and in your own
immediate area. 

All who wish to help us arrive at the actual facts of this disease and its consequences
and implications are urged to either attend, or communicate beforehand 

Many thanks 

Thomas Daffern and Mary Napper, 

IIPSGP. 

 

 
TRUTH AND REPARATIONS COMMISSION FOR FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE, 

IIPSGP, Camlad House, Forden, Welshpool, Powys, Wales, SY21 8NZ Tel & Fax 01938
580319 email: <iipsgp at clara.net> 

 

Several people have asked additional questions concerning the Commission, so
here are some answers which hopefully can be of use and add further clarification:


1. Is it O.K for people with a comment just to send it in ? Yes - this is the
whole point of the Commission - to act as a vehicle for the registering and
documenting of peoples experiences during the ongoing FMD crisis. 


2. Will it get heard or at least read? Every statement sent to the Commission
prior to the day of meeting will be read out either in full or in summary (depending
or the number), will receive an official document number, and will go to make
up the body of evidence regarding the wisdom and effectiveness of the national
response to FMD which it is part of the work of the Commission to compile. 


3. Will the Commission meet for a day or will it be longer? The Commission will
meet for half day sessions on a bimonthly basis for as long as is needed, i.e.
at least until an official national independent inquiry has been established
and proved itself genuinely effective, whereupon we may be content to take a
back-seat role. 

4. When the information has been digested what do you hope will come from it?
the purpose of the commission is to assemble an ongoing and comprehensive body
of actual evidence regarding the origins, treatment, politics, economics and
science of fmd as evidenced during the ongoing crisis in the uk, with reference
to practices in other countries - and to ask clearly and calmly: 

a) what evidence there is that current policy has been ethical, effective, scientific,
or damaging, harmful, destructive and dangerous 

b) what evidence is there that other strategies for dealing with the disease
have been considered or analyzed, and if not, why not ? 

c) evidence of distress caused to farmers and rural inhabitants by current policy


d) evidence of actual cruelty to animals 

e) evidence of severe economic impact caused by current FmD policy 

f) evidence of ignorance, collusion, fear, avoidance and bureaucratic infighting
in official circles supposed to be dealing with the disease and possible explanations
for this - or alternatively evidence of excellence, efficiency, politeness and
compassion and same circles 

g) evidence for the impact of the European Union on uk policy and the role of
the sTANDING committee OF veterinary SCIENCE and the knowledge and scientific
base they are drawing from 

h) evidence of the actual legal basis for the mass culling procedures and their
possible misapplication plus the legality or otherwise of the entire uk government
response under UK, Scottish, European and international law 

i) any other evidence concerning the entire background of FMD 

once this information has been assembled, the entire body of evidence will be
published as an official report of the commission after the first several months
of work. 


5. What is the best address to send letters to for the Commission? The best
address is as per our letterhead i.e. TRUTH AND REPARATIONS COMMISSION FOR FOOT
AND MOUTH DISEASE, IIPSGP, Camlad House, Forden, Welshpool, Powys, Wales, SY21
8NZ Tel & Fax 01938 580319 

6. Who are the officers of the Commission: The Chair of the Commission is Dr.
Thomas Clough Daffern, a Canadian British citizen resident near Welshpool, who
has seen at first hand the devastating impact of FMD and the governments response
to it in Powys and Shropshire. He brings to the Commissions work 3 years experience
in Chairing a similar Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Stonehenge which
has successfully helped to engineered a peaceful breakthrough in the confrontational
politics of confl 
Mary Napper, who is serving as Secretary to the Commission, is an artist, poet
and cultural resources manager long resident in Shropshire, who has likewise
seen at first hand the devastating impact of FMD on rural economies and on the
rural psyche. As full time Manager of Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, she
has a particular interest in the impact of long term policy on FMD as regards
tourism and economic well being in rural areas. She also serves as Secretary
General to IIPSGP in her spare time and in t 
Other officers can and will be appointed after the launch meeting on August
4. 

7. Who will be funding the work of the Commission ? The Commission is being
organised as an initiative of the IIPSGP (International Institute of Peace Studies
and Global Philosophy) who will bear the initial costs; donations and funding
assistance are however always welcome to offset inevitable costs. We intend
however to keep the running costs to the minimum. At present all those involved
are giving their time voluntarily as a matter of personal conscience and commitment.


8. Can I submit evidence even if I am living abroad or am not a UK citizen ?
Absolutely - we live in an increasingly international age; diseases can sweep
across whole continents without respect to national borders.  Veterinary policy
in one country has an impact on others. We believe the UK certainly does not
have the last word on effectiveness in dealing with FMD. In fact, we seem to
be well be behind other countries who have adopted a mixture of vaccination
and culling without difficulty. Th