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Hello Dave Sachin, I share your apprehension because your points are valid in themselves but I think they do not apply here. The discussion is NOT about boycotting a country because of its human rights record. It IS about how we respond to discrimination against our colleagues. They are barred from engaging in our common work purely because of their country of origin and (by inference from the election pledges) the majority religion in their country. The ban affects OUR WORK. The boycott is a suggested means of showing solidarity. I do not have a view on the boycott but I think it is within the group’s remit to discuss it. Prof. Kev (Kevork) Hopayian, RCGP International Adviser http://www.angliangp.org > On 7 Feb 2017, at 00:14, Sachin Dave <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Please stop using Evidence Based Health for your personal political agenda. Period. Did you plan stopping presentations in the rest of the countries where Human Rights records are awful and shameful? Did you suggest you or your colleagues not go to present in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh ? > > This type of propaganda does not belong here and is a big mud sling on the awesome academic community of USA wha have nothing to do with President Trump's policy. > > > On Monday, February 6, 2017 5:01 PM, Juan Gérvas <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > -thanks, Terry, Alan, Glen, Ami, Aicken, Norman and David > -yes, the boycott is a highly political proposal, i know, but science (and EBM) so > -i took my time to send the link because my concerns and in fact a beg your pardon in case i offended any of you (silent colleagues included) > -i recognize that there are good reasons to join and to oppose the boycott proposal http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/scientists-urge-boycott-us-meetings <http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/02/scientists-urge-boycott-us-meetings> > -but we cannot ignore "the world", we are not object but subject so we need to react in front of something that “...fundamentally disrupts the ability of universities and academics to contribute to research and education. It’s going back to an era (reminiscent of) World War Two.” http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/academics-boycott-us-conferences-over-trump-travel-ban/news-story/11b17a7bce9c223f9fafb4c1dc9b69a4 <http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/academics-boycott-us-conferences-over-trump-travel-ban/news-story/11b17a7bce9c223f9fafb4c1dc9b69a4> > -as a Canadian colleague, "I see little difference between the U.S.A. today and apartheid South Africa in terms of ethics and morals.” https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2017/01/31/canadian-academics-boycott-us-conferences-over-trump-ban.html <https://www.thestar.com/news/immigration/2017/01/31/canadian-academics-boycott-us-conferences-over-trump-ban.html> > -by the way, the boycott could go futher, to stop reviewing scientific articles in US-based journalshttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-protest-trump-order-with-boycotts-of-journals-conferences/ <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-protest-trump-order-with-boycotts-of-journals-conferences/> > -un saludo juan gérvas @JuanGrvas > > 2017-02-06 22:51 GMT+01:00 Birnbaum, David <[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>>: > Catherine, Ami and others make very valid points about this issue impacting specific colleagues as well as hampering essential international collaborations among all healthcare and biomedical science researchers, professional societies and journals, and humanitarian aid agencies. That establishes a pragmatic reason for this topic to be within scope for discussion in this forum. However, I suggest there is another fundamental aspect, as yet unmentioned, which gives standing to an important community within this forum - public health. According to the 1997 Jakarta Declaration on Leading Health Promotion into the 21st Century, “The prerequisites for health are peace, shelter, education, social security, social relations, food, income, the empowerment of women, a stable eco-system, sustainable resource use, social justice, respect for human rights, and equity. Above all, poverty is the greatest threat to health.” IMHO, this obliges us to invite discussion on evidence-informed best actions related to the current situation. > > David > ------------------------------ - > David Birnbaum, PhD, MPH > Adjunct Professor > School of Population and Public Health > University of British Columbia > Principal > Applied Epidemiology > British Columbia, Canada > > >