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> Indeed. This is the kind of thing CASI should be
> shouting (publishing) about, yet there is nothing on
> the site. And pretty much nothing in the media
> ("there's an epidemic but we don't care because we
> have medicines" isn't what people in Iraq are likely
> to be thinking at the moment).
> I think CASI needs to decide whether its staying, and
> quickly! If it is, then a statement should be made to
> the media about this, and posted on the site.
Dear All,
a short explanation is maybe appropriate regarding CASI's silence on
epidemics (and currently most other things). The answer, in roughly
descending order of importance, is as follows.
*Expertise. None of us are medics, let alone experts on epidemology. It is
difficult, accordingly, to publish anything short of repeating WHO
statements. For campaigning purposes (writing to the media, MPs, etc) this
may to an extent be adequate, but to run a meaningful campaign you need
*Time. And that is in very short supply at the moment. CASI is run by
volunteers, students, academics and people in other employment, many of
whom also are active in other fields and groups (e.g. Palestine, anti-war,
environment, 'globalisation'/neo-liberalism) as well. With exams currently
being set, written, marked and revised for, our resources are almost nill,
and in these circumstances it is difficult to see how we could run a
meaningful campaign.
*Mandate and direction. That is the other issue here. Neither is currently
wholly clear, CASI is essentially in a state of "suspended animation" as
someone recently put it. Silence on some of these issues may also partly
come from that.
I hope this has clarified some things, and does not disappoint you.
Hopefully we will be more functional again soon.
warm regards,
Nicholas
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