The American Physical Society's Defense of Human Rights

Abstract

The history of APS involvement in the defense of human rights, a history of which the Society can be proud, will be summarized. The summary will include illustrative specific Society human rights defense actions in illustrative specific cases. As will be emphasized, the aforesaid involvement has been primarily through the activities of the APS Committee on International Freedom of Scientists. It is noteworthy, and one of the reasons the Society can be proud, that this Committee is charged with monitoring concerns regarding human rights for scientists, not solely for physicists.