If you have trouble reading this, please click http://old.radicalparty.org/pub/freedom05.html

Number 5, October 2009

• New tools to regulate illicit drug market. Aninternational workshop on the illicit drug market was held last September16-17 in Rome. It was organized by the first University of Rome “LaSapienza”, the second University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and the financialsupport of the Open Society Institute. A wide international audiencediscussed of methodologies for data collection and the economic andpolitical influence of the illicit drug industry. The organizers wereamong the signatories of a callto action urgingGovernments to reform harmful drug policies, by enacting policies that arebased on scientific and medical research rather than politics. Readmore about the workshop.

• International support forfreedom of research in Italy to be continued. In concert with professor Elena Cattaneo,Elisabetta Cerbai and Silvia Garagna, Luca Coscioni Association launchedan appeal to raise funds aimed at covering part of the legal expenses ofthe three Italian scientists appealing against the Italian government’sdecision to arbitrarily exclude human embryonic stem cells from an8-million euro fund for stem-cell biology (read the chronologyof the action). The legal expenses for the first degree of judgementwere of around 6.000,00 euro. Since the beginning of the appeal (July 7)7.604,79 euro (around 11.252 USD) have been raised. Prof. Cattaneo, Cerbaiand Garagna have been promptly reimbursed (reimbursement receiptsare available on line). The spare amount will help covering expensesfor the next step.

• American Civil Liberties Unionaddresses Luca Coscioni Congress. The president of ACLU, Susan Herman,sent a message to the on linecongress of Luca Coscioni Association, welcoming its advocacyactivities and common goals. “I think you can tell just from a couple ofexamples I have given what our two organizations have in common so I amglad we now have discovered each other and I hope that we'll be able tocollaborate in the future”. Listento her message (also attached in Englishand Italian).

• Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms. The Canadian AWID – Association for Women’s Rights in Development - haslaunched the first issue of “Facing Fundamentalisms”, a quarterly updateof critical news, insights and analysis on the rise of religiousfundamentalism across regions, as well as key feminist strategies forresistance and action. In 2008 Luca Coscioni was awarded by AWID a prizemoney to study the effects of religious fundamentalism in Italy. Tosubscribe to Facing Fundamentalisms, send an e-mail to cf@awid.org

News in brief:

• “Study Using Embryonic Stem Cells Is Delayed” http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/19/health/research/19drug.html?_r=2

• “Vatican, food experts say biotechnology will improve African farming” http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0904317.htm

Donate to support the World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research 
as a permanent forum of activities.

If you want to be cancelled please send an e-mail to info@freeodomofresearch.org