In my last post, I proposed that high information
extraterrestrial First Contact would require safeguards. I suggested a set of
working groups. These would be composed of experts in many different areas who
are charged with learning alien science and alien history. They would then figure
out ways to incorporate that information into the human sciences and the wider
human society. These Initial Working Groups would need to be implemented
immediately. They should be made up of people from across the globe and from
many different backgrounds. However expertise would be the primary measure of
appointment. The appointees should not come from United Nations staff or be
employed by any government. They would need to take a leave of absence from
whatever business or institution they worked for. They would need to be paid to
avoid influence and corruption. The groups should be only temporarily active,
perhaps for a term of two years, while the United Nations General Assembly
worked on a long-term framework.
Here is a list of the Initial Working Groups that I think
might be needed. I break them up into two sections- internal groups and
external groups. Internal groups are focused inward at the information coming
from aliens, and external groups focus on the bridge with human society.
Internal Groups:
The Appointment Group:
This would be the committee on committees, charged with reviewing and
appointing members to the other groups. I suggest that this could be done by
the UN Security Council, joined by scientists in each of the critical fields.
Science would be at the forefront of the discussion and it would be important
for scientists to be well-represented.
The Relationship
Group: This would be the primary communication group to interact with
aliens, involved in all of the top level actions of information exchange. This
should be made up primarily of scientists and not just from the physical
sciences, but also the social sciences. The members would need to be
generalists, able to consider issues over a broad areas of general expertise.
The Science Bridge:
A group that decides which information should be reviewed by the different
field groups, as discussed below.
The Field Groups:
They should be formed to represent each of these physical sciences: Astronomy
& Astrophysics, Chemistry, Crystallography, Mathematics & Statistics,
Nanotechnology, Physics and Polymer Science; along with some of the social
sciences, specifically economics, religion, and history.
The Future for
Humanity Group: These appointees will examine any information that the
field groups deem safe to communicate with the human public. They will look at
the long-term impact to humanity of such disclosures, outside of the impact to
the particular field in question. The hope is that they may spot problems that
the more focused scientists might miss. This group could be made up of
anthropologists and social scientists considering current human opinions and
possible reactions in human society.
The Watchdog Group:
This group would be charged with keeping an eye on the other groups. That would
include rooting out leaks, corruption and influence issues. This Watchdog Group
would have much power, which means it needs to report to the UN Security
Council, but also maintain a measure of independence.
External Groups:
The Governmental
Group: This group would be charged with direct contact with the UN Security
Council and the General Assembly.
The Security Group:
They would work with the governmental group, paying particular attention to
issues that could impact human security.
The Communications
Group: This group would consider how best to relay information to the
public, when the other groups have determined what information should be
shared. Appointees should come from social science fields, such as
communications, international relations, economics and also communicators
(reporters or media members) well-versed in the physical sciences.
The Listening Group:
They would keep their attention focused on the reactions of humans and work
closely with the Future for Humanity Group. They would consider individual and
group concerns with First Contact, including fringe viewpoints. They would hold
listening sessions and, if necessary, public hearings.
The groups must be allowed to act independently once they
are filled with appointees. They should be small groups, perhaps no more than
11 people, designed in odd numbers for voting. There should be a chair of each
group, decided by the appointees themselves. Once set into place, the United
Nations would need to work with the Governmental Group on ideas and issues.
There should be no contact allowed with the groups by governments, higher
education institutions and businesses. Independence must be protected.
Photo by Dayne Topkin on Unsplash
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