On an official communications forum, locked to Starfleet and Argo personnel, Echomet's Federation Membership application has gone up for officer commentary and discussion. The forum invites debate and suggestion of items that need to be addressed and considered before a final decision on the application is made.
Relevant documents thus far:
Planet dossier
Survey 1 AAR
Survey 2 and Repair Assistance AAR
Irreo Study
 CMDR Sivath 38th Fleet Deep Space 13 | Echomet should not be admitted to the Federation in its present state. It violates the spirit, if not the letter, of the Charter of the United Federation of Planets, which forbids caste-based discrimination. The Irreo, a minority population of Echomet, exhibit many qualities of an oppressed caste, most notably that they are assigned their social station due to circumstances of birth and have no process of appeal. Irreo on Echomet are prohibited from holding public office, making self-representation in the Echometan government an impossibility. It is clear that these measures are incompatible with Federation principles of freedom and fair treatment of all citizens. Echomet must enact social change in order to gain entry to the Federation. The restrictions placed on the rights of the Irreo must be revoked. The Federation can provide assistance in smoothing this transition. My initial research indicates that it should be possible to implement machine translation of Irreo sign language utilizing existing Echometan technology. This would give the Irreo a voice without requiring drastic and invasive changes to their biology. For those that desire modification, cybernetics and genetic manipulation would be available once Echomet joins the Federation. |
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 CAPT Varley 38th Fleet U.S.S. Sagan | Echomet is a viable candidate for Federation membership. Investigations show they meet the technical, scientific, and governmental requirements for membership. Membership also brings potential for mutual development, namely in expanding their dilithium export and developing their safety technologies. The issue raised lies in their societal standings- specifically the Irreo population. There is no evidence to suggest the Irreo are being mistreated based on the circumstances of their birth. They are provided with specialized care to help them become contributing members of society, similarly to how other Federation member worlds assist their own mute or otherwise disabled population. They are prohibited from running for public office, but this is not a case of unfair discrimination. Currently there is no way for the Irreo to communicate as ably as other Echometa. This is not a matter to be corrected by society, but by science; there has never been a mute Federation President, even though there is no law against it. The laws of the Federation preventing caste-based discrimination were not designed for this type of situation, and it would be extremely unfortunate to see this process delayed by the decades it would take to implement suggested changes due to a technicality. |
(I love your post format, Sivath)
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CMDR Sivath 38th Fleet Deep Space 13 | It is immoral to deny equal rights to any Federation citizen on the basis of physical ability. The curtailment of a citizen's rights due to a circumstance of birth is a betrayal of the ideals of liberty and equality upon which the Federation was founded. Disabled citizens have served the Federation in a wide variety of roles, from Starfleet chief engineer to Supreme Court Justice. Their contributions to this society are as worthy as any other, and it is the responsibility of society to accommodate and augment their capabilities to enable the most efficient application of talent possible. A potential future President of the United Federation of Planets might be an Irreo child today. Are we a civilization in the business of opening doors or closing them? Admitting Echomet without reform sets a precedent. If it is permissible to bar those who cannot speak from public service, it would follow that it must also be permissible to deny rights to those who cannot see, who cannot walk, who cannot reason. It is logical to extend this precedent into broad capability classifications which rigidly define the roles open to specific Federation member species. Carry this line of reasoning to its natural conclusion and the resulting society is a nightmarish dystopia. Public service is a fundamental right. One of the reasons the Federation Charter forbids caste systems is that it is unjust for the population to be ruled by a class set apart. We choose our representatives from among us, not from a separate patrician caste. The Irreo do not currently have this right; they must choose from the "abled" their representation, and trust that those agents will serve their interests even though they do not share them. This is not a functioning representative democracy, and it must not be incorporated into the Federation without prior reform. This is a solved problem. Current Echometan technology can be assembled into a translation device which would capably interpret Irreo sign language into audible speech. The problem Echomet has chosen to solve with oppressive laws can instead be addressed with enabling technology. |
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 Captain Nimitz 38th Fleet USS Rutledge | More information needed regarding the treatment of the Irroe In the past, I've made my feelings on this debate clear, however, after a very enlightening conversation with Commander Sivath, I believe that we need to learn more about the life of the Irroe from their point of view, I would suggest another visit to their planet to look around the Irroe districts and hear how they feel they are being treated by the Echomet. |
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---- // SYSTEM NOTICE // ----
Formal review of all submitted materials has been scheduled for 48 hours from time of this notice. ((Mon, 27 Mar))
Formal review of all submitted materials has been scheduled for 48 hours from time of this notice. ((Mon, 27 Mar))
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 AMB Yerely Diplomatic Corps | We here at the Diplomatic Corps agree that more information would be ideal and are willing to wait on the results of Captain Nimitz's investigation before making out our final decision. We continue to be interested in the opinions of 38th's officers. Questions in particular that are being hotly debated amongst the corps teams are as follows:
As always, thank you for your continuing interest in this case. |
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CMDR Sivath 38th Fleet Deep Space 13 | Echomet must change its laws to remove prejudicial restrictions on the Irreo. Although this will most likely have little impact on the lives of the Irreo in the short term, it will remove the artificial barrier placed on their influence. Irreo will be free to begin organizing to seek representation in government to protect and advance their interests, just as any other Echometan may expect today. This gesture by Echomet would signal a willingness to confront the injustice in its social framework and act to remediate. No culture is perfectly equitable, and the Federation is not above reproach in this regard. We codify our highest ideals in our laws and attempt to guide our society into their fulfillment. If Echomet will join us in this endeavor by making these changes, I will withdraw my objection. |
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 LCDR Zaldo 38th Fleet U.S.S. Myanmar | There is no evidence that the Echometa are mistreating the Irreo. And the Irreo themselves seem to back this up, based on the most recent survey mission. In fact, the evidence suggests that any differences in treatment could and likely would eventually vanish if the Irreo were afforded a way to communicate with the Echometa in an easier fashion. While they themselves have not developed such technologies, they do exist now within the Federation. Our Universal Translator would allow the Irreo what they want themselves, a way to speak for themselves and be heard by all. The UT is far less cumbersome than the prototype sign reading device developed by DS-13 Engineering based on the current technological limitations on Echomet, and could be used not only by adult Irreo, but all Irreo able to communicate. Other Irreo tend to prefer a medical/genetic solution to the disability that separates them from the Echometa, given time and dedicated research a therapy with a reasonable rate of success could be developed, and the Federation would see to such resources being allocated to a member world. Indeed, the cooperation of other member worlds towards the improvement of their Federation partners has been documented numerous times. The Irreo would be uplifted if Echomet were a Federation member, and since all other metrics point towards Echomet qualifying, I see little to no reason to deny them. We should not define the Irreo as victims, if they refuse to wear the title. It's simple enough to look at situation on Echomet at face value and make assumptions on the status of the Irreo based on preconception. Histories across the Federation speak to caste base segregation, based on accident of birth, region, race, gender, orientation, faith, and disability among others. That being said, we can't judge every culture with the same narrow standard. We have rules for membership, but they are broad enough to allow for variance in governmental style, societal norms, and the fashion of their self determination. We protect the weak from the brutal, but we don't judge without evidence, and we're careful to avoid doing so. The Irreo don't see themselves as victims, they understand the limitations of their disability and work within them, and they seem happy to do so within the system set up by the Echometa. |
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CMDR Sivath 38th Fleet Deep Space 13 | With regard to the latest data collected from Echomet: Legal discrimination, whether accepted by the parties involved or not, is incompatible with Federation values. The Irreo need not be suffering to be systemically oppressed. Societal prejudices such as ablism can affect the perceptions of both the able-bodied and disabled. The Echometan argument is self-contradictory. We are told that the Irreo are happy with their place in Echometan society, yet they must be also be restricted by discriminatory laws. If the Irreo do not wish to hold office, what harm could there be in repealing these laws? |
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---- // SYSTEM NOTICE // ----
Formal review of all submitted materials has been scheduled for the 19th of April.
Formal review of all submitted materials has been scheduled for the 19th of April.
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AMB Yerely Diplomatic Corps | First off, let me state our gratitude for your efforts and interest in this particular membership case. We here at the Diplomatic Corps have greatly appreciated your contributions, both in research and philosophy, and all of your input has significantly broadened the scope of our discussions on the merits of the Echomet's application. That said, we have reached a conclusion and are hoping to enlist the 38th Fleet's assistance once more in delivering our decision to the Echomet people in the coming days.
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The United Federation of Planets Diplomatic Corps thanks Echomet for their cooperation and interest in applying to be a member citizen of our grand union. We have chosen to grant Echomet CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE and look forward to welcoming our new allies when the following provisions of their admission have been met: PROVISION A: The COMPLETE REPEAL OF LAWS affecting the eligibility of an irreo individual to run for and hold public office. It is the determination of this committee that the irreo population, while defying the traditional appearance of a caste system thereof, remains one in practice. Moreover, and more unacceptably, caste discrimination is being practiced in the refusal to allow the irreo to represent themselves in government structure. Admission of a society that permits these elements would be directly in contradiction with the spirit of universal liberty, rights, and equality as dictated by the Federation charter.
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We want to emphasize that this is not simply a matter of cultural differences or intolerance. The diplomatic corps cannot afford to set a precedent of accepting a member world who forbids their less-abled citizens from participating in their governmental process when the eligibility of said citizens is beyond their logical ability to control. The Federation has always believed in uplifting and enabling all our members' citizens to reach their highest potential. Thus should Echomet wish to join our ranks, they must agree to do the same. Again, our eternal gratitude for your assistance in this case. We look forward to final negotiations and resolution! |
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