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Introduction to SCORP
The Standing Committee on human Rights and Peace (SCORP) is one of the six Standing Committees of the International Federation of Medical Students' Associations. It was founded in the year of 1983, as the global plight of refugees came into the limelight.
At that time, it was named Standing Committee on Refugees (SCOR). SCOR's mission was to call attention to the problems displaced people faced as well as to participate in relief efforts. However, members of this committee would soon realise that these efforts would be short term and only palliative. Sustainable solutions would have to rest on the prevention of conflicts and human rights abuses. Based on these new resolutions, the Standing Committee on human Rights and Peace was forged in 1994.
Refugees, internally displaced people and other vulnerable populations are of a highest risk of losing health and of having their human rights abused.
SCORP deals with the problems and needs of refugees and internally displaced people. As a group, we also work for the prevention of conflicts, the main reason why people are forced to become refugees. We condemn any use of violence as a conflict solution. Simply, we work for a peaceful world.
SCORP understands peace as, person to person, group to group, state to state, having international solidarity, tolerance and respect for human rights.
In the past, SCORP and IFMSA have arranged a number of successful workshops and have also developed a number of international projects that give medical students the opportunity to work alongside non-governmental organisations towards the improvement of specific situations.
Projekts
The Humanitarian Collection - We collect toiletries items, commodities, towels, blankets for people living in refugee camps and poor people in Romania
We collect also eyeglasses for Africa.
The Children´s Smile - medical students visit The Childs Hospital and try to cheer little patients up.
The PeaceTest -project measures attitudes towards violence, war, conflict resolution, human rights and ethnic differences. The aim of the project is to raise awareness and open discussion on these topics. We hope to provoke people to question the arguments used for resorting to violent or discriminatory actions, and to think of peaceful alternatives.
After filling in the PeaceTest questionnaire, the students in schools and universities discuss the questions and themes together with the specially trained medical students that conduct the survey. The results of the survey can also be used in information campaigns and reported at seminars and conferences. Articles about the findings have been published in international scientific publications
The PeaceTest project was started in 1998 with seven participating countries. Since then, around 20 countries have participated.