[SCRAPPED] Combating Misinformation about Autism

[The Orwell Society]

This is my first GA proposal, so please excuse (or not) any incompetence that I may display. I would really like some feedback, thank you.

Combating Misinformation About Autism

Category: Education?
Strength: Mild

The General Assembly,

Unsatisfied with the general population's view on the physical and intellectual capabilities of those with both low and high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD);

Noting that many doubt said capabilities and are often wholly misinformed;

Realizing that in order to prevent misinformation about ASD, the World Assembly must intervene.

Wanting to combat that misinformation in the form of international law.

Hereby defining the following for the purpose of this resolution:

1. "Autism Spectrum Disorder", often shortened to ASD or just autism, as a range of neurodevelopmental conditions mostly characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviour.
2. "Misinformation" as information given by a memberstate's government or people that is false and unjustified. In this case, misinformation would be thinking that all autistic people are lacking of intelligence. If all people believe that, than they will discriminate against people with ASD.

Hereby enacts the following:

1. The establishment of the Committee Against Misinformation about ASD (CAMA) to provide educational aid to a memberstate's people about the condition of ASD, providing solid and truthful facts and fifures regarding autism.
2. The creation of a Board of Information with the CAMA to make said educational aid and impliment it in memberstate's schools and businesses. It will provide the populace with books and pamphlets highlighting detailed, scientifically-proven facts and figures regarding ASD and its many forms.
   
   1. The books and pamphlets that will be provided by the CAMA Board of Informatin must be passed through the main CAMA body and recieve extensive fact-checking to ensure that all provided information is as clear and truthful as possible.
   2. The books and pamphlets would be screened for biased or offensive content regarding autism, keeping the information nuetral and reliable.
   3. The books and pamphlets would be constantly updated with the newest information as it is discovered about ASD.
3. To condemn the purposeful spreading of lies about ASD to misinformed or misguided citizens and take action on those who do so repetitively. That action will be a punishment to be decided by the individual memberstate's government.

[Imperium Anglorum]

C Marcius Blythe. Okay, define "misinformation" in this context. What are some illustrative examples? Why are those things sufficiently negative to warrant international action?

[The Orwell Society]

C Marcius Blythe. Okay, define "misinformation" in this context. What are some illustrative examples? Why are those things sufficiently negative to warrant international action?

"Thank you for the feedback, Ambassador. I will expand on the definition to provide some elaboration."

[The Orwell Society]

C Marcius Blythe. Okay, define "misinformation" in this context. What are some illustrative examples? Why are those things sufficiently negative to warrant international action?

"I added an example and context to the definition with a hopefully sufficient explanation of why it would be an international issue."

[Tinhampton]

Why should I, the mayor of Tinhampton, care about the spreading of misinformation about autism in particular, rather than about any other developmental conditions or diseases (or about any other matter)?

[The Orwell Society]

Why should I, the mayor of Tinhampton, care about the spreading of misinformation about autism in particular, rather than about any other developmental conditions or diseases (or about any other matter)?

"That is an interesting query, mayor. I could, in theory, broaden this proposal's focus, but that would leave a few things out of the picture. Let's say I included Down Syndrome. My reasoning for autism, on that it is not neccessarily about a lack of intelligence, would no longer be valid, as down syndrome is a intellectual disorder and autism is not."

OOC: Because I myself am autistic, and if sig is correct, so are you

[The Orwell Society]

OOC: About the title: should it be "restricting", "reducing", or "combating"?

[Fachumonn]

Why should I, the mayor of Tinhampton, care about the spreading of misinformation about autism in particular, rather than about any other developmental conditions or diseases (or about any other matter)?

My thoughts exactly. For your title, definitely combating in my eyes.

[The Orwell Society]

Why should I, the mayor of Tinhampton, care about the spreading of misinformation about autism in particular, rather than about any other developmental conditions or diseases (or about any other matter)?

My thoughts exactly. For your title, definitely combating in my eyes.

Thank you. I'll talk more tomorrow. i need sleep

[Chipoli]

This is my first GA proposal, so please excuse (or not) any incompetence that I may display. I would really like some feedback, thank you.

CombatingMisinformation About Autism

Category: Education?
Strength: Mild

The General Assembly,

Unsatisfied with the general population's view on the physical and intellectual capabilities of those with both low and high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD);

Noting that many doubt said capabilities and are often wholly misinformed;

Realizing that in order to prevent misinformation about ASD, the World Assembly must intervene.

Hereby defining the following for the purpose of this resolution:

1. "Autism Spectrum Disorder", often shortened to ASD or just autism, as a range of neurodevelopmental conditions mostly characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviour.
2. "Misinformation" as information given by a memberstate's government or people that is false and unjustified. In this case, misinformation would be thinking that all autistic people are lacking of intelligence. If all people believe that, than they will discriminate against people with ASD.

Hereby enacts the following:

1. The establishment of the Committee Against Misinformation about ASD (CAMA) to provide educational aid to a memberstate's people about the condition of ASD, providing solid and truthful facts and fifures regarding autism.
2. To condemn the purposeful spreading of lies about ASD to misinformed or misguided citizens and take action on those who do so repetitively. That action will be a punishment to be decided by the individual memberstate's government.

While this idea could but executed at a national level, I don't believe this to be an international issue.

[Honeydewistania]

Why should I, the mayor of Tinhampton, care about the spreading of misinformation about autism in particular, rather than about any other developmental conditions or diseases (or about any other matter)?

"That is an interesting query, mayor. I could, in theory, broaden this proposal's focus, but that would leave a few things out of the picture. Let's say I included Down Syndrome. My reasoning for autism, on that it is not neccessarily about a lack of intelligence, would no longer be valid, as down syndrome is a intellectual disorder and autism is not."

OOC: Because I myself am autistic, and if sig is correct, so are you

Considering that misinformation about other diseases (OOC: most relevant: Covid-19) is dangerous, perhaps more so than misinformation about autism, I don't see how they could not be covered by the resolution. It would certainly help in resolving the concerns about this not being an international issue as expressed by the ambassador above.

[Outer Sparta]

Unlike COVID or other communicative diseases, autism cannot spread from person-to-person, which I would argue that it's still a national issue. Other non-communciative but more deadly diseases like cancer could potentially warrant international action.

[Anne of Cleves in TNP]

This is my first GA proposal, so please excuse (or not) any incompetence that I may display. I would really like some feedback, thank you.

CombatingMisinformation About Autism

Category: Education?
Strength: Mild

The General Assembly,

Unsatisfied with the general population's view on the physical and intellectual capabilities of those with both low and high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD);

Noting that many doubt said capabilities and are often wholly misinformed;

Realizing that in order to prevent misinformation about ASD, the World Assembly must intervene.

Hereby defining the following for the purpose of this resolution:

1. "Autism Spectrum Disorder", often shortened to ASD or just autism, as a range of neurodevelopmental conditions mostly characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviour.
2. "Misinformation" as information given by a memberstate's government or people that is false and unjustified. In this case, misinformation would be thinking that all autistic people are lacking of intelligence. If all people believe that, than they will discriminate against people with ASD.

Hereby enacts the following:

1. The establishment of the Committee Against Misinformation about ASD (CAMA) to provide educational aid to a memberstate's people about the condition of ASD, providing solid and truthful facts and fifures regarding autism.
2. To condemn the purposeful spreading of lies about ASD to misinformed or misguided citizens and take action on those who do so repetitively. That action will be a punishment to be decided by the individual memberstate's government.

“As the other ambassador have stated, this does seem to be more of a national issue. Furthermore, this draft could use some more operative clauses.”

[The Orwell Society]

"That is an interesting query, mayor. I could, in theory, broaden this proposal's focus, but that would leave a few things out of the picture. Let's say I included Down Syndrome. My reasoning for autism, on that it is not neccessarily about a lack of intelligence, would no longer be valid, as down syndrome is a intellectual disorder and autism is not."

OOC: Because I myself am autistic, and if sig is correct, so are you

Considering that misinformation about other diseases (OOC: most relevant: Covid-19) is dangerous, perhaps more so than misinformation about autism, I don't see how they could not be covered by the resolution. It would certainly help in resolving the concerns about this not being an international issue as expressed by the ambassador above.

But the thing is, Ambassador, that is exactly the misinformation that this proposal is attacking: autism is NOT a disease. This proposal focuses on autism and only autism, and autism is a developmental disorder, not a intellectual disease as most people make it out to be

[The Orwell Society]

This is my first GA proposal, so please excuse (or not) any incompetence that I may display. I would really like some feedback, thank you.

CombatingMisinformation About Autism

Category: Education?
Strength: Mild

The General Assembly,

Unsatisfied with the general population's view on the physical and intellectual capabilities of those with both low and high functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD);

Noting that many doubt said capabilities and are often wholly misinformed;

Realizing that in order to prevent misinformation about ASD, the World Assembly must intervene.

Hereby defining the following for the purpose of this resolution:

1. "Autism Spectrum Disorder", often shortened to ASD or just autism, as a range of neurodevelopmental conditions mostly characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviour.
2. "Misinformation" as information given by a memberstate's government or people that is false and unjustified. In this case, misinformation would be thinking that all autistic people are lacking of intelligence. If all people believe that, than they will discriminate against people with ASD.

Hereby enacts the following:

1. The establishment of the Committee Against Misinformation about ASD (CAMA) to provide educational aid to a memberstate's people about the condition of ASD, providing solid and truthful facts and fifures regarding autism.
2. To condemn the purposeful spreading of lies about ASD to misinformed or misguided citizens and take action on those who do so repetitively. That action will be a punishment to be decided by the individual memberstate's government.

“As the other ambassador have stated, this does seem to be more of a national issue. Furthermore, this draft could use some more operative clauses.”

"Thank you for your advice. In what form and topic, if I may ask?"

[The Orwell Society]

Any ideas for another operative clause or two? I'm flat out of ideas

[Anne of Cleves in TNP]

“As the other ambassador have stated, this does seem to be more of a national issue. Furthermore, this draft could use some more operative clauses.”

"Thank you for your advice. In what form and topic, if I may ask?"

“Perhaps a propaganda division of CAMA could be established in order to further spread accurate ASD information to a wider audience. Then, you could discuss specific details on how the propaganda will be regulated and examples of words and images that the propaganda will include. There are numerous other details that could be added to this draft as well, besides from propaganda.”
-Ms. Charlotte Schafer, WA Ambassador for the Clevesian Empire

[The Orwell Society]

"Thank you for your advice. In what form and topic, if I may ask?"

“Perhaps a propaganda division of CAMA could be established in order to further spread accurate ASD information to a wider audience. Then, you could discuss specific details on how the propaganda will be regulated and examples of words and images that the propaganda will include. There are numerous other details that could be added to this draft as well, besides from propaganda.”
-Ms. Charlotte Schafer, WA Ambassador for the Clevesian Empire

"Interesting idea. While I surely won't word it as propaganda, as that would imply lies, I wil definitely work that into a third opeative clause. I will also work to add more details. Thank you, Ambassador Schafer."

[The Orwell Society]

I have added a new operative lause and three subclauses providing more detailed information on the duties of CAMA and its Board of Information.

[Separatist Peoples]

"We see no transboundary utility for this effort. Misinformation about disability is, at best, a national concern."

[The Orwell Society]

"We see no transboundary utility for this effort. Misinformation about disability is, at best, a national concern."

One may also argue that collective punishment isn't even a national concern, more of a thing to be decided by individual people, but it is at vote and doing rather well last time I checked.

[Separatist Peoples]

"We see no transboundary utility for this effort. Misinformation about disability is, at best, a national concern."

One may also argue that collective punishment isn't even a national concern, more of a thing to be decided by individual people, but it is at vote and doing rather well last time I checked.

"Initially, past wrongdoing going unpunished does not justify future wrongdoing. This is a common argument that has never been worth the breath to utter it.

"Further, collective punishment is a means of state abuse to exert control over a population, a status that harms all persons' potential freedoms when permitted. This? This involves no such essential right."

[Princess Rainbow Sparkles]

I'm inclined to agree that this proposal has too narrow a focus. No one is saying that spreading misinformation about autism is acceptable. I believe that you could find support for a WA proposal combatting misinformation about mental health, disease, and disability more generally. The problem is that tackling misinformation piecemeal is an inefficient approach.

My advice is to broaden this proposal to address harmful misinformation in general. If you can; it's a perilous area of law intersecting with free speech rights.

I understand that you feel strongly about misinformation about autism in particular because of your personal experience. I think some of the criticism saying that combating prejudice against people with autism is "not an international issue" could be interpreted as dismissive of your concerns and experience, when it is really meant to encourage you to think more broadly about other harmful misinformation and to tackle the subject more comprehensively.

You can still mention misinformation about autism specifically in a broader proposal.

[Attempted Socialism]

Like others I am not convinced that this topic needs international legislation, but if you are adamant in moving forward:

- You define misinformation but do not use it subsequently. Use your defined term. If you don't use a defined term, that is a good indicator that either there is something wrong with your focus or your defined term is superfluous and can be deleted. Here it's the former.
- Your definition of misinformation needs some real work as well. If you need an example to elaborate on your definition, that's a bad sign. Ideally, a definition should not need an example at all, and not one so disjointed. Furthermore, "false and unjustified" information is not a good test. If I have watched a YT video giving me the impression that vaccines cause autism, for example, that is false but justified (to me). If I believe, on the basis of some ideology for instance, that a population entirely of neurotypicals is a worthy goal, I would be justified in a campaign of extermination ala what the early Nazi regime embarked upon (Setting aside all the WA law that would prevent it). It would be ethically wrong for almost any worldview, but, employing Hume's Guillotine (aka. The is-ought problem) we have no reason to call that belief false -- especially given your example which reinforces that false is an empirical question.
- Your course of action is to distribute pamphlets, but that seems dubious to me. A grifter who sells the lie that vaccines cause autism would not stop because of a pamphlet, so the misinformation is still out there, causing harm, thus already we're treating the recipient of the misinformation rather than the source. But would most ordinary people read the pamphlets? Or whole books, filled with scientific information? I'm not sure the effect is adequate compared to the cost, especially as you require the material to be triple-screened, constantly updated, etc.

As general drafting advice, I think you're taking too much of a quick-fix approach. Getting an example to your definition out in 9 minutes (Where you also typed 2 replies) is a sign that your remedy is not thought-through, which leads to objections such as this one. Instead, acknowledge the request for an improved definition (And why it requires international attention), develop it either by yourself or in this thread, and when you have spent a few days (Or a week) mulling it over, post a new draft. 9 minutes to edit your definition is not giving yourself anywhere near enough time to think it through, and if you continue that way you will make more errors which will set your proposal up to fail.

[The Orwell Society]

Thank you all for your advice. I am scrapping this draft and moving on to a broad proposal combating misinformation in general.