FidoNet - Asylum Policy

FidoNet
Asylum Policy

Fidonet Asylum Policy
Version 1.0
July 4, 1998

1. OVERVIEW

The granting of asylum for political or religious reasons is a well known world-wide policy to allow freedom to people who otherwise would not enjoy the rights of freedom. Asylum in Fidonet is no different. Each net, region, and zone must determine for themselves whether or not to grant asylum for each specific request.

2. ADOPTION OF POLICY

Since asylum is essentially a decision that each coordinator must reach by himself/herself, there is no Fidonet wide requirement to adopt this policy. Refusal by any Coordinator to recognize the right of a subordinant Coordinator to grant asylum is deemed excessively annoying behavior, and is cause for the removal of that person from a coordinator position. Asylum is a decision of conscience, therefor the right to seek and grant asylum is automatically recognized within Fidonet.

3. PROCEDURES

Any individual node, net, region or zone may request asylum from any net, region or zone. There is no required format for this request. The coordinator receiving the request for asylum should, but is not required to, verify that the person(s) seeking asylum actually are facing persecution and then either grant or deny asylum. If asylum is granted the node(s) involved become full members of the net, region, zone that has granted asylum and can not retain the node number from the area that have have sought asylum from. The granting of asylum does not constitute a geographical exemption and may not be denied by any coordinator above the level of the coordinator who has granted asylum.

4. DISCUSSION

With the advent of dictatorial Coordinators the need for this policy became apparent. All of the democratic countries, as well as the worlds major religions recognize the need for asylum and support it. In fact the only countries which do not recognize asylum are dictatorships. A word to the wise - any Coordinator who opposes the Asylum Policy needs to be evaluated for fitness to continue in that position. If only dictators historically oppose Asylum, then the chances are that the coordinator who opposes Asylum is also a dictator.

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