Standing Committee on Human Right and Peace – SCORP

is a part of International federation of Medical Student’s Associations – IFMSA. Their goal is to raise awareness of students, young physicians and general population about destigmatizing different social groups. Universal Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed and adopted on United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948. In the first article of the Declaration it is written: ”All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood”. Medical students and physicians often like to say “I will be a physician” but even more often they forget their holy duty, respecting medicine and showing loyalty to their patients.

Saying Hippocratic Oath, physician swore to:”… I WILL MAINTAIN the utmost respect for human life;I WILL NOT PERMIT considerations of age, disease or disability, creed, ethnic origin, gender, nationality, political affiliation, race, sexual orientation, social standing or any other factor to intervene between my duty and my patient;I WILL NOT USE my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat;I MAKE THESE PROMISES solemnly, freely and upon my honour.“ Despite said oath, physician may forget their duty and promise that all individuals should be treated equal and treated with respect.

SCORP’s goal is to allow medical students to understand the value of eliminating prejudice and stereotypes and to learn how to fight against it.

There are numerous activities in Croatia from SCORP. We organise humanitarian events, hold debates on topics violating human right and we visit orphanages, youth homes, elderly homes, prisons and centers for people with special needs. Our goals are carried out through one day workshops and lectures, however, through congresses with international participation as well.

International congresses that have human rights as their topic and are organised in all subsidiaries, should be especially highlighted. We engage in topics such as: mental health, LGBT rights, women’s situtation in medicine, physician’s and patient’s rights and general inclusion of all discriminated groups of our society.

Furthermore, with humanitarian music concerts, we unite medical students, promote cooperation and in the end, to show love toward other people, with our will and excellent music. Our goal is to connect the differences and show that different people can be equal and with combined efforts, can help an individual, who needs aid. Coming through with the former projects, allows us healthier and more tolerant society, ability to relieve physicians of their prejudice and be of higher quality by referring to patients as equal.

We mark International Day for Tolerance, World Down Syndrome Day, International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, International Woman’s Day. We engage in rights for children with inabilities and mental difficulties, visit sick children in hospitals and give them toys, organise workshops for work with deaf and blind patients and very popular, self defense class. Human Right’s Day should also be noted. It is a day where we educate medical students how to fight against their own prejudice and we start the unavoidable discussion about discrimination.

Kristina Štajdohar, NORP