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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Dear Colleagues,</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">    Unbelievably the French government seems intent on detroying or at least
seriously compromising one of the most important research networks in the
world. Here is the English translation of the electronic letter from Aline
Averbouh you can send electronically to protest this act of cultural barbarity.
It is frankly a bit frightening with respect to what other like-minded
governments ae planning in all our respecive countries.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Best,</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Alice</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Hi Alice</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Here is the english version. I don't know if it will change anything</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">now. we're quite dead!</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">but, if you can once again send it on the bone tool list, it will</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">maybe help at least to show to our Sarkozy that many people out of</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">France are not agree with that death of the CNRS</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">bises</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">aline</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Début du message réexpédié :</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">This appeal may be signed by those working in research and higher
education as well as the very many people who sent us support messages
and wish to emphasize with their signature their standing by the personnel.
We wish to thank you for passing on the information as widely as</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">possible.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">English translation of Appel :</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">"Nous nous engageons pour la recherche et l’enseignement</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">supérieur"</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">se en garde de Directeurs de Laboratoire et Responsables d’Instances
concernant la réorganisation du CNRS</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">The scientific community has, for several years now, demonstrated its will to
improve the structure of research and teaching in higher education by
making concrete proposals which remain valid today. But the drastic
restructuring of higher education and research currently being undertaken
by the Government will result in the management of research activity coming</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">under the direct control of political power (well beyond the scope of</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">the program orientations for which it is responsible). Many people in</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">positions of responsibility for research have criticised those</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">government measures, in particular laboratory and research centre</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">directors, CNRS [recipients, that body’s research council (which includes
overseas members), university councils, and laboratory general assemblies.
That the Administrative Council of the CNRS was prevented from sitting on</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">June 19th, reflects our profound and abiding uneasiness with regard to</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">the restructuring currently being imposed on this public body, which</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">threatens its integrity and its independence.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> In order to resolve a crisis which can only weaken French research as well
as to regain the confidence necessary to reform our institutions in ways that
will benefit society as a whole, we ask today that:  Any changes in the
structure of research be implemented in full respect of scientific
independence and of the principles of collegiality and democracy of
university and other research institutions;</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> Sufficient resources, both financial and human—researchers and teacher-
researchers, technical and administrative support personnel—be allocated
to universities and other public research bodies on a long-term basis. The
institutions will then be able to build a scientific strategy, their laboratories</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">will be able to develop their own projects and the principle that</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">governs research and higher education on the basis of statutory</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">posts—guarantors of genuine intellectual independence—will be</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">preserved;  The CNRS should continue to cover all fields of knowledge in
order to develop a global research strategy as well to as encourage
collaboration between the different disciplines. These demands have a cost,
which can be met within the framework of the overall budget allocations to</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">higher education and research.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">We are determined that this action should be long-term. We are aware of
our responsibility in the implementation of changes within higher education
and research and we are committed to doing nothing that would weaken the
very basis of our activity and its future in the short term, as per our press
release of June 23rd, signed by laboratory and research centre directors
and individuals in charge of research bodies.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt"> If our demands are not heard, we will initiate progressive administrative
strike actions. In particular, wewill: In a first phase, suspend our</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">involvement in expertise and evaluation activities undertaken for</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">  Refuse to pass on data that would support the assessment and orientation
of research using indicators that exclude expert scientific input.</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">And, in a second phase, and should the Government continue to remain
deaf to our legitimate requests, laboratory and institutional directors,
individuals in charge of scientific bodies, and their respective members, will
resign from  [1] Centre National de la Recherche [2] Agence Nationale pour
la  [3] Agence d’Evaluation de la Recherche et de l’Enseignement Supérieur</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Courier New"><span style="font-size:10pt">We did update you on the difficulties French research
and higher education are facing at the moment.  A
widespread mobilization of the scientific community thus
prevented on June 19, 2008 the scheduled meeting of the
CNRS administrative board (cf. </span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Courier New" color="#008000"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u>http://www.sauvonslarecherche.fr/spip.php?article1921</u></span></font><font face="Courier New" color="#0000ff"><span
style="font-size:10pt"> <</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Courier New" color="#008000"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u>http://www.sauvonslarecherche.fr/spip.php?article1921</u></span></font><font face="Courier New" color="#0000ff"><span
style="font-size:10pt">> </span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Courier New"><span style="font-size:10pt"> ). We initiate an appeal we suggest you may sign on our
site: </span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Courier New" color="#008000"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u>http://www.sauvonslarecherche.fr/spip.php?article1992</u></span></font><font face="Courier New" color="#0000ff"><span
style="font-size:10pt"> <</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Courier New" color="#008000"><span style="font-size:10pt"><u>http://www.sauvonslarecherche.fr/spip.php?article1992</u></span></font><font face="Courier New" color="#0000ff"><span
style="font-size:10pt">> </span></font><font face="Courier New"><span style="font-size:10pt"> </span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Courier New"><span style="font-size:10pt">This appeal may be signed by those working in research
and higher education as well as the very many people who
sent us support messages and wish to emphasize with
their signature their standing by the personnel. We wish
to thank you for passing on the information as widely as
possible. </span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Dr.Alice M.Choyke</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Aquincum Museum</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">H-1131 Budapest</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Zahony u. 4</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Hungary</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Telephone: (36-1 240-4268)</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">H13017cho@niif.hu</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">or</span></font></div>
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<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Department of Medieval Studies</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Central European University</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">H-1051 Budapest</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Nador u. 9.</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">Hungary</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">(36-1) 327-3801</span></font></div>
<div align="left"><font face="Arial"><span style="font-size:10pt">choyke@ceu.hu</span></font></div>
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