ASA Committee Defends Statistics, Statisticians Around the World

David Corliss is the AVP Technical Expert in Data Science at General Motors OnStar Insurance. He serves on the steering committee for the Conference on Statistical Practice and is the founder of Peace-Work.

One of the best things I get to do here in the Stats4Good column is highlight the many ASA groups and committees making an impact on Data for Good. An important one is the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights, whose charge includes addressing “violations of and threats to the scientific freedom and human rights of statisticians and other scientists throughout the world.” Data for Good makes the world a safer place through statistical science, and the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights makes the world a safer place for statisticians engaged in this work.

The committee has a long history of advocacy. It was established in 1979 in response to the enforced disappearance of Argentine government statistician Carlos Noriega during the “Dirty War.” Discussion of this issue led to the formation of an ad hoc committee to advocate for scientific freedom. In 1985, then ASA President Richard Savage gave a talk on hard/soft problems, what we now call Data for Good. Leading D4G advocates David Banks and Herb Spirer began their profoundly influential work by asking Savage how they could get involved in human rights research. The committee president at the time was Thomas Jabine, who led an effort to expand the mission to include human rights work.

Over the years, committee members have worked on projects throughout the world, sponsored JSM sessions on important topics of the day, and collaborated with international organizations such as Statistics Without Borders and Human Rights Watch.

JSM sessions are an important avenue for the committee. In recent years, it has sponsored sessions on the ASA ethical guidelines and best practices, statistics and fact-checking on migration at the US southern border, and the work of statistical humanitarian groups. The committee also coordinates efforts to support statisticians in the US and abroad subject to political pressure due to their scientific findings.

An example of the latter is the politically motivated prosecution of Greek statistician Andreas Georgiou, who has been persecuted for carrying out his work in a manner free from bias. Following the 2008 financial crisis, the European Union called for reform in the Greek national statistics office. Georgiou, a well-respected statistician and economist, was recruited to lead the reform but came under pressure and, eventually, prosecution. The ASA Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights has been a leading voice within the international statistical community, protesting these actions and calling for Georgiou’s exoneration and implementation of protections for scientific freedom in official statistical reporting.

This year at JSM, the committee is sponsoring a memorial session in honor of Jabine. A distinguished scientist, mentor, and ASA Fellow, Jabine authored a number of books, including Human Rights and Statistics. The session, to be held August 9 at 2 p.m., features a panel of leaders in Data for Good. Come be inspired and learn about how you can become involved in defending scientific freedom and human rights.

A large part of my mission for this column is to highlight people and programs making a positive impact with statistics and data science. Sometimes, though, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Justice analytics is like an onion: You cut into it layer by layer and sometimes cry. The fact that statistical science is such a powerful tool for justice can make it a target. When that happens, the Committee on Scientific Freedom and Human Rights steps in.