DRAFT

After consultation with stakeholders and thought leaders, the Interplanetary Assembly's Select Committee for the the Exploration of Space beyond Guo's Star have established the following guidelines to govern the contact between exploratory missions and civilizations whose social and technological conditions are very different from those prevailing in the Allied Worlds.

Definitions

The Committee recognizes that judging civilizations to be more or less "advanced" necessarily involves a value judgement, and such standards as may be established for social advancement will reflect the historical development, values and mores of our own culture. Notwithstanding, the Committee has determined that, in light of history, some standards of this type are needed to inform decisions made concerning interaction between cultures with extremely different technical or organizational capacities. The overriding goal of these standards and associated guidelines is to promote mutually beneficial outcomes for both civilizations. All interactions must be both consistent with our own values and, as far as can practically be foreseen, beneficial for both parties.

These guidelines were developed in relation to human civilizations; the Committee has developed closely analogous guidelines for Biran. If other sentient or possibly sentient species are encountered, all caution should be exercised, and the initiation of contact should be avoided unless it is clearly necessary for the completion of mission aims.

Definition: Social Advancement

The Committee defines social advancement as a civilization's progress toward a just, peaceful, and harmonious social structure which is respectful of its individual members and enjoys their broad support. Advanced societies direct the efforts of their members towards mutually advantageous goals while respecting their liberties and personal choices.

A simplified scale is proposed:

Definition: Technological Advancement

The Committee defines technological advancement as a civilization's capacity to apply scientific and engineering knowledge to control its material environment and circumstances.

A point scale is defined in relation to four key areas in which technology is applied to address the needs of people.

Guidelines for Contact with Less Advanced Civilizations

Appendix: Select Committee Composition

Select Committee members:

Principal advisers to the Committee:

  1. The One whose Upper Manipulation Appendages, Two Standard Deviations Stronger than Typical, Reminds its Caretakers of the Famed Hero (1)

  2. The One with a Strange Pattern of Markings on its Dorsal Surface Said in Antiquity to Portend Unusual Times of Fortune (2)

  3. The One whose Exceptionally Keen High Spatial Frequency Eyes readily Detect Nutritious Plankton (3)

  4. The One whose Low Viscosity Screen Ink, Ejected Copiously when Alarmed, Serves Well to Conceal it from Harm, being like the Blackness of the Deepest Abyss (4)