Sentient Rights Agreement

==Origin==
The Sentient Rights Agreement is the document presented by the Ane After The Trial for Peoplehood They stated that signing this agreement and living up to it was the minimum necessary step in their working within a given country. Most "western nations" signed on at once.
The Ane presented the agreement after China secretly attempted to buy Ane from the Kenyan government. The Kenyan government said "no". and failed to keep the secret a secret. China of course denied the whole affair, "we reject your reality and substitute our own" China style. A second incident in space started the China-Ane unwar. China is no longer a country. 
==The Agreement== 
The language of the agreement is prosaic, blunt, and made of words that are not subject to "interpretation". Not in the usual diplomatic flowery language it states:
The Statement of Sentience: 
*A sentient being is any being or any species that can state that it has rights and articulate an understanding of those rights, or the young of any such species. 
*Once one member of a given species has stated it has rights, all members of that species are considered sentient and have rights, even politicians.
*Any species that cannot state that it has rights, and articulate an understanding of those rights, is not sentient. They should still be treated in a humane fashion. Just saying.
The Statement of Rights:
*Sentient beings have the following rights: Such rights do not devolve from any government but are the natural, intangible property of all sentient beings. Such rights belong to the individual. No group has any greater rights than the rights of each individual within that group. The good of the many is not greater than the good of the few, or the one.
*The right of self ownership. All sentient beings own themselves. Their life and body are not the possession of a state, a group, or any other person or body other than themselves. Life is theirs to enjoy or squander.
*The right to self determination. A sentient being is responsible for its own actions, and is not responsible for the action of others. A sentient being cannot be forced to act on the behalf of another sentient being, or against another sentient being. This means no conscript armies, no invasions, no aggression.
*A sentient being has the right of self defense. If a sentient being is assaulted they have every right to defend themselves with such force necessary to stop the assaulter, permanently if necessary. No assaulter is immune from this. Governmental sanction to commit assault violates the rights of sentient beings, see above. A badge does not give you super rights or immunity against being defended against.
*The right to an assumption of innocence and a fair trial if accused of harming another sentient being. Crimes against the state is a null statement as you cannot "harm" a thing that has no rights.
*The right and responsibility to choose and watchdog their government. Government among sentient beings is a fact of life. Systems that concentrate power are dangerous. It is up to the sentient beings to control the concentration of power and see that no one gets to use it for long.
*The right to practice or not practice belief systems and philosophies that do not violate the rights of others. Yes this means religion. You can believe as you please. This does not mean you can force anyone else to profess belief in it, or cause harm to anyone as part of the belief.
The Statements of What has No Rights:
*Government has no rights. No government has the right to exist or to violate any of these principles and rights. The sentient beings have a right and responsibility to end and/or change any government that does violate any rights. Government is at best an uneasy servant, and always a terrible master.
*Belief systems and philosophies do not have a right to exist or be forced on any sentient creature. It is noted that the mixing of religion and politics is perhaps the worse idea Man has ever had, it serves nether the cause of religion or the sentient creatures, and is the cause of most of the institutional evil in the world. The Sentient beings have a right and responsibility to end belief systems and philosophies that do force themselves on others. Blasphemy, heresy, and non compliance are not crimes; they harm no one. Any belief system that cannot stand of its own accord is obviously not worthy of practice. When "god" however it is seen can step forward and declare it has rights in its own person we will consider this.
*Corporations are not sentient beings and therefore have no rights, all legal trickery aside. It is unnecessary for a business to be a person to sign a contract. This agreement and those agreeing to it make no pretense that any legal construct is a person with sentient rights.
The Statements of what are not Rights:
*Sentient Beings do not have the following rights. This is mentioned because certain sentient beings have made it necessary.
*Sentient beings do not have a right to not be offended. It is going to happen, someone is bound to do or say something you don't like. Offense is not harm. You are not entitled to money, making them stop, or even an apology. Grow a spine.
*Again because it needs to be said. Religion doubly has no right to be not offended. It has no rights to start with. If you think god as you see it is offended, we will wait until they show up in their own person to tell them the above. Likewise your lifestyle group, political back slapping club, particular disability, or color of skin. Grow a spine and get over it.
*Sentient beings do not have the right to live well. No one owes you a living. You have a right to life, but how well it is lived is entirely up to how hard you are willing to work. Taking from someone else no matter how rich they are is taking--harm--even if you convince your government to do it for you.
*Trying to keep someone from earning a living is likewise harm. Your business model has no rights and you have no right to a business model. Innovate or die.
Finally:
*Be kind to each other. Again, just saying. It solves a lot of the above before it gets started.
==Species Affected==
====On Earth====
*Humans -- Homo sapiens sapiens
*Ane -- Elnanti sapiens quadripi (Earth Classification -- Aepyceros greysoni "Greyson's Gazelle")
*Aneilog -- Elnanti sapiens homoni
*Elephants -- Elephas maximus, Loxodonta africana, Loxodonta cyclotis
*Cetaceans -- Order - Cetacea; Suborders - Mysticeti, Odontoceti, inclusive (Some 88 recognized species)
===Off Earth===
====Aliens====
*Ane -- Elnanti sapiens quadripi (Earth Classification -- Aepyceros greysoni "Greyson's Gazelle")
*Andorian -- Contacted in a rescue operation by the CoD.
*Aneilog -- Elnanti sapiens homoni
*El Aurian -- Auiran eternis -- Evidence by shipwreck survivors.
*Kentari -- Homo sapiens -- Go figure Contacted
*Kulad -- Mondagan kulad -- Evidence by shipwreck survivor.
*Klingon -- Not contacted, evidence by ship in space, testimony by Therilan.
*Orion -- War refugees currently on Earth, Gold and Green Orions. Contacted - a trade mission from Vegaris.
*Tellerite -- Contacted. A trade mission on Earth
*Vulcans -- Vuhlkantra -- suvel nahan (Thinking person) Contacted formal relations in place.
====Outsdiers====
*Centaur -- Quenya ceffylau -- Greyhawke native species, contacted
*Elf -- Quendi -- Greyhawke native species, contacted
*Gnome -- Maranda -- Greyhawke native species, contacted
*Leoman -- Rawquenya -- Greyhawke native species, contacted
*Phoenix -- Carulwul aglarehnaur -- Greyhawke native species, contacted
*Sauroi -- Arawyrm -- Greyhawke native species, contacted
*Tanuki -- Found all over Earth in increasing numbers.
Also noted are Hybrids. Confirmed are Elf/Human, Elf/Phoenix, and Elf/Centaur Hybrids (don't ask).
==Practice==
In practice the Ane have become outright nags about the Sentient Rights Agreement. Nations that have signed the Agreement are held up to it on every occasion. Government in general is not real good about staying inside the lines. Governments think that they get special treatment for being governments. The Ane point to the parts that specifically say that being a government does not give you any pass on abusing the rights of the individual. So far no one has thrown down the Agreement in disgust and walked that has already signed it.
The Ane maintain a list of signers and their current compliance level from 1-5 5 being perfect compliance, 1 being they need to consider their commitment to the agreement or we are dropping them and getting out. Few nations are in perfect compliance. However talking about it and leaving are the Ane's sole response to non compliance. The agreement doesn't leave much room for the usual governmental bullcrap.
==Opposition==
A number of nations have protested the very existence of the agreement as an Ane tactic to force the nations of the world to agree with the Ane way of doing things. That they are holding their unique powers, which should belong to all the people, hostage against the signing and proper keeping of this document. It is noted that most of the noise comes from the still active socialist countries, or theocracies.
The Ane reply is that "we belong to us", and "yes we are. No one is forced to sign or to keep the agreement, and we will not work with anyone that does not. Your rights, our rights. If that denies you access to our telepathy and teleportation, live with it."
Long impassioned speeches have been proclaimed in the United Nations against the agreement. Motions to invalidate it made, motions to declare the Ane a "world resource" made. None have come close to passing which saves the United Nations the embarrassment of being ignored.
State Religion has also voiced a dislike of the agreement as being anti-religious. Of forcing nations to divorce themselves from traditional belief. Iran, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia are the loudest protesters in this regard.
Again the Ane reply is "yes. What is your point? We are forcing no one to divorce themselves from belief, traditional or not. No belief has the right to be enshrined in law. Don't like that? Don't expect us to call." Religion that doesn't demand state backing has said nothing.
Lastly there are certain parties that think the agreement does not go far enough in that it demands that a species ask for rights to get them. Yes, animal "rights" activists demand that the SRA apply to everything that walks crawls or slithers (except for the termites in their house).
The Ane don't even reply they just give them that look. The one that says "You're a special kind of stupid, right?" (The Ane might be behind the campaign that has been calling for a ban on soap and deodorant as it kills uncounted trillions of innocent bacteria every year. We have a certain feeling about this.)
==Current==
In a shocking move the revised United Nations charter accepted the Sentient Rights Agreement as a whole. Keeping it is not a requirement to participate. Not being at war is. The Ane finally agreed to join the UN. The only non-territorial "nation", the All does not exist at any single point on Earth. The Ane have stated that they will continue to maintain the SRA Group as it exists. Even if in the UN, they require to sign to get them to work there. Some of the non signers had hoped that would change.
==Signers==
The list of signers their governmental system and their current status of compliance.
===Human Nations===
 
 Nation
 Location
 Government
 Status
 Andorra
 Europe
 parliamentary representative democracy, 4 Antigua
and Barbuda Caribbean
 parliamentary
monarchy BC 4 Argentina
 South America
 federal republic
 3
 Austria Europe federal parliamentary republic
 3
 Australia
 Australia
 parliamentary
monarchy BC 2 Bahamas
 Atlantic Ocean
 parliamentary
monarchy BC 4 Bangladesh
 South Asia
 parliamentary
democracy 2 Barbados
 Caribbean 
 parliamentary
monarchy BC 4 Belize
 Central America
 parliamentary
monarchy BC 3 Belgium
 Europe 
 constitutional monarchy
 2
 Bolivia South America constitutional democracy 
 2
 
 Bosnia and Herzegovina Europe Federal democratic republic 
 4
 
 Brazil South America federal republic 
 3
 Bulgaria Europe parliamentary democracy 
 3
 Cambodia South-East Asia 
 constitutional monarchy
 3
 Canada North America parliamentary monarchy BC 
 3
 Chile South America unitary republic 
 3
 Chinese Empire East Asia Monarchy 
 3
 Colombia South America unitary republic 
 2
 Costa Rica Central America 
 constitutional democracy 
 5
 Cyprus Mediterranean presidential democracy 
 2
 Czech Republic 
 Europe parliamentary republic 
 4
 Denmark Europe unitary parliamentary monarchy
 5
 Dominica Caribbean parliamentary republic 
 4
 Dominican Republic 
 Caribbean 
 federal republic 
 3
 Ecuador 
 South America 
 unitary presidential republic
 3
 Estonia Europe parliamentary republic 
 5
 Federated States of Micronesia
 Pacific Ocean
 federal republic
 4
 Finland Europe parliamentary republic 
 4
 France Europe unitary semi-presidential republic
 3
 Germany Europe federal parliamentary republic
 3
 Greece Europe unitary parliamentary republic
 3
 Grenada Caribbean parliamentary monarchy BC 
 3
 Guatemala Central America 
 presidential republic
 2
 Guyana South America semi-presidential republic 
 2
 Haiti Caribbean Monarchy 
 4
 Hungary Europe parliamentary republic 
 3
 Hong Kong Asia parliamentary city-state 
 4
 
 Henan Asia parliamentary republic 
 3
 
 Huan Asia democratic unitary state 
 4
 
 India South Asia parliamentary republic 
 3
 Israel Middle East parliamentary democracy 
 3
 Italy Europe unitary parliamentary republic
 3
 Jamaica Caribbean parliamentary monarchy BC 
 4
 Japan Pacific Asia unitary parliamentary monarchy
 2
 Jordan Middle East constitutional monarchy 
 3
 Kenya Africa semi-presidential republic 
 4
 Korea Asia presidential republic 
 3
 Kuwait Middle East constitutional hereditary emirate
 3
 Latvia Europe unitary parliamentary republic
 3
 Lithuania Europe semi-presidential republic 
 4
 Luxembourg Europe unitary parliamentary monarchy
 5
 Maldives Indian Ocean presidential republic 
 3
 Malta Mediterranean parliamentary republic 
 3
 Macau Asia executive city state 
 4
 Mauritius Indian Ocean Parliamentary republic 
 3
 Mexico North America federal republic 
 2
 </tr> Monaco Europe constitutional monarchy 
 5
 Mongolia Asia parliamentary republic 
 3
 Mozambique Africa presidential republic 
 3
 Nepal South Asia federal republic 
 3
 Netherlands Europe parliamentary monarchy 
 4
 New Zealand Pacific Ocean parliamentary monarchy BC 
 3
 Norway Europe unitary constitutional monarchy
 5
 Poland Europe parliamentary republic 
 4
 Panama Central America 
 federal republic 
 4
 Paraguay South America constitutional presidential republic
 3
 Peru South America presidential republic 
 3
 Portugal Europe parliamentary republic 
 3
 Republic of China (Taiwan) 
 Pacific Ocean 
 semi-presidential republic
 4
 Republic of Ireland 
 Europe constitutional parliamentary republic
 4
 Romania Europe unitary semi-presidential republic
 3
 Saint Kitts and Nevis 
 Caribbean 
 parliamentary monarchy BC
 5
 Saint Lucia Caribbean parliamentary monarchy BC 
 5
 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 Caribbean
 parliamentary
monarchy BC 5 
 Singapore
 Pacific Ocean
 parliamentary
republic 3 Slovakia
 Europe 
 parliamentary republic
 4
 Slovenia Europe parliamentary republic 
 2
 South Africa Africa Unitary parliamentary republic 
 3
 Spain Europe parliamentary monarchy 
 3
 Sri Lanka Indian Ocean democratic socialist republic
 2
 Suriname South America constitutional democracy 
 3
 Sweden Europe unitary constitutional monarchy
 4
 Tanzania Africa republic 2 
 
Tibet Asia
 republic
 4
 Trinidad and Tobago 
 Caribbean 
 parliamentary republic
 4
 United Arab Emirates 
 Middle East 
 constitutional monarchy
 3
 United Arabia
 Middle East
 monarchy 4 United Kingdom 
 Europe parliamentary monarchy BC 
 3
 United States of America 
 North America 
 democratic republic 
 3
 Uruguay South America presidential republic 
 4
 Vatican City Europe ecclesiastical sacerdotal-monarchical
 4
 
 Xīnán
 Asia
 parliamentary theocratic directorate 3 
===Other===
 
 Nation
 Location
 Government
 Status
 
 Ane Confederation El Nanth & Interstellar
 Ad Hocracy 5
 Kentari Confederation Alpha Centari
 Republic 4
 Tellur Confederation Teller & Interstellar
 Republic 3
 T'Khasi (Vulcan) T'Khasi & Interstellar
 Matriarchal Democracy 5 
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