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Call for signing petition The right to collect in Germany


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International appeal to all collectors of natural and cultural objects – please sign the petition "For preserving the right to privately collect"!

https://www.openpetition.de/petition/online/fuer-den-erhalt-des-privaten-sammelns?language=en_GB.utf8

The German government plans to pass a so called cultural goods protection bill in the beginning of 2016. A draft has been published on September 14th 2015 and menaces collecting of natural goods (such as fossils and minerals etc.) and cultural goods (including artifacts, coins, stamps, artworks etc. ).

Private collectors as well as scientists, merchants and organisers of fairs would be adversely affected by this . No one representing the natural sciences has been consulted during the draft phase of this pending law. By aggregating completely different resources (cultural goods and natural goods) within one act, many inappropriate and misguided regulations have found their way into the paragraphs.

Collectors, scientists and merchants are threatened by import formalities which are impossible to observe for every single natural or cultural good (legislation currently makes no provision for waiving scrutiny of objects below a specified threshold value), the fact that non-compliance of the formalities would lead directly to classification of the possession of natural and cultural goods as being illegal, making it possible to criminalize collectors.

Collecting is not destruction of cultural and natural goods; it is quite the contrary: collecting is important to preserve natural and cultural goods for future generations! Scientists and collectors cooperate excellently in natural sciences ("citizen science" ).

We claim a fundamental revision of the law with inclusion of natural scientists, private collectors and merchants of natural objects to have input in proposing rules. The collectors of cultural goods need also to be heard, maybe leading to separate considerations for their pursuit.

Natural goods are world heritage and not the cultural heritage of a national state. Limitations for the merchandise traffic, for lending objects from institute to institute resulting from growing bureaucracy are not necessary for every single object; however, they may only be justifiable for certain objects above a meaningful and justifiable threshold value.

Please take a minute to sign the petition "For preserving the right to privately collect"!

Each vote counts and increases the pressure for politicians to act in a well informed and common sense manner! We hope for international solidarity of all collectors of natural and cultural goods and of scientists working with these goods.

Please pass this request to collectors, family, friends and acquaintances – everyone has a single vote - many thanks!

Supported by Steinkern.de, Mineralienatlas.de / Fossilienatlas.de, Verein für Geologie und Mineralogie e. V., Paleofox.com, Fossiel.net & The Fossil Forum

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When one tugs at a single thing in nature; he finds it is attached to the rest of the world.

-- John Muir

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signed

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~〇~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Warmest greetings from Kumamoto、 Japan

 

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Come on we need more take a minute :D

Many greetings from Germany ! Have a great time with many fossils :)

Regards Sebastian

Belo.gif

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Well, it could very well be if enough opposition doesn't get drummed up.

Will opposition work in Germany or do the politicians have their head stuck in the sand.

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Will opposition work in Germany or do the politicians have their head stuck in the sand.

If enough people sign this petition, a quorum has been attained. This legally binds all politicians involved with the subject, in this case the proposed law, and also the ones representing the people who have signed the quorum in parliament or other political institutions, to issue public statements on the subject when asked. This creates publicity in the general public and sparks open discussion and debate. Sort of like what's been going on with TTIP the past few years. That debate on the European level was initiated by a number of quorums. There are already some backroom discussions going on which are producing a little support, or at least some understanding in a few political corners, but it doesn't have much clout until a quorum is established on the basis of the petition.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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This just in:

After researching the initiative, and due deliberation, Cris has green-lighted an invitation from Soenke and Uncle Siphuncle for The Fossil Forum to officially endorse the petition. He, and we, feel strongly that the propose regulations should not be passed as written. We hope to see the Forum added to the list of international opponents of the legislation.

Please sign the petition; let your voice be heard!

My comment, upon signing:

"Private collections are an important repository of specimens and the knowledge they contain. Vague and unnecessary regulations can only have a chilling effect on this vast, informal network, whose contributions to science, through diligent cooperation with professional researchers, is indisputable."

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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In the name of the Steinkern community, I'd like to thank the admins for their wholehearted support of this initiative and for their openness in maintaining this thread. I've just informed Soenke of this, so maybe he'll pop in here later on.

 

Greetings from the Lake of Constance. Roger

http://www.steinkern.de/

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Will opposition work in Germany or do the politicians have their head stuck in the sand.

From what I can see at the moment, German politicians have their heads deep in the sand.

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Hey Auspex and Chris, good to see that the Fossil Forum decides to officially endorse this petition! The list of allies grows longer, and a strong international response wood be a good signal.

Paleo database, information and community

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Dear members and admins of thefossilforum.com,

Thank you very much for supporting the petition in the name of the Steinkern.de community and all other current supporters of the petition! :)

It is very important for the German fossil hunters to have your support, because the international votes for the petition are showing that fossil hunting and palaeontological science is not a national topic, even as collecting coins, stamps or other things. This is part of our argumentation that it is not senseful to control common fossils crossing the boarders and regarding them as "illegal" in general, claiming for papers like an export license to prove legality. This is virtually impossible to do for us - we find the stuff just in the field... - and there are no authorities in foreign countries which can give us the papers we need (if the Law comes into power) for every single mass fossil. Importing rules should depend on export rules of the countries the fossils comes from, never exceed the rules of export. This seems to be a typical German idea. :blink:

Hobbys like ours are bringing people together (worldwide) and oftentimes collectors and scientists are working very fruitfully together. Fossil fairs and merchants are also part of this culture and are also concerned by the regulation spleen, which is also bad for science (look at the problems our friends in Italy have). So the fossil scene in Germany is united against too strict regulations.

The Law may also be important for merchants, collectors or scientists from other countries who want to bring fossils to Germany.

We want to continue the successful science and citizen science work of the past and we don´t want to be treated as "illicit diggers", only because no one in Berlin knows, who we are and what we do, because we are only a few thousand in Germany.

So each vote is very important and will show the German government the importance of our subject and that it has to be treated seperatedly from archaeological objects and topics. Also about this goods has to be discussed again and the government should hear not only the hardliners. It is always better to talk with the moderates.

We are very pleased to be allowed to add thefossilforum as the greatest and most international fossil community with its 18 000 members to our list of supporters!

Possibly we can work together in other cases like this in the future (hopefully we don´t need to do it oftentimes ;) ), supporting each other. Steinkern is always open minded to do this.

If anyone is member within other international fossil, mineral, stamp or coin boards etc.:

You can use our german, english, french, spanish or dutch version (more language to follow) of the appeal, which can be found here: http://www.steinkern.de/news-updates/1132-internationaler-aufruf-fuer-den-erhalt-des-privaten-sammelns.html .

Thank you very much again and best wishes from Germany

:goodjob:

Soenke

http://www.Der-Steinkern.de - the german fossil magazine.
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Thank you to Soenke and Roger for leading the effort to bring rational solutions to the German lawmakers. Unintended consequences often follow poorly crafted laws, and I hope in this case that better ideas prevail.

Additional thanks to owners and leaders of the other European forums that are a part of this effort.

The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true.  -  JJ

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Done.

I hope any other proposed restrictions in any country in future will be brought to our attention like this, especially if we can comment or sign petitions.

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Also signed. Thank you.

" We are not separate and independent entities, but like links in a chain, and we could not by any means be what we are without those who went before us and showed us the way. "

Thomas Mann

My Library

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