The new Catholic Pope announced that Bioethics would be one of the priorities for his Church. Bioethics is a priority for IHEU too, but for rather different reasons. The Christian right believes that the latest advances in biology are incompatible with their ancient doctrine, and is mobilising itself to oppose these developments (see page 9). By launching the IHEU-Appignani Humanist Center for Bioethics (see page 7), Humanists have at last a world forum to discuss and debate a Human-centred approach to issues in bioethics, and to begin to mount a resistance to the forces of regression. There is no single Humanist position on any of the issues ranging from Euthanasia to Human cloning, and it would be wise to approach the developments with caution (see page 11), but what is undisputable is the need for a life asserting approach: one which does not glorify suffering. Those who exploited the slow public death of Pope John Paul II, those who cannot still accept women as equal members of their own organisation have no right to advance arguments based on Human Dignity.

UN Commission on Human Rights

As the present and projected impact of biotechnology continues to expand, so does the import of bioethics and the necessity to support humanist values in the biopolitical debate. The field of bioethics encompasses numerous issues, including the use of condoms and family planning in HIV/AIDS prevention and global development, the legality of stem cell research, the accessibility and direction of long-term biotechnological developments in physiological, psychological, and reproductive healthcare, and the overall freedom of inquiry afforded to medical science. Religious conservatives have recognized the importance of bioethics and have adjusted their intellectual and political infrastructures accordingly. Corporate entities with significant profit interests in these matters have never been timid in exercising their political influence. If the application of biotechnology is to be guided by reason and science, and if its potential is to be realized in the interests of global welfare and human rights, then the proponents of humanist values have to actively engage in the intellectual and political spheres of bioethics. The Inaugural Conference of the IHEUAppignani Center for Bioethics, conducted adjacent to the headquarters of the United Nations, marks a significant development in the participation of the International Humanist and Ethical Union in the important area of bioethics.

Preparations are going ahead full steam for the 16th World Humanist Congress which will take place from 5 - 7 July in Paris, and we look forward to welcoming you in some of the most prestigious venues of the French Republic and in the company of distinguished activists, intellectuals and Humanist leaders to discuss issues connected with Separation of Religion and State. You can download a full Congress Brochure from www.iheu.org

Happiness and Pride

It is with a feeling of happiness and even pride that I welcome you to this conference on behalf of IHEU. My happiness and pride are mixed with an even deeper felt gratitude to those who have made this center a reality: first and foremost the man whose generosity has made it possible, Louis Appignani, and thereafter all who have extended a helping hand in getting the center established. And we are grateful to the Center`s director, Ana Lita, who has given herself a flying start by arranging this conference.

To read the PDF file, please click on the link under Attachment below... If this does not work, please visit our PDF Help page for further assistance.

Who is weighing in and why? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

 

Bioethics Public Policy

I founded the Women’s Bioethics Project because bioethics public policy is in flux.

Gene Patents<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

In 1980, the Chakrabarty decision was handed down by the U.S.

Founded in 1996, the Centre for Life is an independent, not-for-profit, educational institution situated on a 10-acre site in the centre of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.