UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights. Roma, Italy

The purpose of this project is to create a permanent academic forum that promotes dialogue and bioethical reflection in the light of human rights and duties from different religious perspectives.  This initiative is comprised of four principal activities:

1. International Conference in Jerusalem: “Culture of Life and Religion”

Dialogue is often the first step toward mutual understanding and construction of peace.  Today there is a growing need for such dialogue and what better place to launch this new initiative than Jerusalem so vitally significant to the three great Monotheistic Faiths.  This project seeks to find common ground among Christianity, Judaism and Islam—in the specific areas of bioethics.  In the area of life issues, there is a great deal of common ground that can be shared among these three Abrahamic faiths.  

The first event was launched on December 13-14, 2009, held at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.  Please refer to the following links regarding this event: Event Program   Conclusions   News report   Picture Gallery  YouTube

2.  Encounter of experts: “Bioethics, multiculturalism and religion”

This consists in international meetings of experts to thoroughly examine and debate bioethical issues relating to multiculturalism and different religions.  These encounters will foster dialogue and exchange of ideas in order to provide society and the international community with different religious points of view.  They also provide a statement of points of convergence regarding the most sensitive and current issues in biomedicine.  

The second event is scheduled for October, 2010, to be held in Rome on the Principle of Vulnerability involving experts from major world religions.  Click here for more information.

3. Interreligious Observatory on Bioethics

The observatory foresees a number of activities to serve as a platform which systematically and rapidly provides different religious points of view on current bioethical issues.  It will provide a database and on-line forum for individuals, academic institutions, research projects, calendar of events, news and bibliographies on religious-based bioethics of all traditions.   It will also offer translation service of the different texts.  The observatory will also identify events of relevance in international forums and foster presence of religious groups in them.

4. International Network “Bio-cultuRel”

As an international network, “Bioethics, Culture and Religion” wishes to single out a wide range of activities through international and local conferences, workshops, academic exchange of students and professors, intercultural exchange and training programs, and related research projects.  Some possible host countries for international meetings are: Jerusalem, Rome, Tokyo, Paris (UNESCO), Angola, Mexico, Strasburg (Council of Europe), Cairo, New York (UN), Brussels (EU), Beijing, Sao Paolo and Geneva (WHO).

For a greater discussions of these important subjects, our 2009 Summer Course was organized on Global Bioethics: Scienze, Religions and Human Rights in dialogue