Date: Thursday, March 3rd, 2011, 4:00 – 5:30 pm, followed by a cocktail reception
Location: 777 UN Plaza, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10017

The Appignani Bioethics Center will host an exceptional panel discussion under the auspices of the 55th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

One of the most the most lucrative and fastest-growing criminal activities in the world today is sex trafficking, which generates estimated global market revenue of about 42.5 billion dollars annually. Under recent estimates, a single captive female held for sexual exploitation in Western Europe and North America alone retails at a gross annual profit of about $68,000 (e.g. 2010 International Labor Office, Report and Statistics).

The hottest markets for young women and children held in brothels and in various pornographic venues (including film, tape, DVD, online, closed circuit, paid daily intimate camera feeds, etc.) are in developed countries particularly the EU and the US compared with other parts of the world. Efforts to alleviate sex trafficking in all its various platforms and formats are riven by cultural and social disputes, including significant religious differences and cultural norms. Some people argue that prostitution is always unlawful, discriminatory and abusive, and must be banned, whereas others want to decriminalize, legitimize and regulate it. Marketing unwilling sex workers across national and international borders is another aspect of the equation, making arrest or apprehension of traffickers more difficult and fraught than internal state trafficking.

Is there adequate discussion of the manifold roots of the problem nationally and internationally? Does education of women and girls help alleviate the mass of sex trafficking? Is prostitution ever voluntary? Should society criminalize so-called high end prostitution?

Our expert panel will address these complex questions.

Speakers :

Charlotte Bunch, Founding Director and Senior Scholar of the Center for Women’s Global Leadership at Rutgers University

Frances Kissling, Visiting Scholar, Center for Bioethics, University of Pennsylvania

Rachel Resnick, M.F.A., Author, Founder and CEO of Writers On Fire

Adele M. Stan,  Journalist and editor whose work has appeared in The New Republic, the Village Voice, The Nation, The Advocate, the Washington Blade as well as on the op-ed pages of the New York Times

Commentator:

Michelle Chen, Journalist and Ph.D. Candidate at CUNY

Panel moderator:

Ana Lita, Director, Appignani Bioethics Center

For more information:

• Event Flyer
• Speakers’ Bios
• Press Release
• Opening Remarks from Ana Lita
• Video link: Human Trafficking, Exploitation and Abuse of Sex Workers: Suggested Remedies’ Panel Discussion

Photos from the Event

Adele Stan

from left to right: Ana Lita, Dr. Debrovner, and Rachel Resnick

Ana Lita

Adele Stan

Michelle Chen

The audience

Frances Kissling

Rachel Resnick

Ana Lita

Frances Kissling and Ana Lita

from left to right: Frances Kissling, Rachel Resnick, Adele Stan, Michelle Chen

Ana Lita and Frances Kissling

from left to right: Ana Lita, Frances Kissling, Rachel Resnick, Adele Stan, Michelle Chen

Audience

Audience

from left to right: Ioana Nica, Alison Rae, Alissa Daskalova

Charles and Pat Debrovner

Date: Friday-Sunday, April 21-23, 2006
Location: 777 UN Plaza New York, NY 10017

Taking a broad and cross-disciplinary approach to addressing medical and bio-technological issues in contemporary society, conference topics include ethics and religion, humanist and ethical views on science and the public, and the development of biotechnology and its ethical implications. Through paper presentations and panel discussions, the Conference will address such topics as: stem cell research, public policy of genetics and privacy, genetic engineering and human dignity, reproductive and sexual rights of women, the United Nations as a forum for bioethics, intellectual property in global bioscience, ethical issue in infectious disease control internationally and nationally, and the challenge of evolutionary theory.

Two keynote speakers at the conference include:

• Art Caplan Ph.D., Emmanuel and Robert Hart Professor of Bioethics, Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
• Paul Kurtz Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the State University of New York at Buffalo, chair emeritus of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) and the Council for Secular Humanism, founder and chair of Prometheus Books, and editor-in-chief of Free Inquiry Magazine, MA and PhD, Columbia University

Cocktail Reception: Friday, April 21, 6:00 – 9:00 PM at
Turkish Consulate General, Culture & Tourism Office
821 UN Plaza
New York, NY 10017

For More Information:

• Program
• Speakers

“The Enlightenment and Secular Humanist Biopolitics in Coming Decades” James J. Hughes Ph.D. Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies. Professor of Health and Public Policy, Trinity College

“Who owns you? Rights to Genetic Information,” David Koepsell J.D./Ph.D., Research Assistant Professor, SUNY Buffalo

“Balancing Autonomy and Community in Promotion of Human Dignity,” Jennifer Miller, M.A. Director- Bioethics International Inc. in NYC

Panel Moderator: Ana Lita, Ph.D., Director: Appignani Bioethics Center

James Hughes Ph.D. is a bioethicist and sociologist teaching health policy at Trinity College in Hartford Connecticut, where he is the Associate Director of Institutional Research. He serves as the Executive Director of the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies (ieet.org) and produces the IEET’s syndicated weekly radio program and podcast Changesurfer Radio. He is the author of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future, and is working on a second book tentatively titled Cyborg Buddha: Using Neurotechnologies to Become Better People. He is the international Secretary of the World Transhumanist Association, Associate Editor of the Journal of Evolution and Technology, a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, and a member of the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities and the Working Group on Ethics and Technology at Yale University. Dr. Hughes speaks frequently on medical ethics, health care policy and future studies worldwide, and appears often on radio and television.

Jennifer Miller is the founder and executive director of Bioethics International, Inc. (BEI), a New York City based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering professionals and other organizations in healthcare, life science and biotechnology to act responsibly, to improve the quality of healthcare and lives. A leading expert in emergency and pandemic preparedness ethics and general bioethics, Jennifer has lectured at universities across North America, including Fordham University, the University of Ottawa, St. Francis College and the City University of New York. Through her hospital training programs, Jennifer has trained over 2,500 clinicians and nurses on how to make ethical decisions, directly improving the quality of care for over 908,000 patients in the last year.  Hospital ethics committees and policy writers also benefit from Jennifer’s expertise.She has advised the American Medical Association, the United Nations as the representative for the Mexican NGO Mujer para la Mujer, the National Disaster Life Support Foundation, the Institute for Marriage and Family in Canada, the International Association of Obstetricians in Rome, Italy, Environmental Protection Agency scientists, top New York City based consulting companies, the private sector and the media. Her areas of expertise include the just allocation of limited resources; end-of-life care decision making; delivering proportional medical care including futile, palliative and therapeutic case management; organ donation; objection of conscience including physician autonomy  and informed consent; neuroethics; genetic testing and assisted reproductive technologies; eco-ethics; and pandemic and emergency preparedness ethics. Jennifer received a B.S. in Physics from Fordham University in New York and is a candidate for a Doctorate in Bioethics from Regina Apostolorum in Italy.  She is proficient in the English, Spanish and Italian languages. http://www.bioethicsinternational.org

David R. Koepsell, J.D., Ph.D. is an author, philosopher, and attorney whose recent research focuses on the nexus of science, technology, ethics and public policy. He is Research Assistant Professor, Philosophy, University at Buffalo; Associate Editor, Free Inquiry; Cofounder, Carefully Considered Productions, a not-for-profit media company; and Writer/Associate Producer, Calvin of Oakknoll: An American Apostate, a documentary. David is also Research Scientist, UB Task-Force for Ontology-Based Studies in Psychiatry (Classification of Diseases and Disorders) and was Fall 2006-2007 Yale University, Donaghue Initiative Visiting Scholar in Research Ethics “Individual and Collective Rights in Genomic Data.” He authored The Ontology of Cyberspace: Philosophy, Law, and the Future of Intellectual Property, Reboot World (fiction), The Ethics of Genetic Engineering, Robots Bowling Alone: Evolving Post-Technological Humans, Individual and Collective Rights in Genomic Data: Preliminary Questions, The Mystery of Intellectual Capital: A Prospectus, Ethics and Ontology: A New Synthesis, An Emerging Ontology of Jurisdiction in Cyberspace, and the innovative Amazon download Science Ain’t an Exact Science: Public Perception of Science After the Stem-Cell Fraud. David earned a B.A. magna cum laude in Political Science/English with High Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa in 1990 from State University of New York at Buffalo, a J.D. from SUNY at Buffalo School of Law in 1995, and a Ph.D. with the dissertation “The Ontology of Cyberspace: Law, Philosophy, and the Future of Intellectual Property” in 1997 from State University of New York at Buffalo.

The Commission on the Status of Women (hereafter referred to as “CSW” or “the Commission”) is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women. It is the principal global policy-making body. Every year, representatives of Member States gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide.

The Commission was established by ECOSOC resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946 with the aim to prepare recommendations and reports to the Council on promoting women’s rights in political, economic, civil, social and educational fields. The Commission also makes recommendations to the Council on urgent problems requiring immediate attention in the field of women’s rights.

Click here to learn more about the Commission’s history.

The fifty-fifth session of the Commission will take place in 2011 (date forthcoming). The fifty-fourth session of the Commission took place on 1 – 12 March 2010.

Video

October 10-17, 2010

New York – The Bahamas – New York

Dear Friends,

The Appignani Bioethics Center invites you to attend an exceptional cruise conference to the Bahamas leaving from and returning to Manhattan, New York, aboard the luxurious Norwegian Jewel. Enjoy the Bora Bora Spa & Fitness Center, Jewel Casino, 16 different dining options, 13 bars, snorkeling & parasailing at Great Stirrup Cay, close encounters with dolphins and rays at Nassau, and more!

Educational Topics | Accommodations | Itinerary | Excursions | Registration

Educational Topics

Daily programs will consist of a 9:30 to 11:30 am session and a 1:00 to 3:00 pm session in the Azura Restaurant. All passengers are welcome to attend.

October 11th (9:30-11:30 am & 1:00-3:00 pm)

Michael West, PhD

Extending Healthy Lifespans: Is aging a disease?

Dr. West is Chief Executive Officer of BioTime, Inc. and Embryome Sciences, Inc. of Alameda, California. The companies are focused on developing an array of research and therapeutic products using human embryonic stem cell technology. He received his Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989 concentrating on the biology of cellular aging. He has focused his academic and business career on the application of developmental biology to the age-related degenerative disease.

Aging is the primary risk factor for late-life illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases – diseases to which many of us will ultimately succumb. Research and resources have primarily been focused on treating and curing these diseases rather than addressing the underlying cause: aging. However, research centers and biotechnology companies are now beginning to put their research into studying the biology of aging and developing anti-aging technologies. Research on telomeres begs the question of whether there is a biological clock for cellular aging, research in cellular senescence asks how cells age, and research in DNA damage and repair ask how aging affects our cells’ ability to repair themselves.

October 15th (9:30-11:30 am)

John Nugent

Ethics and the Future of Medicine

While scientific research and technology foretells the possibility of human life extension, genetically engineered “designer babies” and the reshaping of human behavior through neuropharmacology the questions remain: “Does just because we can, necessarily mean we should?” and “What, if any, is the role of ethics in the decision making processes for implementing these new and revolutionary genetic and therapeutic products?” or “How do the new technologies affect the concept of human nature that is the foundation of our present society?” These and other questions will be raised within the context of defining possible ethical parameters for the future of medicine.

John Nugent holds a Masters Degree in Ethics, has over 36 years experience in the health care delivery field, where he is currently employed as the President of Planned Parenthood of Maryland. He is also the volunteer President of the Washington Area Secular Humanists. He has been an adjunct philosophy instructor and has spoken widely on the subject of ethics

October 15th (1:00-3:00 pm)

Toni Van Pelt

The Future of Medicine: US Government Support of Medical and Scientific Research

Toni Van Pelt is a director and a primary mover, along with Paul Kurtz, Norm Allen and Vincent Parr of the newly founded Institute for Science and Human Values. As former vice president of the Center for Inquiry and as a congressional lobbyist, she organized and directed one of the first public policy offices of the secular humanist movement in Washington, DC with a key focus on the importance of science to the well being of the nation. She also serves on the board of the National Organization for Women as the Southeast Regional Director.

She will detail the importance of continuous lobbying of the Congress, Federal regulatory agencies and the White House on medical and scientific research, support for integrity in science, and advocating for scientific research dollars and the National Science Foundation.

October 16th (9:30-11:30 am & 1:00-3:00 pm)

Martha J. Farah, PhD

Building a Better Brain: Can we become smarter, happier people?

Martha Farah is a Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Natural Sciences and Director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania. She was awarded her Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Harvard University in 1983. Dr. Farah has received a Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association for Psychological Science.

Besides exploring the biology of anti-aging technologies, the cruise conference will also focus on brain research and its applications to curing Alzheimer, Huntington, and Parkinson which are some of the most common brain diseases — each causing a unique form of progressive brain cell death. New research suggests that these and many other neurological diseases may be versions of the same basic disorder: a breakdown in the body’s ability to fold proteins into their correct shapes. Based on these findings, brain researchers are hoping for a common treatment for these conditions, using new kinds of drugs that prevent misfolding or minimize harm done to the cell. Dr. Martha Farah will explore some of these issues.

The curriculum’s film screenings and discussions of future medicine topics will be moderated by our Supplemental Faculty:

There will be no educational programming while docked in the Bahamas.

Date: September 9, 2005, 1:15 – 2:45 PM
Location: United Nations

Dr. Robert Buckman, chair of the Advisory Board, and Ana Lita, Director of the IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics, participated in the DPI/NGO conference at the United Nations entitled “Our Challenge: Voices for Peace, Partnerships and Renewal” on September 9th, 2005.

Dr. Robert Buckman is the President of the Humanist Association of Canada. He presented the paper: “Belief, Behavior and Biology.” Ana Lita’s presentation focused on the ethical question of genital mutilation – a practice common throughout Africa and parts of the Middle East.

Ana Lita said that in some cultures genital mutilation, the removal of part or all of a woman’s genitalia is considered a rite of passage to adulthood and a form of purification with a strong religious connotation. While cultural relativists are tempted to accept the practice as a culture-specific rite, human rights campaigners condemn it as a serious breach of the rights of women to self-determination. The situation is clearly alarming, since genital mutilation often results in infertility or death, not to mention excruciating physical pain and suffering. Genital mutilation aggravates the already dismal picture of deprived regions dominated by disease, poverty, gender inequality, and injustice.

For more information:

• Flyer
• Schedule

 

 

Beyond Cloning

Date: September 26, 2005, 5:30-8:00 PM
Location: 777 UN Plaza 2nd Floor New York, NY 10017

The IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics announces its first panel discussion featuring Senator Liz Krueger, Professor Glenn McGee, Professor Stuart Newman, and Professor Udo Schuklenk.

Senator Liz Krueger will discuss how to formulate public policy while balancing ethical, societal and medical considerations. Professor Glenn McGee will discuss the nature of the political and bioethical debate that we can expect in the coming decade. Professor Stuart Newman, a cell biologist, is pessimistic about embryonic stem cell research on practical grounds, and, as such, considers the ethical debate about cloning to be about things that cannot practically happen. Professor Udo Schuklenk will talk about some of the ethical issues involved in efforts to develop cloning techniques for reproductive (human) purposes.

Speakers:
Liz Krueger is currently the Chair of Minority program Development and has been a leader in developing a more democratic and deliberative legislative process. She has introduced stem cell research legislation in 2004 and 2005.

Glenn McGee holds The John A. Balint Endowed Chair in Medical Ethics, and is Director of Alden March Bioethics Institute (NYBI), established at the Albany Medical Center in April 2005.

Stuart Newman is a professor of Cell Biology and Anatomy at New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York. He has testified before Congressional committees on issues ranging from patenting of organisms to human stem cells and cloning.

Udo Schuklenkis Chair in Ethics in Public Policy and Corporate Governance, Co-Editor Bioethics and Developing World Bioethics, Glasgow, Caledonian University.

Each participant will talk for 10-15 minutes. Discussion will follow.

Registration fee: Students: $6 and the general public: $12.

Refreshments will be served. For information please call: 212.687.3324 or email.

The panel is sponsored by the IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics and Alden March Bioethics Institute, Albany, NY.

Date: Friday and Saturday, April 22-23, 2005
Location: 777 UN Plaza New York, NY 10017

The inaugural conference of the Appignani Humanist Center for Bioethics will reflect the international dimensions of current debates on stem cells research, human cloning, human and food genetic engineering, the spread of HIV/AIDS, organ procurement, euthanasia and abortion in light of recent scientific developments and their global impact. The conference aims at building awareness and where possible a consensus within the humanist community on what positions should be taken in the Center’s lobbying efforts at the UN. With its standard-setting work and unique multicultural and multidisciplinary intellectual forums, the conference will deal with these contemporary issues with a human centered approach.

Topics will include:

• Stem Cell Research
• Reproductive Cloning of Human Beings
• Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights
• Genetic Engineering and Transhumanism
• Organ Markets

People often have strong emotional reactions to these issues. The prevailing assumption in humanist bioethics is that careful analysis and ethical consideration can help at least to make progress of some of these issues if not resolve all of them.

The ideas presented at the Conference will be valuable input for the general public as also help the Humanist movement evolve policy based on which lobbying at the UN could take place. The Center is focussed on creating awareness of issues relating to bioethics at the UN and within the Humanist movement. The Center is developing a programme of popular outreach on bioethics issues as well as a programme for lobbying, with a Human Centered agenda.

For More Information:

Call for Papers
Program
Speakers
Background

As a non-governmental organization with UN consultative status, IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics interacts in various ways with diverse UN bodies including the Office of the Gender Advisor of the Secretary General (OSAGI), the Human Rights Committee, Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

On June 6, 2006 Dr. Ana Lita, Director of theIHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics, spoke at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for the Advancement of Women. The meeting (top right) was chaired by Ms. Rachel Mayanja (top left), UN Assistant Secretary General and Special Advisor to UN Secretary on Gender Issues and Women’s Advancement (OSAGI). Over 20 high-ranking UN officials attended the meeting. The text of her article, “New vaccines for cervical cancer and new controversies”, Network, The UN Newsletter, Vol 10, No 2, 2006

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