Speechless. I'm--just speechless. Hilde At 10:30 AM 6/3/2008, you wrote: >There are so many insults in this response it is hard to know where >to begin but one place is the writer's failure to observe that >"protecting" "the" human embryo and foetus is an issue of special >interest to women and his suggestion that this topic needs a >"broader" rather than a feminist treatment. > >Thanks for taking this on, Robin. > >Alison. > >On Tue, Jun 3, 2008 at 3:19 AM, Robin Fiore ><<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Dear FEASTers > Continuing my quest to raise consciousness when I see conferences >organized with only men or mostly men as invited/keynoters, I received the >astonishing reply pasted below (scroll further down to see conference >announcement). I hope you and those in your varius networks will let the the >conference organozers know what you think directly. > > Best, > Robin > > Robin N. Fiore, PhD > Adelaide R. Snyder Professor of Ethics > Department of Philosophy AH-110 > Florida Atlantic University > 777 Glades Road > PO Box 3091 > Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 > > > -----Original Message----- >From: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] >[mailto:[log in to unmask]] >Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 4:02 AM >To: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] >Cc: M. Ghari; Martin Buijsen >Subject: Re: [Fwd: RE: Invitation to a biomedicine convention conference] > > Dear Robin (if I may), > > Thank you for the interesting opinion. The conference organizers have > > extensively discussed the conference themes and speakers in advance. >We > agreed to select academics with an outstanding scientific reputation >in > their field of expertise. Secondly, for dialectic reasons we invited > speakers with rather controversial ideas. > Although the organizers recognize the scientific relevance of e.g., > organ donation and clinical trials from a feminist perspective, our >aim > is - with all respect - to discuss the themes from a broader >perspective. > To comfort you, I can say that we have also had some suggestions to > include shamanism and health care rights as a conference theme, but I > > fear that the response would not be that overwhelming as it is now. > Secondly, two other invited speakers were women but to >capable/willing > to write a contribution for the conference book, a precondition for > invited speakers. Nonetheless, I feel confident that our colleague >and > friend Deirdre Madden will intrigue the audience, which exists for 61 > > percent of women! > Finally, the organizers are open for your suggestions to organize a > parallel session on femenist ethics. > > I hope to hear from you soon,, > Andre den Exter > > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] wrote: > > ---------------------------- Original Message >---------------------------- > > Subject: RE: Invitation to a biomedicine convention conference > > From: "Robin Fiore" <<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]> > > Date: Mon, June 2, 2008 3:07 pm > > To: "'Mahsa Ghari'" > <<mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]> > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Dear Professor > > The International Conference on Human Rights and Biomedicine >would > > ordinarily be one of great interest for me and those with whom I > > collaborate. However, I am surprised and disappointed that only >one of > > eleven speakers is female. A significant number of human rights >issues can > > only be appropriately understood and appreciated as situating women > > differently. That you have neglected this suggests that the >conference > > cannot be as influential as it might otherwise have been. > > > > In the past, members of feminist organizations have taken >the position > > that we should not support conferences and projects where women >were so > > grossly underrepresented. I look forward to hearing that you have >remedied > > this oversight. > > > > Best, > > Robin > > > > > > > > > > Robin N. Fiore, PhD > > Adelaide R. Snyder Professor of Ethics > > Department of Philosophy AH-110 > > Florida Atlantic University > > 777 Glades Road > > PO Box 3091 > > Boca Raton, FL 33431-0991 > > > > Phone 561-297-3869 > > FAX 561-297-2095 > > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > > > > > "Justice will not come... until those who are not injured >are as > > indignant as those who are." [Thucydides] > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Mahsa Ghari [mailto:[log in to unmask]] > > Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 4:08 AM > > To: undisclosed-recipients: > > Subject: Invitation to a biomedicine convention conference > > > > Dear colleague, > > > > > > > > It is a pleasure to inform you about a coming scientific >event: the > > International Conference on Human Rights and Biomedicine (10-12 >December > > 2008). Venue: Rotterdam, the Netherlands. > > > > > > > > Since 1997, the member states of the Council of Europe >started the > > process of ratification of the Convention on Human Rights and >Biomedicine > > (Biomedicine Convention) committing them to make their laws >compatible with > > the principles and requirements of this document. > > > > > > > > The Biomedicine Convention is the first international >document > > formulating guiding principles on: equitable access to healthcare; >informed > > consent; organ transplanting and the use of substances of human >origin; > > medical research on human beings; the protection of the human >embryo and > > fetus, and the use of medical information. > > > > > > > > Since the Dutch government is expected to ratify the >Convention, the > > Erasmus University Rotterdam and the Erasmus University Medical >Center > > organize an international conference discussing the meaning of the > > Convention's underlying principles and fundamental rights in health >care, > > contemporary dilemmas in health care (policy), and the Convention's >impact > > on national health legislation and daily (medical) practice. > > > > > > > > The conference provides an opportunity for discussion among >scholars > > and practitioners (physicians, lawyers, ethicists, philosophers, >etc.) on > > emerging issues in biomedicine and human rights. > > > > > > > > List of speakers: > > > > > > > > - Tom Beauchamp (USA), Georgetown University (USA) (public >lecture) > > > > - John Harris, University of Manchester (UK) (public >lecture) > > > > - Carlos de Sola (Council of Europe) > > > > - Carlos Casabona, University of Deusto (Spain) > > > > - Henk ten Have, UNESCO > > > > - Deirdre Madden, University College Cork (Ireland) > > > > - Herman Nys, Catholic University Leuven (Belgium) > > > > - Tim Stoltzfus Jost, Washington and Lee University (USA) > > > > - Roberto Andorno, University of Zurich (CH) > > > > - Elmar Doppelfeld, Scientific Ethics Committees (Germany) > > > > - Rick Lawson (University of Leiden (NL) > > > > > > > > Further details and registration: ><http://www.biomedicineconvention.nl>www.biomedicineconvention.nl > > <http://www.biomedicinconvention.nl/> > > > > > > > > Promotion of Young Scholars: Poster presentation > > > > Postgraduate students and early career researchers who are >registered > > for the Conference are invited to present posters on their work, >thereby > > giving them a unique opportunity to showcase their research in a >visual > > format and contribute to the generation of ideas and discussion. > > > > Posters may be submitted on any topic related to >Biomedicine, ethics > > and human rights. The poster could include an abstract of your >thesis or > > research project, or some ideas or questions for future research. > > > > > > > > Further details: > <http://www.biomedicineconvention.nl>www.biomedicineconvention.nl > > <http://www.biomedicinceconvention.nl/> > > > > > > > > We hope to welcome you in Rotterdam. > > > > > > > > Yours sincerely, > > > > > > > > Mahsa Ghari and Andre den Exter > > > > Erasmus University Rotterdam/Erasmus University Medical >Center > > -- > > Mahsa Ghari > > Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam > > Instituut Beleid, Management & Gezondheidszorg > > > <http://www.Biomedicineconvention.nl>www.Biomedicineconvention.nl > > Info: > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Met vriendelijke groet, > > Andre den Exter > > Erasmus MC/Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam > > <http://www.biomedicineconvention.nl>www.biomedicineconvention.nl > > Info: > <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] > > > > >-- >Alison M. Jaggar >Professor of Philosophy and Women and Gender Studies >Philosophy Graduate Director and Associate Chair >Department of Philosophy, UCB 232, >University of Colorado at Boulder >Boulder, CO 80309-0232 >303-492-8997 (direct line) >303-492-6132 (dept. office) >303-492-8386 (fax) Hilde Lindemann Philosophy Department 503 South Kedzie Hall Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 tel: (517) 353-3981 fax: (517) 432-1320 [log in to unmask]