I wonder if it wouldn’t be worthwhile for the FEAST Steering Committee to write for us all in response to this.  The correspondence could be included on the webpage under some appropriate rubric.

 

Joan

 


From: Feminist ethics and social theory [mailto:FEAST-L@kookaburra1.jmu.edu] On Behalf Of Hilde Lindemann
Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 11:29 AM
To: FEAST-L@kookaburra1.jmu.edu
Subject: Re: Feminism = Shamanism - International Conference on Human Rights Doesn't Take Women Seriously

 

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 <[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: [log in to unmask] [ mailto:[log in to unmask]]

Sent: Tuesday, June 03, 2008 4:02 AM

To: [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

      [log in to unmask] wrote:

      > ---------------------------- Original Message

----------------------------

      > Subject: RE: Invitation to a biomedicine convention conference

      > From:    "Robin Fiore" <[log in to unmask]>

      > Date:    Mon, June 2, 2008 3:07 pm

      > To:      "'Mahsa Ghari'" <[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

      >         [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:

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: 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

      >        www.Biomedicineconvention.nl

      >        Info: [log in to unmask]

      >

      >

      >

      >

      >

      >

      --

      Met vriendelijke groet,

      Andre den Exter

      Erasmus MC/Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam

      www.biomedicineconvention.nl

      Info: [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]