World Bioethics Day
The Applied Philosophy Research Laboratory in collaboration with the Greek Unit of the International Chair in Bioethics (WMA Cooperation Center), former UNESCO Chair in Bioethics (Haifa University), organizes the World Bioethics Day in our country every year since 2016. World Bioethics Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, and was designated to be celebrated on October 19 every year.
World Bioethics Day 2024
The theme for this year’s celebration shall be ‘Non-discrimination and non-stigmatization’, is inspired by Article 11 of UNESCO UDBHR. Non-discrimination and non-stigmatization are significant aspects of human interaction and relationships. In the current era of globalization, when people are moving across the globe and interacting with people like never before and this being further facilitated by advanced communication technologies, respect for various religions, cultures, ethnicities, social status becomes part of almost daily life for many of us. In this scenario, it becomes increasingly imperative that people should not be discriminated against and stigmatized based on these geographical, cultural, and ethnic or any such other grounds. These principles are underlined by the most basic bioethical principle of respect for human dignity and human rights, which is desired in all human interactions.
The injunction against discrimination and stigmatization is in reference to the resolution of ‘ethical issues related to medicine, life sciences and associated technologies as applied to human beings’ and allows for the consideration of ‘social, legal and environmental dimensions’. It also ‘provides guidance’ to individuals and organizations that address bioethical issues in the course of their work or responsibilities, either in the context of research and public health measures design and implementation or leads the media to exercise care in contextualizing all above mentioned issues.
The event is being organized in a hybrid format (online/livestreaming/in-person) by the Hellenic Division of the International Chair in Bioethics (WMA Cooperative Center) and the Laboratory of Applied Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), with co-organizers including the National Bioethics & Technoethics Committee, the European Laboratory of Bioethics, Technoethics, and Law, the Biopolitics Research Center, the National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos," and the MaGBISE (Management-Intelligence-Ethics) Research Laboratory of Democritus University of Thrace.
The symposium will also be live-streamed on the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens YouTube channel and broadcasted by media sponsor BCI Media BROADCAST CANADIAN & INTERNATIONAL TV NETWORK.
World Bioethics Day 2023
The theme for this year’s celebration was "Protecting Future Generations" inspired by the Article 16 of the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights (UDBHR) where it is explicitly stated that “the impact of life sciences on future generations, including on their genetic constitution, should be given due regard”. Protecting future generations in bioethics means guaranteeing that the ethical principles and values that steer scientific research and medical practice at present are maintained and reinforced for their benefit.
Protecting future generations is multidimensional and involves establishing the conditions which provide physical, mental, psychological, social, and moral health. It involves a dedication to ethical principles that foster health and wellbeing of individuals and society as a whole, constant reflection, dialogue, and cooperation among healthcare specialists, scholars, politicians, and the society.
World Bioethics Day 2022
The celebration was co-organized in hybrid mode on the 19th of October by the Greek Unit, International Chair in Bioethics (WMA Cooperation Center) and the NKUA Applied Philosophy Research Lab, the Hellenic National Bioethics Commission, the Open University of Cyprus, the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, the European Laboratory for Bioethics, Technoethics and Law, and the Research Center of Biopolitics.
The congress was attended by influential scientists from various disciplines, from Greece, Cyprus and abroad, who analyzed from their particular perspective current themed bioethical issues particularly connected to the impact of the recent pandemic.