Everything You Wanted To Know About Life Or Death But Were Afraid To Ask
Tuesday, October 21 - Thursday, October 23, 2003
St. Mary's University,
University Center, Conference Room A
All events are free
and open
to the public unless otherwise noted!
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
9:45 am Race, Class, And Gender: Who Gets Health Care?
Call Number RA412.2 .S256 2003
Dr. Charles Cotrell, President of St. Mary's University, serves as the moderator and provides the welcome to the Fall 2003 President's Peace Commission Program on Bioethics. He introduces Dr. Charles P. Mouton, M.D., of the Family and Community Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio; and Mr. Charles Pruski, Executive Assistant to the Director of Health, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. The speakers address the following question: How is health care delivered in the United States? What are some comparative other ways to deliver health care? How is health care distributed on the basis of race, gender, and ethnicity. Is the health care system equitable? A question and answer session follows the presentations. (72 minutes)
11:10 am New Ways Of Making Babies
Call Number RG133.5 .S256 2003
Carrie Gaines, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator for this session and introduces Dr. Thomas B. Pool, HCLD, of the Fertility Center of San Antonio, and Rev. John A. Leies, SM, SThD, professor of Theology and of the Center for Professional Ethics, at St. Mary's University. Dr. Pool provides an overview of the reproductive technology from the first test-tube baby in 1978, when success rates of in-vitro fertilization were a mere nine percent, to today's technology and techniques, which have a much higher 65 percent success rate. Rev. Leies discusses a few additional variations of reproductive technologies, but also provides the concerns of the Catholic Church about these technologies and explains the logic behind their concerns. A question and answer session concludes this discussion. (61 minutes)
12:35 pm From Dolly To The Boys From Brazil: Cloning Human Beings
Call Number QH442.2 .S256 2003
Ymelda Rivera, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. C. Hardin Rahe, professor of Agriculture at Texas State University-San Marcos, and Rev. R.B. Williams, OP, JD, Prior Dominican Priory of Saints Thomas and Catherine. Dr. Rahe explains the process of cloning. The speakers address the following question: What does the technology of cloning involve? What are some of the facts and myths about human cloning? What reasons are there to reject the cloning of human beings? What reasons are there to accept the cloning of human beings? A question and answer session follows the presentations. (62 minutes)
Wednesday, October 22, 2003-
9:20 am A Blueprint for Life: The Human Genome Project
Call Number QH445.2 .S256 2003
Shivani Singh, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Diana Avila, professor of Biology at St. Mary's University and Dr. Grace Keyes, professor of Sociology at St. Mary's University. Dr. Avila explains the genome project and that the genomic sequencing is now complete, the scientists are now trying to determine how sequences are expressed. Dr. Keyes explains that what anthropologists can learn from the genome projects fall into three categories: human evolution, human migration, and human variation. A question and answer period follows the presentations. (50 minutes)
10:20 am A Brave New World: Genetic Technologies
Call Number QH445 .S256 2003
Dottie Laster, a graduate student in International Relations at St. Mary's University and member of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Inmaculada de Melo-Martín, professor of Philosophy at St. Mary's University. Dr. Melo-Martín provides a brief background of the various genetic technologies, including genetic screening and genetic enhancing. She then covers the various ethical concerns related to these technologies. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (43 minutes)
11:20 am HIV and AIDS: Prejudice and Policies
Call Number
RA644 .A25 S256 2003
Rey Gustamente, of the President's Peace Commission and a member of University Ministry at St. Mary's University, serves as the moderator for this panel discussion. He introduces Dr. Eva P. Bueno, professor of Languages at St. Mary's University and St. Mary's University alumna Dr. Delia E. Bullock, M.D., of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Bullock provides an overview of AIDS and the HIV virus -- what it does to the body, who gets it, how it is transmitted, etc. Dr. Bueno describes the AIDS epidemic in Brazil and how that country has tried to deal with the illness. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (49 minutes)
12:30 pm Powerful Cells: Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Call Number
QM608 .S256 2003
Dr. Elijah Akhahenda, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Peter J. Hornsby, professor of Physiology of University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Dr. Bernard D. Reams, Jr., J.D., and Ph.D., professor of Law at St. Mary's University. Dr. Hornsby explains that stem cell research is "therapeutic cloning" and the problems and difficulties faced in this process. Dr. Reams provides an overview of stem cell research funding in the United States, which is private, compared to other countries, which is typically governmentally funded. He also reviews the legal aspects of stem cell research. A question and answer session concludes this discussion. (53 minutes)
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Thursday, October 23, 2003
9:45 am Human Guinea Pigs? Ethical Issues In Human And Animal Experimentation
Call Number R853 .A53 S256 2003
Minita Santizo, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Miguel Bedolla, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., professor of Bioethics at Pontifica Ateneum Regina Apostolorum of Rome and of the Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio; and Dr. Christopher S. Smith, DVM, of the University of Texas at Houston and Rice University. These speakers address these questions: (1) How have race and gender played a role in the abuse of human experimentation? (2) What conditions need to be met to assure that human consent to participate in an experiment? (3) What are the requirements for human participants? (4) What is the legal and moral status of non-human animals? (5) What do we learn from research on non-human animals? (6) When, if ever, is it justified to use non-human animals for research purposes? A question and answer session follows the presentations. (64 minutes)
11:10 am Your Organ, My Life: Organ Transplantation
Call Number
RD129.5 .S256 2003
Patrick Simeroth, of the President's Peace Commission and a Political Science major at St. Mary's University, serves as the moderator and introduces Ben R. Chappell, J.D., Attorney at Law, and Dr. Chalres Hinkley, professor of Philosophy and Ethics at St. Mary's University and at Texas State University -- San Marcos. Mr. Chappell shares his story about donating a kidney to his diabetic older brother, whose kidneys had failed at age 49. Dr. Hinkley states that one person can add to the life of fifty people by donating organs. He covers various reasons why people need transplants and some issues regarding transplantation. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (66 minutes)
12:35 pm When Doctor Death Pulls The Plug Euthanasia And Physician-Assisted Suicide
Call Number
R726 .S256 2003
Jeremiah Ellis, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Vincent Luizzi, J.D., Ph.D., professor of Phiolosophy at Texas States University at San Marcos; and Dr. Deborah Baruch-Bienen, M.D., FACP, Ph.D., of Medicine and Bioethics at Univeristy of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Baruch-Bienen discusses the four principles of bioethics (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice) in regards to the death of a patient. Dr. Luizzi speaks about the legal aspects of euthanasia and the right to die. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (75 minutes)
THE PRESIDENT'S PEACE COMMISSION
The purpose of the
President's
Peace Commission is to foster ethical commitment to participate in the
establishment of world peace. That purpose recognizes that a respect
for
human rights and the dignity of all people is essential to any such
commitment.
The Commission
serves to
create within the St. Mary's University community
an awareness of the Roman
Catholic perspective as a foundation for directing the dialogue among
the
broad and varied human and religious enterprises, themselves directed
toward
peace. It especially takes direction from the United States Catholic
Conference
and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
The Peace
Commission, founded
in 1984, is comprised of students, staff, and faculty, all with equal
status.If
you would like more information about the
President's Peace Commission,
please contact any one of its members:
Students: Jeremiah Ellis, Christina Garcia, Ymelda Rivera, Patrick Simeroth, Shivani Singh
Staff: Carrie Gaines, Rey Gustamente, Lucy Poludniak, Minita Santizo
Faculty: Elijah Ahkahenda, PhD; Diane M. Duesterhoeft; Leona Pallansch, PhD; Richard S. Pressman, PhD
Mark
your calendars
for the
President's
Peace Commission Fall Program
Tuesday,
March 23 - Thursday, March 25, 2004
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created July 24, 2004; updated July 24, 2004
Thanks to Liza Sánchez for videotaping
these sessions and to Shirley Martyn for providing the contents notes and cataloging of these videos.
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President's Peace Commission at St. Mary's University One Camino Santa Maria | San Antonio, Texas 78228 phone: (210) 436-3204 fax: 210-431-4336 lpallansch@stmarytx.edu |
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