On Monday 11 Nov., Giulia Bovassi, Assistant Researcher of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, spoke during the informal hearing at the 2nd and 10th Joint Committees of the Senate of the Republic on medically assisted death where Bill Nos. 65, 104, 124, 570, and 1083 were discussed.
The points on which the hearing focused are the right to life, its inviolability, inalienability and unavailability as an ineliminable prerequisite both of the exercise of any other right deriving from it and of any attempt to legislate on assisted suicide or euthanasia. This is in line with Judgment 242/2019, which reaffirms it. The criterion of quality of life is challenged as a principle of discrimination, contrary to equality, between worthy and unworthy lives.
Secondly, the principle of self-determination was discussed, with particular reference to the authenticity of consent in situations severely marked by physical or psychic suffering.
The concern expressed in the 135/2024 judgment about the risk of abuse as a result of legalised forms of assisted suicide and the build-up of ‘indirect social pressure’ on the population, which is consequently made to feel like a burden and a social cost, is argued. Cases and statistics on the international situation confirming this concern are brought in. The risk inherent in the DDLs discussed of falling down the slippery slope that has affected international legislation on the subject is pointed out.
The rationale of palliative care, in which to invest in order to respond to thousands of people who want to exercise their right to care, was highlighted; a rationale opposed to a ‘right to die’.
It has been emphasised in this sense what good medicine, good clinical practice, based on proportionality and therapeutic alliance, on the deontological and bioethical principles of beneficence, not maleficence, are irreparably compromised by such practices.
There is a desire to focus on investments in palliative care, hospices, pain therapy because an incurable patient remains a curable person.
IES was created to address the challenges of educational and digital poverty: two interconnected phenomena that profoundly affect the well-being and development of individuals and communities.
Through the implementation of experimental teaching methods, such as the use of an innovative educational toolkit and the development of practical and engaging workshops, IES aims at actively involving participants, making them protagonists of change.
This approach will allow students and teachers to explore new ways of learning, promoting inclusive and digital education, adapted to the challenges of the 21st century.
The project targets marginal areas in Rome and Lazio with the aim of reducing the digital divide and improving access to education.
Goals
Reduce educational poverty: Promote access to quality education for all, particularly for vulnerable communities.
Fight the digital divide: Provide concrete tools to ensure digital inclusion and access to technologies.
Empowerment of educators and students: Provide innovative resources to enable teachers to adopt new and challenging teaching methods that meet the needs of a changing world.
Time Frame: September 2024- September 2025
First Phase – Launch event and organization of the workshops.
Second Phase– Development of the FAD Toolkit (Distance Learning)
Third Phase – Implementation of 4 pilot workshops
Fourth Phase – Promotion of the toolkit and conclusion
As part of the Educational and Digital Poverty Program, the Department of Planning, Design, and Architectural Technology, La Sapienza University, on December 9, 2024, organized an event entitled “From Access to Empowerment Addressing Digital Education Poverty And...
Educating is a team gameDescription IES was created to address the challenges of educational and digital poverty: two interconnected phenomena that profoundly affect the well-being and development of individuals and communities. Through the implementation of...
The European University of Rome, founded in 2004, is an Italian non-state university, which is part of the public university system and, at the same time, part of the great tradition of the educational institutions of the Catholic Church. It is part of an international network of universities with campuses in Italy, Spain, the United States, Mexico and Chile. The UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights established at the European University of Rome and the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum promotes the application of bioethical principles in new technologies and solidarity among citizens of the world, in the light of the UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.
EucA – The European Association of University Colleges is based in Brussels and has as its student affairs themes the internationalisation of work, the development of transversal competences, international mobility and active citizenship with particular reference to the European Institutions. It is a reference point in Europe for the development of Student Affairs Services by fostering training and best practices among those in Europe who are involved in the education and training of students. Previous experience related to the topic in projects: GenZ votes, EYE quiz Tournament, European go digital, Message to europeans 3.0 Ref. www.euchangemakers.com
Social Warning Movimento Etico Digitale is a social promotion association composed of a group of digital professionals whose mission is to disseminate information among young people and adults, students and teachers, children and parents, to make them aware of the value and necessity of a digital civic education, addressing both the potential and the risks of new technologies. From 2018 to date, the association has met about 90,000 secondary school students and 30,000 adults thanks to training activities carried out in school, association and work contexts throughout Italy.
Sponsors
Funded by CIMEA in cooperation with the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI). The views expressed belong, however, to the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of CIMEA or CRUI. Neither CIMEA nor CRUI can be held responsible for them.
On June 14, 2024, the National Project Management Forum 2024, organized by the Project Management Insitute Central Italy Chapter (PMI-CIC), brought together more than 600 project professionals in Rome to discuss, improve and foster the methodologies and principles of the Project Management Institute (PMI), a leading authority in this field, from different perspective.
Lucila Dotto, Europe Head of Community, PMI, invited Serena Montefusco, Assistant Project and Communication Manager of the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, to share her approach to the project management on social inclusion and human rights, emphasizing synergies with some of the principles of the Project Management Institute.
Tell us more about you.
My name is Serena Montefusco, I am currently working at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights – Faculty of Bioethics, which is affiliated with both the Pontifical Atheneum Regina Apostolorum and the European University of Rome. I have obtained the PMI certification “Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)”; since 2018, I have been a member of PMI Central Italy Chapter and a volunteer at the Editorial Committee.
How your purpose relates to PMI’s purpose? My purpose is to use project management skills to promote social inclusion. PMI aims to empower individuals and organizations to achieve their goals through effective project management. By focusing on social inclusion, I seek to ensure that diverse communities benefit from well-managed projects, thereby fostering equity and accessibility. This shared commitment to applying project management principles for positive societal impact reflects a common dedication to creating a more inclusive and equitable world.
What brought you to the PM profession and to PMI? In 2017, when I started working on projects related to raising awareness relating to human rights and improving social inclusion, I realized that I needed to improve my project management skills as well. I discovered that PMI is the leading authority on project management and is the most reputable organization in the field.
How your purpose relates to PMI’s purpose? My purpose aligns with PMI’s purpose considering three main principles that we have in common: 1) being welcoming and focused on the needs of project professionals; 2) commitment to lifelong learning and continuous skill development. I believe in the importance of continuous education and skill enhancement to stay relevant and effective in this ever-evolving field. 3) aim to utilize AI effectively and responsibly considering the ethical and sustainable aspects of it.
By adhering also to these principles, at the UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights we work towards a common goal of advancing project management while fostering a more inclusive and ethical world.
A number of members of the Faculty of Bioethics and UNESCO Chair in Bioethics and Human Rights, including Dean Prof. Alberto Garcia, Prof. P. Joseph Tham, full professor, and Ana Maria Ganev PhD candidate and #unescobiochair research assistant, participated in the 12th “International Conference on Education in Ethics” held in Mexico City, Mexico on June 19, 2024. The conference was sponsored by the UNESCO Chair in Bieothics and Human Rights, the Centro Anahuac de Desarrollo Estrategico en Bioethics, and the International Association for Education in Ethics.
Alberto García Gómez – Bioaesthetics as an educational strategy
In contemporary culture, which is inclined to graphic and digital communication and to emotional and sensitive experiences, proposing the approach to the universal values and principles of bioethics, through the universal language of art, seems to be an innovative and effective way to educate in bioethics.
Once the foundation and relationship between the good and the beauty is identified, the principles and values of global bioethics and its convergences with personalist bioethics (bioaesthetics) might be analyzed through artistic and aesthetic experience and stimulates designing of new strategies and the realization of pedagogical proposals for education in bioethics, through artistic resources.
Study the relationship and interaction between bioethics and art and the impact of art in human behavior is part of Bioaesthetics aiming to inspire lovers of the arts to appreciate universal artistic language as a possibility for the expression of moral values and ethical principles, with respect for human dignity and human rights, in a globalized and multicultural world. Appreciation and dissemination of this transformative power of the arts in educating in bioethics and its influence on culture, might be an effective tool to inspire and educate ethical biomedical research, clinical ethics, as well as environmental ethics being the main areas of bioethics.
Joseph Tham – Polarization of COVID Vaccines, Analysis and Group Actvities
This lecture was given in the 21st Summer Course Program on “Dialogue, Friendship, and Polarization Bioethics” by the Faculty of Bioethics in 2023. The one-day session focused on the debates on COVID-19 vaccines. We analyzed the SAGE Report (WHO 2014) on vaccine hesitancy, which listed the main cause of polarzation related to trust: Trust in the government, science, pharmaceutical companies, and the new vaccines, and the sources of information related to peer groups and social media. The polarization is less of a problem of lack of information than social identity, sometimes worsened by the echo chamber effect.
In the group activities, students were asked to examine different elements of trust crucial in vaccine hesitancy during COVID-19. The three activities were: 1) compare how the SAGE report coincides with the pandemic of ID 19. 2) The role of social media and fake news. 3) The place of vaccine mandates. The different groups proposed ways of minimizing vaccine hesitancy and polarization in future pandemics by bolstering trust to the rest of the class. The paper and the presentation will look at some these findings and propose how group activities might enhance ethics education.
Ana Maria Ganev – “Morality pills” for Moral Enhancement (psychedelics)
Up until now, moral progress, and in part ethics education, was molded by culture and religion, specifically through “literary morality pills”, such as proverbs, parables and fables, deemed as safe and effective tools for moral enhancement. These literary devices are all forms of condensed philosophy or wisdom aimed at shaping the moral character of the listeners. Nevertheless, such cognitive aids may not be enough for achieving effective and long-lasting moral improvements. Thus, a “chemical morality pill”, particularly psilocybin (the active ingredient of “magic mushrooms”), is currently viewed as a real and tangible biochemical tool for moral enhancement.
Psilocybin, the active ingredient in so-called “magic mushrooms,” appears to occasion profound spiritual experiences and enduring positive personality changes for many users. A growing body of evidence suggests that psilocybin can increase openness, connectedness to others, and nature relatedness. It may reduce authoritarian attitudes and prejudice. By catalyzing mystical states and reshaping personality, psilocybin could help cultivate virtues like empathy, compassion, and ecological concern. Thus this natural psychoactive substance may represent a powerful moral enhancer. However, psilocybin is not a quick fix or magic bullet for moral improvement. Any program of ethical betterment requires sustained effort across multiple fronts. But used judiciously under professional supervision, psilocybin could perhaps give some individuals access to life-changing spiritual insights and moral clarity. It may serve as a catalyst or supplement to advance moral development already being fostered through ethical instruction, contemplative practices, therapy, and life experience. In this way, the best of ancient wisdom and modern science can work together: literary morality pills providing the cognitive content, psilocybin providing a biochemical catalyst.
This paper explores and seeks to understand if and how psilocybin, one of the main psychedelic substances, may represent a viable option for assisting moral enhancement and be considered as a “supplement” for achieving moral progress in a harmoniously integrated way alongside traditional moral education and psychotherapy.
