Our Challenge: Voices for Peace, Partnerships and Renewal
Date: September 9, 2005, 1:15 – 2:45 PM
Location: United Nations
Dr. Robert Buckman, chair of the Advisory Board, and Ana Lita, Director of the IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics, participated in the DPI/NGO conference at the United Nations entitled “Our Challenge: Voices for Peace, Partnerships and Renewal” on September 9th, 2005.
Dr. Robert Buckman is the President of the Humanist Association of Canada. He presented the paper: “Belief, Behavior and Biology.” Ana Lita’s presentation focused on the ethical question of genital mutilation – a practice common throughout Africa and parts of the Middle East.
Ana Lita said that in some cultures genital mutilation, the removal of part or all of a woman’s genitalia is considered a rite of passage to adulthood and a form of purification with a strong religious connotation. While cultural relativists are tempted to accept the practice as a culture-specific rite, human rights campaigners condemn it as a serious breach of the rights of women to self-determination. The situation is clearly alarming, since genital mutilation often results in infertility or death, not to mention excruciating physical pain and suffering. Genital mutilation aggravates the already dismal picture of deprived regions dominated by disease, poverty, gender inequality, and injustice.
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