In 200 cities throughout France and abroad, 8000 persons took part simultaneously in these innovative bioethics video-conferences.
The opening evening was dedicated to a reflection on where we stand in the world today, especially in regard to bioethics.
The evening started with Gilles Hiérard Dubreuil, President and co-initiator of the “Currents for Human Ecology”, with his reflections on modern societal challenges. In his opinion, we are leaving behind an era which has been exclusively based on “techniques” towards an “era for mankind” where a more “lovable world” based on human ecology, can be built to support those who are the most vulnerable.
Caroline Roux, Alliance VITA’s Assistant General Delegate, exposed the current paradoxes in bioethics, which include issues such as the desire for a child, infertility, accepting disabled persons, the commodification of human embryos and handling end-of-life care. She clarified the tensions that have surfaced in our society, demonstrating the consequences which result from separating bioethics from ethics.
Esther Pivet, Polytechnique graduate and founder of the association “Vigigender” then tackled the issue of gender in the section dedicated to “Understanding Bioethics”.
This evening’s guest witness was Yves Meaudre, the Vice-President of Children of the Mekong, who declared that “At the core of his being, Man feels a calling, to fulfill himself by striving to do better, to push himself beyond his limits”.
Finally, Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate, concluded the evening by suggesting some “keys for measuring our standpoints“. Each participant was invited to see himself as a successor of the past, in order to make responsible choices, “here and now”, in order to become an active role player in today’s history.
The theme for the second evening is “Enduring”.
