Editorial
- Darryl Macer
Email: asianbioethics@yahoo.co.nz
Eubios Journal of Asian and International Bioethics 11 (2001), 97.
This issue of the journal comes in late July, after I participated in several conferences and research in Europe. In May I joined in a conference in Taiwan that looked at cross-cultural bioethics, and re-stressed the need for having local approaches in Asia to bioethics. These may inform global approaches, and in the end not be so different from anywhere. I would like to bring the attention of readers to a conference on bioethics in Asia and Pacific areas in the Philippines in October, 2001, and to TRT7 in February, 2002. We hope that many readers who are interested in Asian bioethics can attend. Also if it needs to be emphasized, people from all regions of the world are welcome to contribute lessons from their own area.
At the end of June I spoke at a meeting on Global Health Equity in Paris. The needs for solutions for poor persons and countries in the world was reemphasized. These efforts need the solid attention of all sectors in society and all persons. No one can say that they take Holy ground, and point their finger accusing some sector of society or some country as a culprit for the world's problems.
In this issue of the journal there are a mix of papers. The HUGO statement on gene therapy research looks at the issues in somatic cell gene therapy. The question of animal research is discussed by Landsman, with use of a decision model. There are papers on education themes from Sharma and Ranjan in India, and Gosic and Segota in Croatia. Chen continues the discussion of Japanese human experiments and Asian ethics, something which will be discussed also at TRT7. Morioka discusses his proposal for revision of the organ transplant law in Japan, another issue that has been discussed at every TRT. Interestingly in my recent visit to Switzerland I found that the issue of brain death is still debated there as well. The mystical bioethics network sees two papers and attached commentaries, which I hope extends the boundaries of the debate.
One issue that readers may wish to discuss is the recent International Association of Bioethics elections for Board members. As a result it sees 18 members with only two from South or East Asia, and no one from India and China. As a board member I want to bring up this issue and would propose to the IAB that there should be one person at least from each of India and China on a Board that is meant to represent the globe. Both countries are over 1 billion each in a world of over 6 billion total humans. Please send your comments, privately or publicly to EJAIB. Also to be discussed at TRT7 (details on-line).
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