First Meeting of
WORLD CONGRESS FOR FREEDOM OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
(Campidoglio, Rome City Hall, “Sala delle Bandiere”, 16-18 Feb. 2006)
Organized by the Luca Coscioni Association
Committee of Promoters: Elena Cattaneo, Gilberto Corbellini, Giulio Cossu, Antonino Forabosco, Piergiorgio Strata, Marco Cappato
Under the Auspices of:
The Province of Rome
The City of Rome
The President of the Region of Lazio Piero Marrazzo
Interpreting will be available in English and Italian
Thursday, Feb. 16th
11.00 am Opening Ceremony
- Italian National and local authorities
- Margherita Boniver (Vice-minister for Foreign Affairs, Italy)
- Luca Coscioni (President of the Luca Coscioni Association)
- Elena Cattaneo (Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano), on behalf of the Committee of Promoters
- Dan Perry (Vice President, US Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research)
- Emma Bonino, MEP
- Video Message by Janez Potocnik (European Commissioner for Science and Research)
- Marco Cappato (Executive Director of the Luca Coscioni Association), Master of Ceremony
1.30 pm Buffet lunch for invitees
Afternoon session
Chair: Emma Bonino, MEP
Co-chair: Michael Gazzaniga (Member, President's Council on Bioethics, USA)
2.30 pm Science, Society and Politics (part 1)
- Lewis Wolpert (Emeritus Professor of Biology as Applied to Medicine, Anatomy, University College, London), “Is science dangerous?”
- Carl Djerassi (Professor of Chemistry emeritus, Stanford University), “Can research be forbidden?”
- John Harris (FMedSci., B.A., D.Phil., Sir David Alliance Professor of Bioethics, Institute of Medicine Law and Bioethics, School of Law, University of Manchester), “The Obligations of Society to Science”
- Gilberto Corbellini (History of Medicine and Bioethics, University of Rome "La Sapienza"), “Scientific and political freedom. The scientists' ethos and the evolution of individual human rights in Western societies”
Debate
5.00 pm Coffee break
5.25 pm Science, Society and Politics (part 2)
A governmental perspective
- Mariano Gago (Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, Portugal), to be confirmed
Debate: Political Manipulation of Science
- Carla Rossi (Member, European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction), “Scientific data concerning illegal drugs”
- Mino Vianello (Descartes Prize for Social Sciences), “The various freedoms of research”
- Maurizio Turco (Vice-President, Transnational Radical Party)
- Anne Barzin (MP, Vice-President of the Economical Commission of Belgian Parliament)
- Ugo Intini, MP (Italy)
- -- interventions from the floor --
7.30 pm End of session
Dinner for invitees at the restaurant Le Lanterne - Keynote address by Emma Bonino, MEP and Prof. Piergiorgio Strata
Friday, Feb. 17th
Chair: Elena Cattaneo (Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milano)
Co-chair: Bernard Siegel (Executive Director, Genetics Policy Institute)
8.30 am Stem Cell Science and Policies (Part 1)
- Michael Gazzaniga (Member, President's Council on Bioethics, USA) “Stem cells, neuroscience and politics”
- Bernat Soria (Director, CABIMER - Andalusian Center for Molecular Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Sevilla - Spain), "Therapeutic Uses of ES cells: Clinical perspectives, hypes and hopes"
- Debra JH Mathews (PhD, MA, Assistant Director for Science Programs, Phoebe R Berman Bioethics Institute, Johns Hopkins University), "Interstate Collaboration in Stem Cell Research”
- Miodrag Stojkovic (Prof., Deputy Director; Deputy Director Principe Felipe Centre, Valencia, Spain), “Progress in nuclear transfer technique and embryonic stem cell biology: too fast, too scary?”
- Dan Perry (Vice President, US Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research), “Regenerative Medicine Under Attack in America: How Scientists and Patients Are Responding”
Debate
11.00 am Coffee break
11.25 am Stem Cell Science and Policies (Part 2)
Chair: Pia Locatelli (MEP, Italy)
Co-chair: Dan Perry
Round Table: Stem Cells and Public Opinion
- Introduction: Marìa Jesùs Montero (Regional Minister of Health, Andalusia - Spain)
- Bernard Siegel (Executive Director, Genetics Policy Institute), “Building a Global Constituency for Stem Cell Research”
- Marisa Jaconi (Dept of Pathology and Immunology, Geneva University)
- Giulio Cossu (Director, Stem Cell Research Institute Dibit, H. San Raffaele) “The experience of the Italian referendum on stem cells”
- Lanfranco Turci, MP (Italy)
- Antonio Hernando, MP (Spain)
- Patients and advocates associations representatives, among others: Ofra Balaban – Kasztelanski (Chair person of CHEN - Patient Fetility Association, Israel), Pietro Barbieri (Presidente, Federazione Italiana Superamento Handicap), Giampiero Griffo (Presidente, Disabled Peoples’ International)
1.30 pm Lunch for invitees and registered participants at the restaurant Le Lanterne
Afternoon session
Chair: Pasqualina Napoletano, MEP (Italy)
Co-Chair: Charles H. Baron (Professor, Boston College Law School)
3.00 pm Science, Technology and Economy
- Philippe Busquin, MEP (former European Commissioner for Science and Research)
- Nuket Yetis (Acting President of TĂĽbitak - The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey)
- Piergiorgio Strata (MD, PhD. Professor of Neurophysiology at the University of Turin, Italy. Director of the Rita Levi Montalcini Center for Brain Repair and President of the National Institute of Neuroscience), “Freedom in the access to science career”
Round table: Open Access to Science
- Gianfranco Bangone (Co-Editor, “Darwin” Review)
- Tiziano Barberi (PhD, senior scientist in the laboratory of Stem Cell and Tumor Biology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York), “Impact of open access in biomedical research”
- Imma Subirats
5.00 pm Tea break
5.25 pm Science, Ethics and the Ethics of Scientific Research
- Michael Sandel (Professor, Anne T. and Robert M. Bass School of Government, Harvard) University), “The ethical implications of genetic engineering and enhancement”
- Colin Blakemore (FMedSci, FRS, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council and Waynflete Professor of Physiology at the University of Oxford, UK), “Freedom and responsibility in medical research”
- Leonor Parreira, Professor, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon - Instituto de Medicina Molecular, on behalf of Minister of Health of Portugal
Round table: Genetics Determinism and Eugenics
- Cesare Galli (Director, Laboratory of Reproductive Technologies of Cremona Italy), “Somatic cell nuclear transfer in animals: lessons for the future”
- Antonino Forabosco (Professor, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia)
- Krishna Garg (Professor, University of Rajasthan, India), “Do Globalisation and Modern Scientific Developments Pose New Challenges for the Society!”
7.30 pm End of session
Dinner for invitees
Saturday, Feb. 18th
Chair: Colin Blakemore (FMedSci, FRS, Chief Executive of the Medical Research Council and Waynflete Professor of Physiology at the University of Oxford, UK)
Co-Chair: Debra JH Mathews (PhD, MA, Assistant Director for Science Programs, Phoebe R Berman Bioethics Institute, Johns Hopkins University)
8.30 am Science and Law
- Amedeo Santosuosso (Judge at the Milan Court of Appeal, President of the Interdepartmental Centre of the University of Pavia European Centre for Life Sciences, Health and the Courts)
- Charles H. Baron (Professor, Boston College Law School), “Legal Methodologies for Maximizing Freedom of Scientific Research”
- Fabio Marazzi (Professor, University of Bergamo), “The evolution of intellectual property landscape”
- Demetrio Neri (Professor, University of Messina; Vice-president of the Italian Bioethics Committee), “Stem cell science and policies: the Italian debate and legislation in a European perspective”
Debate
11.00 am Coffee break
11.25 am
Round Table: The Future of the “World congress” as a Permanent Forum for Freedom of Research
Chaired by the Committee of Promoters
Conclusions:
- Marco Pannella, MEP (Italy)
1.30 pm End of session
Buffet lunch for invitees
3.00 pm Visit of Musei Capitolini for invitees
Among others have confirmed their participation:
Mr. Pēteris Zilgavis (Head, "Ethics & Science" Unit , DG Research, European Commission), Prof. Ferdinando Di Orio (Principal, University of L'Aquila), Hon. Lydia Mutsch (MP, President, Health and Social Security Committee, Luxembourgish Parliament), Prof. Francesco Orzi (member, Luca Coscioni Association General Council), Hon. Ingrid Meeus (MP, Economic Committee, Belgian Parliament), Hon. Trees Pieters (MP, Economic Committee, Belgian Parliament), Hon. Véronique Ghenne (MP, Economic Committee, Belgian Parliament), Mr. Martin Peleman (administrative secretary, Economic Committee, Belgian Parliament), Mr. Enrique Cruz Giráldez (Chief of Staff, Regional Council of Andalusia, Spain), Mr. José Luis Rocha Castilla (General Secretary, Quality and Modernization, Regional Council of Andalusia, Spain), Ms. Rosa Andrade Romero (Chief Press Officer, Regional Council of Andalusia, Spain), Mr. José A. Valverde (Minister Montero’s Spokes Person), Hon. Enzo Ceremigna (MP, Vice-president of the Organized Crime Committee, Italian Parliament), Prof. Maria Rosaria Cuocolo, Prof. Luca Gianaroli (Director, Italian Society of Reproductive Medicine), Prof. Vittorio Villa (Associate Professor, Philosophy of Law, University of Palermo), Prof. Piero Cammarano (Professor, Cellular Biology, University of Rome "La Sapienza"), Prof. Andrea La Forgia (President, Italian Society of Mathematical and Physics Sciences “Mathesis”, Professor, Mathematical Analysis University Rome Tre), Prof. Daniela Bellomo (Biotechnology Transfer Associate, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Italy)
With the support of Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena
Special thanks for their generous support to
Anna Fendi, Maria Teresa Venturini Fendi and Silvia Venturini Fendi
In collaboration with
Transnational Radical Party
Federazione Italiana Scienze della Vita
Translation offered by InterMED
Sponsored by Fortyseven Hotel
