President's Peace Commission

Dr. Charles Cotrell, President of St. Mary's University, serves as the moderator and provides the welcome to the Fall 2003 President's Peace Commission Program on Bioethics. He introduces Dr. Charles P. Mouton, M.D., of the Family and Community Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio; and Mr. Charles Pruski, Executive Assistant to the Director of Health, San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. The speakers address the following question: How is health care delivered in the United States? What are some comparative other ways to deliver health care? How is health care distributed on the basis of race, gender, and ethnicity. Is the health care system equitable? A question and answer session follows the presentations. (72 minutes)

Carrie Gaines, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator for this session and introduces Dr. Thomas B. Pool, HCLD, of the Fertility Center of San Antonio, and Rev. John A. Leies, SM, SThD, professor of Theology and of the Center for Professional Ethics, at St. Mary's University. Dr. Pool provides an overview of the reproductive technology from the first test-tube baby in 1978, when success rates of in-vitro fertilization were a mere nine percent, to today's technology and techniques, which have a much higher 65 percent success rate. Rev. Leies discusses a few additional variations of reproductive technologies, but also provides the concerns of the Catholic Church about these technologies and explains the logic behind their concerns. A question and answer session concludes this discussion. (61 minutes)

Ymelda Rivera, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. C. Hardin Rahe, professor of Agriculture at Texas State University-San Marcos, and Rev. R.B. Williams, OP, JD, Prior Dominican Priory of Saints Thomas and Catherine. Dr. Rahe explains the process of cloning. The speakers address the following question: What does the technology of cloning involve? What are some of the facts and myths about human cloning? What reasons are there to reject the cloning of human beings? What reasons are there to accept the cloning of human beings? A question and answer session follows the presentations. (62 minutes)

Shivani Singh, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Diana Avila, professor of Biology at St. Mary's University and Dr. Grace Keyes, professor of Sociology at St. Mary's University. Dr. Avila explains the genome project and that the genomic sequencing is now complete, the scientists are now trying to determine how sequences are expressed. Dr. Keyes explains that what anthropologists can learn from the genome projects fall into three categories: human evolution, human migration, and human variation. A question and answer period follows the presentations. (50 minutes)

Dottie Laster, a graduate student in International Relations at St. Mary's University and member of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Inmaculada de Melo-Martín, professor of Philosophy at St. Mary's University. Dr. Melo-Martín provides a brief background of the various genetic technologies, including genetic screening and genetic enhancing. She then covers the various ethical concerns related to these technologies. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (43 minutes)

Rey Gustamente, of the President's Peace Commission and a member of University Ministry at St. Mary's University, serves as the moderator for this panel discussion. He introduces Dr. Eva P. Bueno, professor of Languages at St. Mary's University and St. Mary's University alumna Dr. Delia E. Bullock, M.D., of Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Bullock provides an overview of AIDS and the HIV virus -- what it does to the body, who gets it, how it is transmitted, etc. Dr. Bueno describes the AIDS epidemic in Brazil and how that country has tried to deal with the illness. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (49 minutes)

Dr. Elijah Akhahenda, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Peter J. Hornsby, professor of Physiology of University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, and Dr. Bernard D. Reams, Jr., J.D., and Ph.D., professor of Law at St. Mary's University. Dr. Hornsby explains that stem cell research is "therapeutic cloning" and the problems and difficulties faced in this process. Dr. Reams provides an overview of stem cell research funding in the United States, which is private, compared to other countries, which is typically governmentally funded. He also reviews the legal aspects of stem cell research. A question and answer session concludes this discussion. (53 minutes)

Minita Santizo, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Miguel Bedolla, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., professor of Bioethics at Pontifica Ateneum Regina Apostolorum of Rome and of the Family and Community Medicine at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio; and Dr. Christopher S. Smith, DVM, of the University of Texas at Houston and Rice University. These speakers address these questions: (1) How have race and gender played a role in the abuse of human experimentation? (2) What conditions need to be met to assure that human consent to participate in an experiment? (3) What are the requirements for human participants? (4) What is the legal and moral status of non-human animals? (5) What do we learn from research on non-human animals? (6) When, if ever, is it justified to use non-human animals for research purposes? A question and answer session follows the presentations. (64 minutes)

Patrick Simeroth, of the President's Peace Commission and a Political Science major at St. Mary's University, serves as the moderator and introduces Ben R. Chappell, J.D., Attorney at Law, and Dr. Chalres Hinkley, professor of Philosophy and Ethics at St. Mary's University and at Texas State University -- San Marcos. Mr. Chappell shares his story about donating a kidney to his diabetic older brother, whose kidneys had failed at age 49. Dr. Hinkley states that one person can add to the life of fifty people by donating organs. He covers various reasons why people need transplants and some issues regarding transplantation. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (66 minutes)

Jeremiah Ellis, of the President's Peace Commission, serves as the moderator and introduces Dr. Vincent Luizzi, J.D., Ph.D., professor of Phiolosophy at Texas States University at San Marcos; and Dr. Deborah Baruch-Bienen, M.D., FACP, Ph.D., of Medicine and Bioethics at Univeristy of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Baruch-Bienen discusses the four principles of bioethics (autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice) in regards to the death of a patient. Dr. Luizzi speaks about the legal aspects of euthanasia and the right to die. A question and answer session follows the presentations. (75 minutes)