Date: March 13th 2006, 1pm- 8pm

Place: East Oxford Community Centre, Oxford (disabled access)

Disability Rights academic Gregor Wollbring will be visiting the UK in March. This is an important opportunity to hear Gregor outline Disability Rights (DR) and related perspectives in relation to issues of human enhancement (transhumanism). We hope that the workshop day we are organising will provide interested people with an opportunity to:

1. Find out information- facts and issues
2. Network- eg between environmental activists and DR activists
3. Think strategically about ways in which to campaign and take action

issues covered will include:
- Technological developments and applications (actual, likely, possible)- eg cosmetic surgery; gene therapy; nanobiotech and pharmacogenomics; etc
- What’s wrong with transhumanism and ‘enhancement’ anyway? DR perspectives, social justice perspectives, feminist perspectives
“therapy” and “enhancement”- the politics of “cures”
- Knowing the enemy: who/ where/why/how
- Campaign and action strategies (including round up of recent protests/ campaigns in the UK and elsewhere)
- The ‘political economy’ of transhumanism (markets and Neoliberalism)
- Risk: medical, social, ethical, environmental
Social control, commodification and cultural norms
Human ‘nature’, ‘value’ and identity
- Screening out “defective” people; eugenics= the flip side to transhumanism
- Biological reductionism and bad science

We envisage a day of talks, info exchange, discussion and hopefully also pragmatic strategising/ networking. Beyond the basic shape of having an opportunity to hear Gregor speak, we are relying on the day being co- created by those with enough interest in participating. Thus so far the precise nature of the days’ events is fluid, and dependant upon initial responses to this email. For example, the day could be specifically focussed on certain themes; some of you may wish to lead or participate in workshops on specific issues; you may wish the day to have more of a “teach-in” feel or conversely be more concerned with cutting to the chase and focussing on action/campaign strategies and finding out more about who the transhumanists are. Currently a potential shape is a mix of facts, some introduction to key issues, and an outlining of key transhumanist and eugenic actors within the medical/ academic/ political establishment. There will be plenty of opportunity for breakout groups.


Please could you help us by:

1. responding quickly to this email to let us know if you can come
2. letting us know your thoughts and ideas in relation to the day, anything you’d need in order to participate, and any resources or information you feel able to share.
3. circulating this email amongst your networks and talking to people who might be interested in coming

thanks- looking forward to hearing from you

If you can make it, or want to know more about the day please contact:  alex@plowsa.freeserve.co.uk

For more about Gregor go to:  http://www.bioethicsanddisability.org
or  http://wolbring.blogspot.com/

Our meeting is the day before a major international conference on transhumanism and human enhancement being held at the Said Business School in Oxford. "Tomorrow's people: the challenges of technologies for life extension and enhancement"
for more information see:  http://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/events/First+World+Forum+on+Science+and+Civilization.htm



The East Oxford Community Centre is on the corner of Cowley Road and Princess Street in East Oxford. To get there from either the train station or the town centre take the number 5 bus (station forecourt or carfax tower/queen street) and get off on Cowley Road (Princess Street stop)

For a map to the venue go to:
 http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=452717&y=205774&z=0&sv=ox4+1hu&st=2&pc=ox4+1hu&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf