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Thurday & Friday, September 20-21, 2001
Lerner Hall in Columbia University
Why hold a conference on genetics and environmental justice?
The conference, "Human Genetics, Environment and Communities of Color: Ethical and Social Implications," will create a unique forum for a dialogue between scientists, policymakers, community advocates, and experts from legal and other professional fields. This conference creates a unique opportunity by prioritizing community participation in a discussion on the science and ethics of genetic research, and by creating a forum in which technical experts and community leaders can participate as equals. The first goal of our conference is to help educate environmental justice and other community advocates on the science and policy behind genetic research in a simple yet comprehensive format accessible to the layperson. Similarly we feel it is important that scientists and policymakers are educated on the environmental and social justice issues that affect and are affected by genetic research.
While recognizing the potential of genetic research to improve environmental health, WE ACT is also concerned about the ethical and social justice implications arising from the project as discussed above. The second goal of the conference is to create a forum in which these concerns can be addressed. The conference will address these concerns through a working group session in which community members, scientists, and policy-makers participate on equal footing to produce a set of principles and recommendations to ensure that the ethics and social justice concerns about genetic research are adequately addressed.
Sponsored by West Harlem Environmental Action, in collaboration with the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan at Columbia University School of Public Health. For more information, please contact Swati Prakash at (212) 961-1000, ext. 315.
Visit the www.weact.org/genetics for all conference details and information.
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