The Hannan Institute for Human Rights in Science, formed at the request of the heroic Archbishop Philip Hannan, is BDF’s educational project in medical and law schools. Here are highlights of just a few of our recent Hannan Institute presentations:
- Vatican: Conference of MaterCare International (August 2011). Pictured are BDF’s Nikas and Bordlee, along with Congressman Chris Smith, after their addresses to the Matercare 8th International Conference of OBGyns from around the world. At the invitation of Matercare founder Dr. Rob Walley, Nikolas Nikas presented on demographic decline and the proper ends of medicine; namely, to help a patient restore their body to health, not to fill a person’s every personal or social desire;
Dorinda Bordlee’s presentation of BDF Signs of Hope Law was covered EWTN’s “Vaticano.” We are collaborating with officials in several countries interested in passing this law including Ireland and Australia. Stay tuned.
- Princeton: Medical Ethics in the 21st Century (July 2011). Nikas and Bordlee taught two sessions as guest lecturers at a one-week Witherspoon Institute seminar for graduate students in medicine and science led by Christopher Tollefson and Dr. Farr Curlin. Students hailed from medical schools around the nation, from Johns Hopkins and University of Chicago to University of Texas and University of Utah. To learn more about attending the 2012 summer program, view this site.
- Columbia Medical Center: Witherspoon Council (April 2011). The newly formed Witherspoon Council was formed under the leadership of Professor Robert George of Princeton and Dr. Donald Landry of Columbia Medical Center to focus scholarly attention on the ethical and policy questions related to the human life sciences. BDF’s Nikas and Bordlee were invited to the inaugural meeting in New York to present the current state of bioethics legislation and litigation to the prestigious council, many of whom had served on the former President’s Council on Bioethics.
- End of Life Issues: Nikolas Nikas has recently engaged medical and law students on the issue of “End of Life and Physician Assisted Suicide,” with recent presentations at the medical and law schools of Creighton University, the University of Nebraska Law School at at the ADF Litigation Academy in Portland, Oregon. Both Nikas and Bordlee will be educating senior citizens on the Catholic approach to end of life decision making at several parishes across the nation. Dates and times TBA.