Bioethicists Need to Counter Attacks on Variety, Fairness, and Equal Opportunities
In a bold move, nine prominent bioethicists, including Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky, have published an editorial in the American Journal of Bioethics, calling for the bioethics community to reaffirm its core commitment to justice and take action against the dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, government, and private sectors.
The group of bioethicists, who are Fellows of The Hastings Center, a renowned independent, nonpartisan research institute, includes Nancy S. Jecker from the University of Washington School of Medicine, Arthur Caplan from the NYU Langone Medical Center, Patrick Smith from Duke University, Kayhan Parsi from Loyola University Chicago, Sandra Soo-Jin Lee from Columbia University, Faith Fletcher from Baylor College of Medicine, Mildred Cho from Stanford University, and Keisha Ray from UT Health Houston.
The bioethicists highlight the essential role of DEI in bioethics, stating that years of research and data gathering have shown that removing barriers facing marginalized groups improves population health and promotes health justice. They argue that the current administration's policies, which they accuse of launching a broadside attack against DEI, are counterproductive to these goals.
The editorial serves as a response to the current administration's policies regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. The bioethicists outline the attacks on DEI efforts in various sectors and emphasize how these attacks undermine the improvement of population health and the promotion of justice.
The bioethicists call for a bold, collective response from the field of bioethics, urging their colleagues to stand together in defence of DEI. They stress the importance of maintaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community in order to uphold the principles of justice that underpin the field of bioethics.
References: [1] The Hastings Center. (2021). Nine bioethicists call for action against dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Retrieved from https://www.thehastingscenter.org/news/nine-bioethicists-call-action-against-dismantling-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/ [3] American Journal of Bioethics. (2021). Editorial: Bioethics must reaffirm its core commitment to justice in the face of dismantling of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15265161.2021.1952913
By aligning with their peers in bioethics, these prominent figures encourage the field to collectively safeguard diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This unwavering stance in DEI is crucial for promoting personal growth, fostering education and self-development, and enhancing business and finance sectors through improved population health and justice.
