XV Settimana della Cultura Scientifica e Tecnologica CNR

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National Research Council
BIOETHICS, EDUCATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Rosalia AZZARO - CERIS Marina BALDI - IBIMET
CNR Rome
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This presentation is a summa of two
communications at different places European
Youth Event All different All equal (by
Conseil of Europe) in St Petersburg Sept 2006,
given by Dr R. Azzaro 6th Conference of the
European Meteorological Society in Ljubljana
Sept 2006, given by Dr M. Baldi
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All people know that in the present world it is
important the dissemination and understanding of
scientific results, not only by politicians and
by decision makers, but also by the general
public at all levels of education. Several
initiatives of Public Understanding of Science,
are more often promoted by different
Institutions. although, in my opinion, there is a
lack of adoption of proven and successful
methodologies.
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The Committee on Bioethics played an important
role in keeping the debate on Science , Ethics
and Society. By assessing different scientific
questions - from experimentation on animals to
the use of stem cells - both from a scientific
and a moral point of view, a conviction emerged
that the study and elaboration of complex
argumentations were nearly useless, if we
couldnt transmit the message.
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I am a researcher of philosophy, but as member of
this Committee for many years, I felt the
responsibility to have a major role also in
promoting Projects of Public Understanding of
Science.

• Two events have been organized in Rome by
  CNR/Ceris, whose I was the coordinator
• CLISCET Climate, Science and Ethics, 1thDecember
  2004
• LEDER Alterum non laedere?, 13th March 2006

http//www.ceris.cnr.it/Bioetica.html
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These initiatives, started also from the
consideration that there is a lack not only of
links between scientific policy and science, with
a subsequent lack of counseling and advertising,
but also a lack of trait-dunion between the
scientific community on one side and media,
society and institutions on the other side.
CLISCET
LEDER
http//www.ceris.cnr.it/Bioetica.html
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But as a matter of fact, those meetings are the
result of an idea born during my studies in
philosophy and ethics of research. The ethic
answer born from the aim at making the
protagonists of the debate scientists, decision
makers, as well as the public opinion and
particularly those representing the future of
science, i. e. young people, conscious of
problems and possible solutions.
Philosophia nos docet non solum verum et bonum,
sed etiam intelligentiam rerum utilium ad vitam
beatam
SENECA
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Do two cultures have inevitably to exist?

• Science and philosophy need one another
• so that science shall be not only rational but
  also wise, fully human
• and so that philosophy shall be alive and at
  service of life
• That is what we are trying to do.

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• From the Italian Constitution
• Art. 9 Republic promote cultural development
  and scientific research and technology
• Art. 33 Arts and Science are free as well as
  their teaching
• Art. 4 Every citizen has the duty, according
  to personal potential and individual choice, to
  perform an activity or a function that
  contributes to the material or spiritual progress
  of society.

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• However, does the reference to the moral or
  spiritual progress of society belong to the
  concept of laicity of State?
• The rule of law is in service of the total, not
  only material of human being, which is subsistent
  rightl
• A. Rosmini, the best italian Philosopher of XIX
  century

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By means of an original but well-adopted model of
PUS, our Project given young people the
opportunity for transmitting scientific
information and reflecting from an ethical point
of view. Becausethe cause of humanity is
better served if science allies itself to
conscience, by using the power of intellects
and consciences (speech of His Holiness Pope
John Paul II at the UNESCO House, 1980). The
scientists of tomorrow need to become acquainted
with a propositional idea of ethics in the
scientific research, i.e. not only do not make
all that is possible from a technical point of
view, but also searching and doing all that is
possible for the common well-being of the global
community.
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Dissemination process is necessary in order not
only to supply to the lack of correct
information, but also to help to answer the
question What can be done by the Community and
by the single citizen?, this question being the
most urgent and requiring a global approach,
leading to the adoption of the more suitable
adaptation of research policies at national and
international levels.
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A confirmation thereof arrived from the 6th
Framework Programme of EU (2002-2006), which
included a specific Action Plan on Science and
society, with activities to encourage the
development of harmonious relations between
science and society and the opening up of
innovation in Europe as a result of the
establishment of an informed dialogue between
researchers, industrialists, political
decision-makers and citizens.
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In the FP7th of UE (2007-2011), we find the
chapter Science in society With a view to
building an effective and democratic European
Knowledge society, the aim of this section of the
FP7 proposal is to stimulate the harmonious
integration of scientific and technological
endeavour, and associated research policies in
the European social structure, by encouraging a
Europe-wide reflection and debate on science and
technology, and their relation with society and
culture. The initiative undertaken in this
field will provide support to a number of
actions, for enhancing citizen trust in science.
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But we notice that the general trend seems to
have changed this is no more a question of
activating a virtuous circle of dialogue and
constructive relationships between partners equal
in dignity (science, institutions, society) but
of a communication in one sense from the
scientific world towards the others, who play a
passive role of reflection, in order to
understand the importance, and more than that,
the necessity of scientific research for a
democratic European society.
6th Framework Programme of UE (2002-2006) to
encourage the development of harmonious relations
between science and society informed dialogue
between researchers, industrialists, political
decision-makers and citizens. FP7 of UE
(2007-2011) to stimulate the harmonious
integration of scientific and technological
endeavour, and associated research policies by
encouraging a reflection on science and
technology, and their relation with society and
culture.
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Research on new renewable energies, solutions
for world hunger and food security projects
against environmental pollution food and water
for everybody, North and South of the world
three big diseases to defeat (cancer, HIV,
malaria) All these are realizable objectives
we must believe in them and give full power to
science. This message is evident. But which
relation has ethics to that? Should we give full
liberty to science? Umberto Veronesi, Corriere
della Sera, 22nd September 2005.
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Many people think, as we do, that as to
scientific issues of common interest, a real
democratic participation is necessary. Of
course, scientific results cannot be submitted to
citizens judgement! However, at the same time
its true that the obligation to account to
authorities and citizens for a correct use of
resources and results obtained in the research
has become mutual not only between science and
politics, but also with regard to civil
society. When we say obligation and to
account for ( res pondere, i.e.
responsibility) we are speaking about morality
and ETHICS.  Azzaro R., Questions of Ethics
Science and Society, in The El Dorado of the new
Biology. Prometheus, Franco Angeli Ed., 2003, p.
134 .
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Butas a matter of fact, people dont trust
politicians, scientists and mass media! The FP7
of EU wants to promote improved communication
between the scientific world and the wider
audience of policy-makers, the media and the
general public. Now, this is considered as a
key point necessary for a retrieval of attention
and trust, from citizens from a simple
understanding of scientific facts, to the
necessity of an active participation and a
conscious ethical debate.
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National Research Council
Some more about our CNR/CERIS Projects of PUS
LEDER Libertà ed Etica Della Ricerca
CLISCET Climate Science and Ethics
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Common objectives

• To experiment a methodology of Public
  Understanding of Science (PUS) which helps
• To explain what are really scientific questions
• To favour direct connection between scientists,
  institutions and public
• To favour personal meditation about ethical
  questions
• To suggest and accept the better solution.

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Methodology

• The adopted methodology has the following
  structure
• first contacts with italian and international
  high schools, through cultural attaché of
  interested Embassies, namely those of USA, UK,
  France, España
• Meetings and agreements with teachers of one
  class in each school
• dispensation via e-mail of a 1th Questionnaire,
  in order to evaluate scientific acknowledgment
  and personal opinions on bioethics topics, which
  will be treated
• scientific information on the same topics by
  means of telematic documentation
• activating on demand of discussion groups on the
  treated topics
• meeting and debate at the CNR headquarter between
  scientists and public with active participation
  of students
• dispensation via e-mail of a 2nd Questionnaire
  in order to survey the different steps of
  learning and possible variations of interest and
  opinions
• Data analysis and pubblication of results by CNR
  researchers.

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What is Public Understanding of Science?

• Society and Institutions have responsability to
  understand science and scientific results
• Scientists have to explain to the Public and to
  the Institutions their results
• It is necessary to disseminate correct
  information and understanding of results
• Understanding of Science can help in the
  direction of a better society

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Public Understanding of Science
BUT the understanding of science, even if
considered as an important factor for being
better citizens, is seen as an optional
element rather than a responsibility to be taken
by society and institutions.
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Specific Goals of CLISCET and LEDER

• To understand the problem and possibly what is
  necessary to do
• To activate relationship between science,
  society, institutions
• To favour meditation on responsible and common
  solutions to questions posed by the ethics

... why ethics?
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Why ethics?

• To explain the problem and what is necessary to
  do
• To activate direct and positive relationship
• To help towards responsible solutions

• ethichs of information
• to assume responsability
• to work for common benefit

They are all ethics issues
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What is ethics (in relation to science)
The word int-elligence, as knowledge, come from ?
INTUS LEGERE INTUS INSIDE, LEGERE TO
READ it is to read inside (to understand) as
the Science does it is to read inside in the
human being as moral philosophy to will the
true/good which has been seen Ethics
isINTELLIGENCE WHICH LOVES (Dante,
Rosmini) Because ethics desires the real good,
for itself and for everybody. Ethics is for human
being. It is the first value for humans. Ethics
is a friendly light (Newman)
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Methodology adopted


Public Event
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Participating Schools

• Total 148 students (age 16-19)
• 69 males, 79 females

• 4 italian high schools
• 3 international high schools (US, France, Spain)

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• Speakers at the public Event of CLISCET
• Chair Dr Mario Tozzi geologist, scientific
  writer
• Mariano Barriendos Vallvé, Professor at the
  University of Barcelona, Spain
• Vittorio Canuto, Professor at the Columbia
  University, New York
• Franco Prodi, Professor at University of Ferrara
  and Director of ISAC-CNR
• Mario Tassone, deputy Minister of Transportation
  and President of the Committee on Innovation and
  Development

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Three main GOALS
1 To check the degree of knowledge on the
specific topic 2 Sensibilization on Science and
Ethics 3 - To promote participation of science,
society and institutions
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Objective 1To check the degree of knowledge on a
specific topics

• To inform correctly, and actively, i.e. not only
  through the media this is the first step towards
  the solution of a problem.
• Analysis of 2 questions
• Information sources
• Kyoto protocol

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 1 TV o 2 Newspapers o
3 Magazines o 4 Scientific
Journals o 5 Radio o
6 Internet o 7 Friends o
8 Family o9 School o 10 Museiums
and library o 11 Environmental
associations o 12 Associations of
consumers o
Information sources on SCIENCE and CLIMATE
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Information sources
Questionnaire 1
Questionnaire 2
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What is the Kyoto protocol?

• True False Dont
• know
•  
• An agreement on the reduction of GHG o o o
• - A specific law on climate o o o
• - A final resolution to eliminate the greenhouse
  effect o o o

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Answer n.1 An agreement on the reduction of GHG
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What is your interest in Alto
Medio Basso1. Science and technology
o o o2. Politics of science
o o o3. Climate change o o
o4. Environmental Issues o o
o5. Renewable energy sources o o
o6.Relationship between institutions,
science and society o o o7.
Developing Coutries o o o
Objective 2 - Sensibilization on science and
ethics
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Objective 2 - sensibilization on science and
ethics
Questionnaire 2
Questionnaire 1
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Objective 3 To promote communication and
participation
Science, society and Institutions have common
VALUES
Q Values of Science (points 1 to 5) -
Autonomy o - Credibility o - Social
usefulness o - Generality of results o -
Respect of human beings o - Assistance to
developing Countries o - Economic
productivity o - Security of
applications o - Cultural progress o
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Values of science
Questionnaire 1
Questionnaire 2
1th (red) more important
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Questionnaire 2
Themes to be treated in a future project
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Energy and consumption
Artificial insemination and quality of life
Sustainable development
Staminal cells And clonation
Food security And emergency
male
female
Preferences expressed by male and female
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Some Considerations.

• Cost of each project
• Conference Room offered free of charge by CNR
• Coffee break 5000 EUR
• Travel expenses for speakers 3500 EUR
• Consumables 500 EUR
• Total 9000 EUR

• Lot of work for students and cooperation of
  Professors
• a lot of work for us to
• Organize
• Convince schools and Institutions
• Fight with bureaucracy

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Another event..
XV Week of Scientific Technologic Culture
Science at the top excellent laboratories in
extreme environment
Ministero dellIstruzione dellUniversità e della
Ricerca
CNR 2005
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Several ConsiderationsThe experiment was
succesfull. There was a positive and active
answer. Students have learned that - it is
important to get the correct information -
scientists can give answer, however the answers
are not final - it is necessary to focus on
the relationship beteeen science and
institutions.This new method works, however it
is necessary to work more on it OK there are
more elements to work on in order to improve it.
Another Project has been carried out in 2006
LEDER
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LEDER Alterum non ledere? Responsabilità e
futuro della scienza
Public Event
Istituzioni coinvolte CNR Istituto sullImpresa
e lo Sviluppo (CERIS - Roma) Istituto di
Tecnologie Biomediche (ITB) Istituto di
Biometeorologia (IBIMET) Istituto
sullInquinamento Atmosferico (IIA) Istituto di
Scienze dellAtmosfera e del Clima (ISAC) ISS
Settore Documentazione, Unità di
Bioetica Scuole Roma Liceo Classico Dante
Alighieri Liceo Scientifico J.F. Kennedy
Liceo Scientifico Einstein Liceo Scientifico
E. Torricelli Lycèe Chateaubriand Liceo M.
Cervantes Istituto Tecnico Aeronautico F. De
Pinedo Campobasso Istituto di Istruzione
Superiore S. Pertini Lecce Istituto Tecnico
Attività Sociali G.Deledda
Aula Marconi Piazzale Aldo Moro, 7 Roma, 13 Marzo
2006 Ore 9.00
Con il patrocinio di Consiglio
Nazionale delle Ricerche Comitato Nazionale per
la Bioetica
Relatori Ivo Allegrini, Direttore IIA
Cnr Rosalia Azzaro, CERIS Cnr Caterina
Casarano, Onlus Italia solidale Giuseppe
Cipolloni, già Min. Plen. MAE Roberto De Mattei,
vice Presidente Cnr M.Luisa Di Pietro, Istit.
Bioetica UCSC Vittorio Mathieu, Univ. Torino e
CNB Luca Pani, ITB Cnr Carlo Petrini, ISS -
Unità di Bioetica Bruno Silvestrini, CNB S.E.
Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, Cancelliere
della Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze Paolo
Vezzoni, ITB - Cnr
Responsabile scientifico Rosalia Azzaro,
Cnr-Ceris tel. [phone] r.azzaro_at_ceris.cnr.it
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Participating Schools

• 8 italian high schools
• 4 international high schools (US, UK, France,
  Spain)

• Total 212 students (age 16-19)
• 99 males, 113 females

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Speakers at the public Event of LEDER Ivo
Allegrini, Direttore IIA Cnr Rosalia Azzaro,
CERIS Cnr Caterina Casarano, Onlus Italia
solidale Giuseppe Cipolloni, già Min. Plen.
MAE Roberto De Mattei, vice Presidente
Cnr M.Luisa Di Pietro, Istit. Bioetica
UCSC Vittorio Mathieu, Univ. Torino e CNB Luca
Pani, ITB Cnr Carlo Petrini, ISS - Unità di
Bioetica Bruno Silvestrini, CNB S.E. Marcelo
Sánchez Sorondo, Cancelliere della
Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze Paolo Vezzoni,
ITB - Cnr
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1. Genome and new medicaments
Genetic researches will offer us new methods of
medical treatments. Which relation with
environment and individual, collective and
economic interests has this new approach,
personalized to gene as medicament?
SUBJECT 1
Genome and new medicaments
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2. Genetics and procreation
Why free scientific activity should keep itself
within certain limits as regard to human
embryo? And whats the reason why people apply to
artificial procreation are there environmental
and cultural reasons besides the genetic ones?
SUBJECT 2
10. How could you describe a human embryo?
other
a growing cell clot
a living substance available for a good purpose
one of us in the first stages of development
a human being who is worthy of respect
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
65 of young people expressed a great
consideration for human embryo 38 a human
being who is worthy of respect 27 one of us
in the first stages of development. On the
contrary, for 31 of interviewed people, embryo
is a living substance available for a good
purpose (17) or only a growing cell clot
(14).
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3. Environment and development
16.Many countries improved their economies,
while Africa moves back what stops its
development?
SUBJECT 3
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ETHICS OF RESEARCH
-  Knowledge cannot have borders (27), liberty
of science must be safeguarded firstly from
economic and political influences (31), and
other kinds of conditioning (religion and public
opinion) (10) but limits must exist (21), for
instance with rules given by scientists to
themselves (10).
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What is the meaning of science?
16. "Modern science cannot focus on descriptive
models, but also on the understanding of its
significance do you agree?
Pavel Florenskij)
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SOME CONCLUSIONS

• Sacrum has been considered by ancient people
  what we must separate ( sacer) from the rest.
• A laical state, on the contrary, means that in it
  different but not separated ways of feeling and
  points of view may coexist.
• Different fields - policy and society, scuence
  and faith - may coexist in an open dialogue,
  which in a laical state is not seen as something
  unconciliative with prejudice.

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In a civil, laical and democratic society, a
real possibility is a movement of
interrelationships between quite different
subjects, which dont substain private interests
but an equal and solidary research of public
welfare (as it is written in the Italian
Constitution). This reasearch gives a common
sense to every acitivity, including the
cultural and scientific ones.
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Main Results
Results show how the main aim of the project,
i.e. to experiment a new methodology of
dissemination, communication, and, possibly, of
meditation, on issues related to the scientific
findings in science, through the establishment of
relationships between scientist and cultural
institutions, schools, politicians, has been
successfully achieved, making the method a
prototype to be adopted in the future with a
wider audience in order to communicate research
results on scientific issues of interest.