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Nobody's Child, Everybody's Children:

Conference Programme - Updated May 15, 2007

Note: This programme is tentative and is subject to change.

Thursday, May 24, 2007
10 am	Registration opens Building 300 - Top Floor (Arbutus Room) Campus Map
1 - 1:45 pm	Welcome/Introduction to Conference: Laureen Styles, Dean of Health & Human Services, Vancouver Island University Beverly Revin, MA, Conference Chair
1:45 - 3 pm	Session 1.1: Highlighted Speaker Eric Blyth, PhD (Department of Health & Social Studies, University of Huddersfield, UK) “To Be or Not To Be: A Critical Appraisal of the Welfare of Children Conceived through New Reproductive Technologies.”
3:15 - 3:30 pm	Nutrition Break
3:30 - 5:30 pm	Session 2.1: Play/Workshop Susan Cox, PhD (Young Centre for Applied Ethics, University. of British Columbia) & Jeff Nisker, MD PhD FRCSC (Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario) “Playing Up Citizen Involvement: An Experiential Workshop in the use of Theatre for Policy Development.”
6 - 7:30 pm	Wine & Cheese Reception

Friday, May 25, 2007
7:30 am	Registration opens Building 300 (Arbutus Room) Campus Map
8:30 - 8:45 am	Welcome – Introduction of Keynote Speaker David Thomas, PhD, Vice-President Academic, Vancouver Island University
8:45 - 9:45 am	Session 3.1: Keynote Speaker Maureen McTeer, LL.M. (Health), Faculty of Common Law, University of Ottawa “Nobody’s Child, Everybody’s Law or Not?”
9:45 - 10 am	Nutrition Break
10 am - noon	Session 4.1: Rights of Children & Families Mikki Morrissette (Freelance Writer, Minneapolis, MN) “Redefining Family: The Role of Half-Siblings and ‘Birth Others’ in Donor-Conceived Lives.” Session 4.2: Practical Philosopher Laura Shanner, PhD. (John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre, University of Alberta) “Nobody’s Child… Anybody’s Ethics?” Marcy Darnovsky, PhD (Center for Genetics & Society, Oakland, CA) “Biopolitics for a Human Future” Session 4.3: Rights of Children & Families Susan Cox, PhD (Young Centre for Applied Ethics, UBC) & Jeff Nisker, MD, PhD FRCSC (Schulich School of Medicine, UWO), “Deciding not to have that type of Child: Canadian Perspectives on Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis.” Angela Thachuk, PhD Candidate (Dept of Philosophy, University of Alberta) “Narratives of the Unspeakable: Attending to the Silence.” Session 4.4: Global Issues Chantal Collard, PhD (Concordia University, Montreal) “What Does Surrogacy for the Benefit of Heterosexual Couples Tell Us About Maternity, Paternity, and Kinship in Western Societies?” Juliet Guichon, PhD (Senior Associate, Office of Medical Bioethics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary), Michelle Giroux (Associate Professor, Civil Law Section, Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa) “National Study of Canadian Provincial and Territorial Legislation relevant to the Separation of Genetic and Gestational Motherhood”
noon - 1:30 pm	Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm	Session 5.1: Open Forum - “Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC)” Dr. Elinor Wilson (President) & Dr. John Hamm (Chairperson) – Assisted Human Reproduction Canada (AHRC) Francine Manseau (Senior Strategic Policy Advisor, Assisted Human Reproduction Implementation Office) - Moderator Eric Blyth, PhD (Dept. of Applied Childhood Studies, Huddersfield, UK), Maureen McTeer, L.L.M. (Health), (Department of Common Law, University of Ottawa), Jeff Nisker, MD, PhD FRCSC (Schulich School of Medicine, UWO), Louise Vandelac, PhD (Dept of Sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal)
3:30 - 3:45 pm	Nutrition Break
3:45 - 5:30 pm	Session 6.1: Fertility & Government Policies Cordelia Thomas, LLB PhD Candidate (Bioethics Council, Ministry for the Environment, Wellington, New Zealand), “Assisted Reproductive Technologies meet the Public.” Session 6.2: Practical Philosopher Cynthia Siebel, Ph.D., J.D. (CD & E Consulting and Court Appointed Special Advocates – Orange County), Newport Beach, California, USA “Complexities, Connections & Questions: Inter-Relations of Reproductive & Genetic Technology and Cultural Change” Eike-Henner Kluge, PhD (Dept of Philosophy, University of Victoria, BC), “Sex Selection: Some Ethical and Policy Considerations” Session 6.3 Global Issues Penny Dowedoff, PhD Candidate (Dept. of Sociology, York University, Ontario), “Reproductive Tourism: Challenges for Transnational Feminisms” Elizabeth Marquardt, PhD (Institute of American Values, New York City), “The Revolution in Parenthood: The Emerging global clash between Adult Rights and Children’s Needs - An International Appeal from the Commission on Parenthood’s Future.” Session 6.4 Rights of Children & Families Olivia Pratten, BA Irene Ryll, RN Dwight Jones Linda Shorting, BSN Suzanne Ariel Meredith Wexler Shirley Pratten, RN (Nanaimo, BC) (Moderator) “Voices of Donor Conception”
5:45 pm	Break for Dinner
7:30 pm	Session 7.1: The Arts Theatre Production, “A Child on Her Mind.” Playwrights - Jeff Nisker, MD PhD FRCSC & Vangie Bergum, PhD, Professor Emerita, Directed by Catherine Caines (Gabriola Island, BC) Post Production Question & Answer Forum

Saturday, May 26, 2007
8 am	Registration opens
8:30 - 8:45 am	Welcome & Introduction of Keynote Speaker Dr. Ralph Nilson, President & CEO, Vancouver Island University
8:30 - 9:45 am	Session 8.1: Keynote Speaker Louise Vandelac, PhD (Dept of Sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal), “Reproductive and Genetic Engineering: An Ecological and Anthropological Breach.”
9:45 - 10 am	Nutrition Break
10 am - noon	Session 9.1: Fertility & Government Policy and Voices from the Grass Roots Trenches Jean Haase, MSW (London Health Sciences Centre, University of Western Ontario), “Informed Decision-making in Assisted Human Reproduction: The Role of Counselling.” Diane Allen (Executive Director, Infertility Network) “Looking Back, Looking Forward: A View from the Trenches.” Session 9.2: Pronatalist Government Policies Caroline Jones, LLB PhD (School of Law, Univ. of Southampton, UK), “Changing Conceptions of Welfare.” Sandra Reineke, PhD (Dept. of Political Science & Women’s Studies, University of Idaho, Moscow), “The Next Generation: the politics of new reproductive technologies in contemporary France: Some implications for women’s rights.” Session 9.3: Personal Discourses Susan Robinson, RSW (Calgary), “Infertility and Reproductive Medicine: A Personal Perspective.” Jenny Dunlop, MA (St. Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, UK) “The Hidden Losses of Infertility” Session 9.4: Rights of Children & Families (Panel) Sherry Dale, MSW, RSW (LifeQuest Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Toronto, Ontario). “Parents’ Assessment Of Emotional Risks For their Donor-Conceived Children” Hilary Young PhD, LL.B. (Candidate) (University of Ottawa). “In Search of Identity: Reconciling the Interests of Gamete Donors and their Offspring in the Disclosure of Identifying Information about the Donor”
noon - 1:30 pm	Lunch Session 10: The Arts (Interactive Workshop) Ellen Jaffe (Writer, Hamilton, Ontario), “Second Coming of Age in SAMOA: An Anthropological Fable & Other Fictions – How Novelists Look at the Topic of NRTS”
1:30 - 3:30 pm	Session 11.1: Feminist Perspectives Susan Sherwin, PhD, FRSC (Dept of Philosophy, Dalhousie University), “Nobody’s Mother: The Ethics of research on human embryos.” Edyta Just, PhD Candidate (Women’s Studies, Faculty of Arts, Utrecht University, Netherlands), “Between state interventions, religion, culture and society: The implications for functioning & reception of IVF in Poland and the Netherlands” Session 11.2: Personal & Professional Discourses Lisa Leger, BA (Fertility Awareness Educator, Parksville, B.C.), “A critique of NRGTs that examines issues of safety, informed consent, reproductive health and prevention.” Ofra Balaban, MA(CHEN Patient Fertility Association, Holon, Israel) “Fertility in Israel.” Session 11.3: Global Issues Roxanne Mykitiuk, LL.M. (Osgoode Hall Law School, York University) & Jeff Nisker, MD, PhD FRCSC (UWO) “Determinants of embryo ‘health’ – are there implications for children?” Laura Machin PhD Candidate (School of Sociology & Social Policy, University of Leeds, UK) “The Social Context of Embryo Donations in the UK and Australia: Counsellors, Clinicians and Support Groups” Session 11.4: Rights of Children & Families Phyllis Creighton, MA (Faculty of Divinity, University of Toronto) “Making and Keeping Life Human: How Shall We Use NRGTs?” Lauren Berliner, PhD Candidate (Communication), MA Media Arts (University of California, San Diego) “All in One Basket” (View Documentary – Follow up discussion led by author)
3:30 - 3:45 pm	Nutrition Break
3:45 - 4:15 pm	Wind Up