“Attending the WYA summer school was an incredible experience. I learned about human dignity, gained valuable skills, and connected with like-minded individuals. Young people should attend to grow, advocate for human rights, and make a positive impact”. –Rosanna Salvador, ISSBHR participant from Spain
Early August 7th, 40 WYA members gathered in Šibenik, Croatia, to depart to the Barone Fortress (a 17th-century renovated fortress overlooking the city) for the opening ceremony of the 3rd International Summer School on Bioethics and Human Rights (ISSBHR).
This 7-day summer camp, hosted by WYA Croatia and WYA Europe and supported by the Stiftung Ja Zum Leben organization, let participants listen to lectures from renowned experts in the field of bioethics and human rights and gain the tools to respond to the issues and challenges that potentially danger human dignity.
Lectures included topics entitled “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence Ethics,” “Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare & Medical AI,” “The Right to Die: Philosophical Reflections on Euthanasia,” “Person between Abortion and Health Care,” and “Effects and Consequences of Surrogacy Today.”
“My favorite lecture was on Genetic and Genomic Data Protection and Privacy by Atty. Oliver M. Tuazon”, shares Saurabh Bhoyar, a participant from India, “My biggest takeaway from the speaker was his expertise in beautifully connecting the legal and medical aspects of this time-relevant topic.”
Nsikakabasi George, a public health practitioner from Nigeria, commented on the excellent opportunity to learn about the intersection between human rights and health research. “[The ISSBHR] has enabled me to become more conscientious and responsible in my practice, committed to upholding the dignity and well-being of all individuals in policy and culture, drawing on the World Youth Alliance Charter.”
Students expressed their advocacy skills and the knowledge they gathered from the experts in two debates during the week about two different bioethical issues. The 10 outstanding participants from these debates proceeded to two Master debates entitled “Rules & Context for successful outcomes” and “Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights,” which took place before the other participants. These participants in the two master debates received feedback from WYA Headquarters staff.
Tom Sarrouf, a winner of the master debate from the USA, shared, “When you consider the crisis the world faces in terms of the threats to human dignity at all stages of life and in various aspects, such as abortion and assisted suicide, it can be hard to not become anxious. But the World Youth Alliance has organized a curriculum that helped me understand the challenges of our time in light of the good news about the human person. Even more importantly, they have rallied a crowd of young people who care about human dignity, human flourishing, and human happiness, and when I encountered that at the International Summer School, it was IMPOSSIBLE for me to not feel hopeful that we have the ideas and the good people to protect and defend the dignity of all persons!”
The summer camp students were also given the opportunity to bond with each other and discuss these bioethical issues in an informal setting through different activities. These activities included a panel discussion where participants could ask the experts questions about bioethical topics and time in the afternoons to relax on the beautiful coast of Croatia or sightseeing the old town of Sibenik.
WYA would like to thank its supporters for their donations! Because of their generosity, the registration fee was lowered this year, making the summer camp more accessible for young people from around the world.
Looking forward to the 4th ISSBHR in 2024? Contact croatia@wya.net with any questions about this event. See you next year!
