Dear colleagues,

It is with great pleasure that we are inviting you to participate in the 4th South-East European Bioethical Forum international conference, which is to take place between 3rd and 5th September 2008, as an associated conference within the framework of the 9th World Congress of Bioethics (3rd-8th September 2008, Rijeka/Opatija, Croatia). The topic of the 4th South-East European Bioethical Forum is: Integrative Bioethics and Pluri-perspectivism.

Allow us to briefly introduce you to the origin and spiritual profile of this project of bioethical cooperation, within the framework of which the innovative concept of integrative bioethics was developed as its greatest achievement.

The first time that the bioethicists from South, South-East and Central Europe gathered and entered a dialogue was at the "Bioethics in South and South-East Europe" international conference (1st-3rd October 2004, Dubrovnik, Croatia). Programmatically speaking, the conference centred on "integrative ethical reflection based on intercultural differences in Europe". Within the then initiated discussions, which continued in the following year within the framework of the newly instituted regular South-East European Bioethical Forum, this integrative point of departure was developed into the rounded concept of integrative bioethics.

With respect to its subject of interest, integrative bioethics merges diverse approaches and perspectives into a unique spiritual horizon, which means that a pluralism of perspectives - i.e. pluri-perspectivism - represents its methodological determination. Pluri-perspectivism is a concept that transcends the familiar forms of scientific integrative methodology (interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity) since it also and equally embraces non-scientific approaches, such as religious, artistic, worldview, etc., all of which can be placed under the common denominator of cultural perspectives. Furthermore, it is possible to place all the scientific and cultural perspectives under the same epistemological denominator and integrate the same into the unique scheme of creating "orientative knowledge" based on the presupposition of the categorical difference between "object-truth and meaning-truth" (Friedrich Kaulbach), which can epistemologically be expressed as the difference between "instrumental and orientative knowledge" (Jürgen Mittelstrass).

With respect to its subject matter, integrative bioethics discusses a wide range of issues of different levels of importance, all of which centre on the category of life and are joint into a single problem and subject field: from the initial questions in the field of medical care and biomedical research, through the issues of responsibility for non-human beings and for the preservation of general conditions of life (ecology), to the questions of the fate of contemporary civilisation and the survival of the human race.

Not only does this concept of bioethics facilitate an all-embracing discussion of the vastest array of actual bioethical problems, it also penetrates into their philosophical-historical dimension, which opens up the most fundamental questions about the scientific-technological character of our era, about the methodological constitution and historical role of modern science, as well as about the transformations in the fundamental relationship between man and nature. Only in this underlying perspective it is possible to reflect the Modern Age as the era of scientific-technological civilisation, to survey the historical processes in which the world-historical eras turn, and to illuminate bioethics itself as the key "sign of the times" in which a new era has emerged.

We are firmly convinced that the idea of integrative bioethics can indeed be stimulating within the global bioethical debate, and that it can lead to fruitful answers and solutions particularly during the discussions to be opened within the general topic of "The Challenge of Cross-cultural Bioethics in the 21st Century" Congress. We, thus, look forward to both your participation application and contribution to this conference.

The official languages of the 4th Bioethical Forum are English and German. We, therefore, kindly ask that you submit both your application and paper summary in either English or German following the guidelines outlined on the web page of the Congress.

Sincerely yours,


Prof. Dr. Ante Covic
University of Zagreb, Croatia
Co-director of International Conference
South-East European Bioethical Forum


Prof. Dr. Walter Schweidler
Ruhr University Bochum, Germany
Co-director of International Conference
South-East European Bioethical Forum

Note: Sessions will be held in German and English

It is superfluous to address you, participants of the 9th World Congress of Bioethics that will be held in Croatia, in Rijeka and Opatija, in September 2008, with the purpose of convincing you of the values and needs of bioethics as a new top scientific discipline. Nevertheless, I must say how proud I am that scientists and experts from all over the world will gather in my town, on my School and University, to debate on new issues and attitudes in the field of bioethics, especially in relation to the new challenges of multi- and interculturality, as well as on the acceptance of personal values of individuals in a world characterized by the idea of globalism.

We are doing our best to gather those who deal in any way with issues of bioethics in Croatia in order for them to participate in this congress with their papers and presentations. The response of various groups is immense, which gives me pleasure, because in order to be familiar with bioethical problems and requirements in Croatia, it is simply mandatory that numerous professions speak about them in a dialogical, intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary manner. A discussion on bioethics with colleagues and friends from around the world is a unique event welcomed enthusiastically by the Croatian academic community, and it is a great honor and pleasure to announce that the importance and the ned for such a valuable and important scientific meeting has been recognized by the highest institutions of the Republic of Croatia. I can proudly announce that the 9th World Congress of Bioethics will be held under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesic.

Therefore we are exceptionally pleased that experts from around the world will gather on this congress and will speak about "The Challenge of Cross-Cultural Bioethics in the 21st Century", which is the umbrella topic of the 9th World Congress of Bioethics. I am pleased to announce that, again this time and already traditionally, we will be joined by the Feminist Approaches to Bioethics (FAB) with the topic "Voice, Power, and Responsibility in Health Care". Besides them, as collateral congresses, we will be working on the 4th South-East European Bioethical Forum having the topic of "Integrative Bioethics and Pluri-Perspectivism", and with journalists who wish to discuss with us the methods and standards of bioethical activities as well as papers on them through a collateral congress, "Media and Bioethics", organized by the International Center for Education of Journalists (ICEJ) in cooperation with the Croatian Journalists Association.

Additionally, the congress will be enriched by three one-day symposiums entitled: Ethics of Clinical Drug Trials, Bioethics in Nursing, and by the 4th International Conference on Clinical Ethics and Consultation: Knowledge and Skills (Special focus: European perspectives regarding clinical ethics consultation).

The general opinion is that such an interdisciplinary approach to discussion on urgent and not easily solvable problems related to bioethical standards gives even more faith and hope that the conclusions of this congress will be applied more consistently and thoroughly in everyday life. For our country as a candidate for membership in the European Union such standards and values are particularly necessary. Finally, as vigorously interested bioethicists, we expect that new values and bioethical standpoints will be established on this congress and that we, as university teachers, shall be able to communicate them to our students, our academic community, our citizens and our society as a whole.

Dear Friend,

The meeting of cultures is a significant element in our world of global economic collaboration and widespread electronic communications. Differences in healthcare practices and developments in medicine and bioscience can create cultural as well as ideological tensions. One of the tasks of bioethics, as the study of healthcare practices, medicine, and bioscientific research, is to find out about these differences, developments, and the actual and potential clashes they create.

The 9th World Congress of Bioethics, graciously organised for the International Association of Bioethics by our Croatian colleagues, gives us an opportunity to focus on the many challenges posed by cultural and cross-cultural factors. The scientific programme, with its separate sessions for invited speakers and contributed papers, is designed to offer a balanced view of the impact of culture on ethics and ethical considerations in professional and scientific contexts.

It is my pleasure to invite you to attend this congress. Learned meetings are as good as the people presenting their views during the academic sessions and discussing them afterwards in hallways, cafeterias, and restaurants. The beautiful Croatian landscape will, I am sure, create an ideal background for our intellectual and social encounters. I look forward to seeing you in Rijeka in September 2008.

It is my pleasure, as the Chair of the International Scientific Committee for the 9th World Congress of Bioethics, to enthusiastically encourage you to participate in this Congress in the city of Rijeka, Croatia.

The global direction of development is evident not only in economic and political life, but perhaps even more so in the life sciences and the novel technologies that they have spawned. The ethical and policy challenges posed by these developments are strongly influenced by cultural differences, which undoubtedly complicate the rational assessment of these developments. Similarly, major bioethical issues involving the environment and health remind us that despite cultural, ethnic, and national differences, our common biology creates shared risks, which, in turn, points to the real need to openly address the often-unspoken commitments that shape our lives and approaches in bioethics. The theme of the 9th World Congress of Bioethics will thus focus on the important dynamic of cultural differences and their role in shaping how we see and address bioethical issues involving health and disease, scientific research, and technological development. It should provide ample space to include the breadth of concerns and interest that make up the field of bioethics.

We hope that this congress will include a significant breadth of voices and participants than was achieved in previous World Congresses of Bioethics. To accomplish this goal, your participation is necessary. I hope to see you in Rijeka in September 2008 and look forward to your submission of abstracts and session proposals along the lines of the sub-themes identified elsewhere in this website.

The time in which we live and work is exceptionally dynamic and demanding due to the search for new achievements of the human mind and work, but also due to the discovery of new values related to ethical and moral standards in the different forms of human activity. Bioethical debates in the field of human rights, biomedicine and technology influence ecology and similar disciplines and surely belong to the most demanding and most difficult areas of ethics and moral at the beginning of the new millennium.

After more than a decade these discussions of world renowned experts in the area of bioethics will once again be organized on European ground, in a country that is a candidate for membership in the European Union. Through its methods of operation and engagement in bioethical standards in its own region and also through its contribution to these standars worldwide, Croatia has attracted international attention and, owing to the work done by the group led by Prof. dr. sc. Ivan Segota, Croatia has brought the world meeting of bioethicists to Rijeka, where the 9th World Congress of Bioethics, organized by the Croatian Society for Clinical Bioethics and the Medical School of the University of Rijeka, will be held.

Interdisciplinarity in solving bioethical problems from the viewpoint of different professions will produce a true wealth of experiences and accomplishments in new bioethical values. As hosts we shall do our best to create good conditions for mutual communication and conclusion drawing. We have decided to organize the congress in the towns of Rijeka and Opatija, which are ready to live for this topic and fully support it for a whole week.

As participants and organizers of this congress we are all committed to bringing our topics and problems closer not only to experts and scientists, but also to common people, to the citizens, so that they can understand and finally adopt them. Let us do our best to succeed to the satisfaction of us all, because in doing so our work, but also the mission we have, becomes more significant, so bioethical standards of thinking and behaving in everyday life will become more acceptable, which should be our final goal.

We will be glad to welcome you!