The Centre of Biomedical Ethics and Culture (CBEC) at the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation (SIUT) inaugurated its two-day international conference titled “The Warp and Woof of Human Morality” to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The event features discussions on ethics and morality, drawing insights from national and international scholars, and is designed to engage both professionals and the general public.
Professor Farhat Moazam, the Founding Chairperson of CBEC, opened the conference by acknowledging the pivotal role of Professor Adib Rizvi in the Centre’s growth. She highlighted CBEC’s contributions to ethics education in Pakistan and the region while addressing challenges in ethical medical practices. Professor Anwar Naqvi elaborated on the Centre’s achievements, and Professor Aamir Jafarey presented a retrospective of CBEC’s milestones using archival material.
The keynote address, “Pluriversality in Bioethics,” delivered by Dr. Caesar Atuire, a Ghanaian scholar and President of the International Association of Bioethics, critiqued the colonial biases in bioethics and emphasized the role of local values in shaping human morality. Alumni of CBEC, including Dr. Amjad Mahboob (KPK), Dr. Nida Wahid Bashir (Sindh), and Dr. Natasha Anwar (Punjab), shared how the Centre’s ethics education transformed their personal and professional lives.
Afternoon sessions, held in Urdu, centered on women’s issues in Pakistan. Dr. Arfana Mallah from the University of Jamshoro addressed the impact of feudalism and fundamentalism on Sindh’s women, while author Dr. Fatima Hasan explored women’s voices in South Asian literature.
The day concluded with a play on environmental concerns performed by schoolchildren. The second day of the conference will feature Dr. Paul Lombardo, a historian and bioethicist from the USA, discussing Ibn-e-Sina, the legendary Muslim physician and philosopher.
Dr. Syed Noman-ul-Haq of IBA will explore Ḥayy ibn Yaqẓān by Ibn-Tufayl, and Dr. Nauman Faizi from LUMS will discuss ethical approaches to life. The event will close with an Urdu literary session celebrating the link between Urdu literature and human values. Esteemed poets and writers, including Iftikhar Arif, Zehra Nigah, Noor-ul-Huda Shah, and moderator Harris Khalique, will reflect on the enduring power of literature to inspire moral and ethical thought.
