MEDIA RELEASE | 19 June 2017 | For immediate release
End of Life Choices: a conversation between two world-renowned bioethicists,
Professor Peter Singer and Professor Margaret Somerville.
For Australia and many other countries, a significant contemporary issue is the consideration of legislation
enabling voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide. With such legislation currently before the Victorian
Parliament, there is an urgency for debate with wide community participation, informed by rigorous
scholarship at the religion-social policy interface – this is RASP’s, the University of Divinity’s Centre for
Research in Religion and Social Policy, raison d’être.
The Centre will bring its expertise and resources to such engagement on Thursday 29 June at 5.45-7.45pm,
when it hosts a major public conversation on voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide at the Collins Street
Baptist Church. The conversation between world-renowned bioethicists Professors Peter Singer and
Margaret Somerville will be chaired by John Cleary, long-time ABC presenter and creator of the original
Religion Report. Some 400 members of the public are anticipated to attend and will enrich the conversation
through the submission of questions.
The Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy is the University of Divinity’s first research centre – it
has acquired the graphic and apt acronym of RASP. A rasp is a sharpish instrument with biblical ‘ironsharpening-iron’ connotations – it is an appropriate symbol for a research centre founded to bring rigorous
research to contemporary issues across the sometimes ‘abrasive’ religion-social policy interface.
About the event, Reverend Dr Gordon Preece, Director of RASP said;
“There has been much spirited debate and many poignant stories told on either side of the issue.
Our aim at the Centre for Research in Religion and Social Policy (RASP) is to foster the highest level
of accessible civil conversation and dialogue on matters of social significance. To this end we’re
delighted to have two outstanding Australian and world-renowned scholars and prolific, agendasetting authors to address us.”
Professor Peter Singer is Australia’s and one of the world’s best-known practical ethicists. He holds
professorial chairs at the University of Melbourne and Princeton University. Among his many books, his
first, Animal Liberation gave its name to a movement, and Rethinking Life and Death addresses our topic.
Though addressing difficult and controversial topics both his talks and writing are always clear and concise.
Professor Margaret Somerville is Professor of Bioethics at University of Notre Dame Sydney Medical School.
She was previously Professor of Law and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University, Montreal
and founding director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law. She is a global pioneer in exploring
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
University of Divinity
21 Highbury Grove, Kew, Victoria 3101
Australia
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ethical and legal aspects of medicine and science. Among her many books The Ethical Canary and Death
Talk: the Case Against Euthanasia and Physician-Assisted Suicide are most pertinent to this topic.
Significantly, in sponsoring this conversation through RASP, the University of Divinity demonstrably
animates its stated Vision: Together we empower our learning community to address the issues of the
contemporary world through critical engagement with Christian theological traditions.
MEDIA CONTACT & REGISTRATION
Media representatives are invited to attend the public conversation.
To register, please contact:
Meg Nelson
University of Divinity Events and Communications Manager
[email protected] | (+61 3) 9853 3177
Office of the Vice-Chancellor
University of Divinity
21 Highbury Grove, Kew, Victoria 3101
Australia
www.divinity.edu.au