2023 represents a milestone year for the ICBC, being the 21st anniversary of the formation of this unique ecumenical body.
To commemorate the work of the InterChurch Bioethics Council (ICBC), they are hosting a public lecture in Wellington on Friday October 6, with guest speaker Emeritus Prof Jonathan Boston ONZM, on the topic: Keeping Hope Alive in Challenging Times: Confronting the Climate Crisis
• Location: St Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington.
• Time: Drinks and Nibbles from 5.30pm (Loaves and Fishes Hall); Lecture and Q&A at 6pm (in Cathedral, finish 7pm)
DOWNLOAD THE POSTER ABOVE HERE
The InterChurch Bioethics Council (ICBC) is an ecumenical cross-cultural body supported by the Anglican, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand. The ICBC followed on from the “InterChurch Commission on Genetic
Engineering” that was formed in 2000 to provide a Christian response to the Royal Commission on Genetic Modification. Following the governmental Royal Commission, the InterChurch Commission was renamed the “InterChurch Bioethics Council” in 2002 and was given a broader brief to raise issues relevant to the cultural, ethical, spiritual, and theological issues in the use of biotechnology in New Zealand.
Biotechnology relates to biological, medical, environmental, and agricultural technologies derived from science. Bioethics is an interdisciplinary category of ethics that provides the framework for policy and decision-making with regard to scientific research and resulting technologies; including future consequences, legal, political, commercial, theological and social aspects. The ICBC members have expertise and knowledge in science, ethics, theology, medicine, education and mātauranga Māori.
The mission statement of the ICBC is:
To increase the knowledge and understanding of church members and the wider community around the spiritual, ethical, cultural, technological and evidential issues relating to bioethics. To enable and encourage citizens to take action on these issues.