Andrea Vicini, SJ(图片来源:Lee Pellegrini)
The growing threat posed by climate change and 环境al pollution has been exhaustively detailed. Often overlooked, though, is how those dangers intersect 与 social justice. This subject was a major theme at the September conference “Ethical Challenges in 全球 Public 健康: Climate Change, 污染与穷人的健康,” sponsored by the Theology Department and the School of Theology and Ministry, 是什么汇聚了世界各地的学者. 最近，我采访了南卡罗来纳州的安德里亚·维奇尼(Andrea Vicini).J.会议组织者Michael P. 沃尔什,年代.J., 生物伦理学教授, to discuss the moral case 为 addressing climate change and 环境al pollution, and why 电子游戏软件—which has launched a new 全球 Public 健康 and the Common Good undergraduate minor—is uniquely called to help. 以下是我们谈话的要点.
为什么我们需要一个改进的全球公共卫生模式
“在全球公共卫生方面, there has been something missing: a clear commitment to the well-being of the poor and those in need. The belief has been that it’s sufficient to address the issues from a pragmatic point of view—developing solutions. We do need to find solutions: clean 能源, reducing waste, decontaminating the planet. But these issues are also part of what it means to promote a just world. The people in the global South are already suffering the consequences of climate change: more days 与 very high temperatures, 种植农作物更加困难, 干旱. They are not as responsible 为 it, in terms of the production of CO2 和污染物，就像北半球一样. We might say, ‘It’s their problem, we can protect ourselves.“现在，我们可以. We don’t feel the effects of climate change to the same degree. 是的, 我们的天气变化无常, 更强的风暴, 毁灭性的飓风, but we can handle all of that 为 now because we are a developed society. But it’s not just unjust to think of it as their problem and not ours—it’s also a mistake. Everything in health and in the 环境 is interconnected. 例如, 随着气候的变化, disease vectors like mosquitoes are now in parts of the world where we didn’t have them be为e, 传播将成为地方病的疾病. 从更大的角度来看, we need to find ways to promote development of the global South, along 与 integrated justice—not making them pay 为 what we caused in terms of pollution and damage to the 环境 because of the way we live our lives. We need to assume our responsibilities as the global North and reflect on our way of life, and probably we need to change the way in which we live, 旅行, 吃我们的食物——我们消耗能量的方式.”
为什么电子游戏软件要带头解决这个问题
“全球公共卫生中的正义 and the 环境 is a Catholic commitment, 这是基督徒的承诺, 这是耶稣会的承诺. To use terminology that is part of Catholic social teaching and the official magisterium of the Catholic Church, a preferential option 为 the poor is what we are committed to promote. 这意味着我们要发挥所有的创造力, 能源, 想象力, and resources to create conditions 为 a greater justice, 关心那些被遗忘的人. We are called to work together 与 those who are in need and not work 为 他们，但要工作 与 他们和他们自己的能力和专业知识. We have clear declarations and commitments aimed at promoting rights in the area of health and the 环境, yet we are in a political and social moment where we see more and more of these rights being undermined. 所以作为基督徒, 作为天主教徒, 以及那些从事耶稣会教育的人, we are called to make a difference and address these issues that are not being addressed sufficiently.”
On 电子游戏软件’s new 全球 Public 健康 and the Common Good mino
“它是在本学期初推出的. 反响非常热烈. 几天内就填满了. 我们有来自整个大学的学生报名, 从人文学科的专业都有, 经济学, 从历史到生物和医学预科. They saw how this focus on global public health could integrate 与 the training from their major to promote what is good 为 humankind and the planet. 有三门必修课和三门选修课. The optional courses cut across disciplinary interest—philosophy, 神学, 历史, law—so the students can learn both the scientific component that’s required in epidemiological studies and these more differentiated interests. The minor is offered through the new Schiller Institute, 我们希望它最终能成为一门专业. First we’ll have the construction of a home 为 the Schiller Institute, which will be a space to focus on major areas of research and education: health, 环境, 能源, 和数据. We’ll have the opportunity to train future generations of leaders, 从业人员, 社会活动家, 首席执行官们, and educators 与 an interdisciplinary approach that combines sciences and humanities. So perhaps the minor aims to shape a way of being in the world, because it seems to me that not only this minor but the entire university aims to train people who will work 为 the common good, who care 为 justice—justice not only 为 themselves and their own, 而是每个人的正义.”
On the response to the “Ethical Challenges in 全球 Public 健康” conference
我们汇集了来自世界各地的专家, 从科学的各个学科, 医学, 以及法律对社会工作的影响, 神学, 和经济学. The panel discussions were well attended and energizing, and right up to the end of the day people continued to engage 与 one another. 这是第一次会议, and some have suggested that this could become an annual event. Perhaps at the beginning of the academic year the 全球 Public 健康 and the Common Good minor could organize a conference, keeping us engaged and enriched by reflecting on issues that challenge us in the area of public health and invite us to promote the common good. 我们将会看到. But 为 the moment, we are happy that there was such interest and participation.”
约翰·沃尔夫森|电子游戏软件杂志
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