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Morality in a military environment is often associated with political ethics and the applicable rules. Both discuss when military intervention is justified, what behaviour is legitimate and where responsibility lies for violations.
While this approach offers normative considerations, it does not necessarily provide insight into how soldiers struggle with questions of right and wrong and, in some cases, develop individual suffering. If taken into consideration, this individual suffering is most often conceptualised as post-traumatic stress disorder and is medicalised as such.
During this workshop, we will pay attention to the morality, to moral dilemmas and moral injury.
Everyone knows about Kung Fu thanks to Bruce Lee, but this concept reaches far beyond the martial arts. It originated form the Chinese philosophy of Confucius. Kung Fu is about experiencing flow and finding fulfillment in the present moment. Wear comfy clothing, set aside chairs or couches, and roll out your yoga mat (or alternative to the hard floor).
We are breaching the prison walls, offering young humanists a window into the life behind bars. A window gives the opportunity to look in from the outside, but also out from the inside. Prisoners are given a voice, and are brought into contact with people who are on the other side of the bars.
During this event, inmates and young humanists have the chance to discuss matters concerning human rights and justice. The participants are also given the opportunity to speak with prison director Hans Claus, as well as Jan Kuilman (humanistic counsellor at the prison). The conversation will be moderated by Linde Waeyaert (humanistic counsellor).
In this workshop, the participants are involved in a dialogue rather than a debate. To be truly receptive for a diversity of ideas and points of view, as humanists, you don’t have to defeat one another; your goal is to understand and convince each other through reasonable dialogue.
To think inclusive, you have to be able to understand the other(s). You need to be able to listen and express yourself in a clear and convincing way.
Jan De Maeyer has his own consultancy bureau in critical thinking and provides some playful exercises in clear and insightful argumentation.
LGBT+ people with a Muslim background are often a barely visible group in our society. But on Sunday 17, October, they’re taking the stage. Get ready for an interactive and multilingual (English/French/Dutch) afternoon, filled with debates and performances, hosted by multi-disciplinary artist Jaouad Alloul and Oumayma Hammadi, political advisor on LGBT+ themes. Guests are young activist Seyma Unlu, spoken word performer Hind Eljadid and researcher Wim Peumans. They will give their own personal views on subjects such as sexuality, puberty, self-determination, discrimination and homophobia.
So much is going on in our society that we hardly ever find the time to sit, think and reflect about our place in these very changeable tendencies.
Who am I? Who are the others? Are we the same or are we different? What does it mean to be European, and do we even feel European? How does this affect our vision on culture, art and identity?
These questions and many other reflections will be covered in our workshop. There are no right answers, only the right attitude. Opening up ourselves to others by talking about what matters: our place and identity in this world. This isn’t a classroom but a safe space where we will be voicing the pressures that come with being a young adult today.
– Identity, self-confidence and social advocacy –
Networking / applying for a job
[online]26-year-old Eulaly Vanroelen works for OSB, the alumni association of Brussels-based university VUB and deMens.nu, the umbrella organisation for secular humanists in Dutch-speaking Belgium. She began doing some voluntary work during her studies. She met so many people by being active that, even without knowing, connecting became networking and networking became applying for a job. In this workshop she wants to inspire other starters on the job market.
The aim is to close your laptop after 2 hours, armed with practical tips and a step-by-step plan to be able to network, or apply for a job, all over the world. You will learn how you can present yourself, how you can create a networking circle and how real humanists interact with each other. Build your own personal brand and use your network to your advantage.
Surfing is all about the right balance and commitment. Not only is this an important aspect for water sports, but also for living a good life. Come Surf with Epicurus and learn by moving how to apply his philosophy and thinking to your life! Wear comfy clothing, set aside chairs or couches, and roll out your yoga mat (or alternative to the hard floor).
LGBTQ Rights in Europe: a legal case study
[online]Yes, we live in 2021. But when it comes to LGBTQ rights, there is still a lot of room for improvement in Europe. In fact, where some countries have already come a long way, Hungary recently adopted an anti-LGBTQ act.
Why are there so many differences between European countries? What regulations exist on a European level?
With a case study, Brussels Law School Consultancy takes you through the LGBTQ policy in Europe.
Saving lives: organ donation in Europe. Regulation, collaboration and ethical challenges
[online]Organ transplantation certainly is a big hit within modern medicine. One organ donor can save up to 8 lives and improve the lives of many more thanks to tissue donation. On average, 41 000 patients receive a transplant every year.
But there are not enough organs available to meet the demand for organ transplantation. This results in thousands of patients on transplant waiting lists. On average, 18 patients die every day while waiting for an organ transplant in Europe.
Several European countries are coordinating efforts in order to improve the chances of survival for as many patients as possible. Yet, at the same time, countries retain their own laws and regulations.
How does legislation on organ donation differ within Europe? What does international collaboration look like? What are the ethical challenges we need to care about today? Join us in this interesting discussion.
