| A Journal on African Philosophy special issue: "African Perspectives in Global Bioethics." The issue will be guest-edited by Dr. Mbih J. Tosam. Deadline: May 31, 2016 Submit your paper directly to Mbih J. Tosam. The colonial encounter had a profoundly negative effect on the African personality and on everything African. In the domain of knowledge, African systems of thought and values were denigrated and rejected without due appraisal. For this reason, there has been an epistemological vacuum in African values and systems of thought at the international scholarly arena. In the field of ethics and bioethics in particular, African philosophical perspectives have been largely absent. Western ethical ideals are simply one among several ethical traditions in the world, and to treat them as if they were the only valid values humanity has ever thought of, or developed, will be to do injustice to humankind. Western solutions to the bioethical problems of our time are not the only possible ones, and may not be the best solutions that may exist. It would be for the intellectual and moral improvement of humankind, if all cultural solutions to a moral problem are sought. This is important because it would create a basis for intercultural dialogue that would complement the insufficiencies of Western moral values because of our human imperfection and vulnerability, disease, injury, and life and death, affect all human beings. These are by no means issues to which only 'experts' or people from a particular cultural background can provide answers. There is need for critical reflection on African values in bioethics because although human beings share some common ideals, our disparities in culture, wealth and power, bioethics present challenges that are specific to regions or cultures. Questions concerning disease and health have always challenged humankind in every part of the world and solutions to some of the trickiest moral problems of our time may come from less influential cultures if they are given due consideration. While seeking answers to the question: What can African ethical values contribute to a global bioethical discourse dominated by Euro-American (Kantian and utilitarian) philosophical values? papers should address, but may not be limited to the following topics: African ethics Global health inequalities Values in African traditional medicine Environmental ethics Bioethics and poverty Access to healthcare Female genital mutilations Contraception African culture and beginning and end of life issues. Send submissions to guest-editor in MS Word format. Author(s) name and contact information should be included on a SEPARATE page. All submissions will be acknowledged via email. Kindly contact the guest-editor if you do not receive acknowledgement for your submission. |