CELLS seminar: Dr Eduardo Diaz Amado "The decriminalisation of euthanasia in Colombia - is it all about dignified death?"

As a result, a movement advocating for dignity in dying and the right to make decisions regarding end-of-life issues has steadily gained momentum. Concurrently, there has been a global surge in the legalisation of euthanasia, an important step taken by Colombia in 1997. Since then, the national debate on euthanasia has not abated, and interestingly, but no less problematically, there has been further legislation on this matter.

The Colombian case deserves examination and may serve as a model for other countries in the region and beyond. It is a good example of how ethical, legal and political perspectives should be considered together when debating bioethical matters such as what constitutes a dignified death and euthanasia.
In my paper, I will show that the debate on euthanasia needs to be addressed from a different point of view. Rather than framing the debate as a novel perspective on death and dying, I argue that what is at stake is the reconfiguration of subjectivities in the neoliberal era.

I will briefly sketch the history of euthanasia in Colombia, identifying common elements with other countries and stressing the differences. Thereafter, I will analyse the role played by different actors and institutions, such as Congress, religious faiths, the medical establishment and bioethical perspectives.

Biography: Dr Eduardo Diaz Amado is the director of the Institute of Bioethics in the School of Philosophy, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. He is a physician, psychoanalyst and writer and has been working in the field of bioethics and medical humanities for the last 20 years. He has been actively involved in the Columbian debate around dignity in dying and euthanasia, focusing upon analysing its bases, evolution and outcomes. He has published several peer-reviewed articles and book chapter on the topic. His broader research interests include the intersecting fields of mental health, society, culture, and psychoanalysis; and the history of medical ethics and bioethics.

Speakers:  Dr Eduardo Diaz Amado

Hosts: Dr Samantha Halliday and Prof. Shaun Pattinson

This is an online event, please sign up using the following Zoom Link: https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gHrQmN9CR16uJYKxUnQbjw