Vorathep (Dev) Sachdev is leading a project called “Global Bioethics Library” in collaboration with the Black and Brown in Bioethics (BBB) team. BBB are building an open-access library of resources that centres academic literature and other forms of knowledge (podcasts, images, blogposts, videos, etc.) related to bioethics and global health that are considered to be Sub-altern, Third World, Eastern, Global South, Regional, Religious, Decolonial, Postcolonial, Feminist, Queer, Indigenous, and Disability Ethics, among others.
Please provide any recommendations you have for such resources you have produced or have found helpful in your own learning/research/teaching/training using this form. Be as broad as possible in your suggestions, as we do not aim to classify what should and should not fit but hope to organise and introduce these resources in a way that can be user-friendly.
This library is a response to a shared experience we have heard from many colleagues internationally. Bioethics largely prioritises Western-centric texts as canonical work, leaving individual academics responsible for exploring “alternative” perspectives independently—a task that can be confusing and difficult to undertake alone. The library will be a resource for learning, researching, teaching, and training. In this shared effort to build a global library, we would appreciate your help in sending us any resources you may think are relevant.
If you have any questions, please contact the project lead, Dev (vorathep112@gmail.com).
The aim of this video series is to provide researchers with tools to develop and implement bioethics research projects with inclusive design principles that include the diverse demographics and lived experiences of marginalised groups, and relevant and appropriate theories and concepts.
Each 20–30-minute video introduces a nuanced understanding of a method, framework, or concept and directs audiences to related resources. The videos are freely accessible and include expertise contributed by experienced researchers working with different marginalised communities across the globe.
These videos can help researchers looking to question canonical empirical research methods in bioethics and learn more context-appropriate methods that they could use in developing and implementing their own research projects in inclusive ways.
Video series editorial team: Kumeri Bandara, Matimba Swana, Harleen Kaur Johal, Faiq Habash
The Need for Reflexivity – Supriya Subramani
In this video, Dr. Supriya Subramani discusses the concept of reflexivity. After introducing the concept, she explains the importance of reflexivity, underlining its role as a practice that is ethical, political, epistemological, and methodological.
About the speaker: Dr. Supriya Subramani is a social researcher focusing on moral emotions and ethics within health and illness, currently working as a lecturer in health ethics at the University of Sydney, Australia. Her research focuses primarily on applied philosophy, the philosophy of medicine, and qualitative health research. She is driven by an interest in understanding personal stories, narratives, and lived experiences, and how these intersect with one’s moral self and identity, and how they influence health ethics and illness discourse.
Language, Translation, and Cultural Competency — Mpoe Johannah Keikelame
In this video, Dr. Mpoe Johannah Keikelame discusses issues of language, translation, and cultural competency in decolonising research. She draws lessons from her qualitative research project that explored perspectives and subjective experiences of adults who have epilepsy and their carers in an urban township in Cape Town, South Africa.
About the speaker: Dr. Mpoe Johannah Keikelame is an independent qualitative research consultant with special interest in conversations that focusses on decolonising research methodologies. She received her PhD in Psychology from Stellenbosch University, in South Africa. Her published work highlights the importance of researchers to critically reflecting on fieldwork challenges on conducting research among the vulnerable and marginalized population groups. She shares some unexpected events in the field, which are of methodological importance in a decolonizing research process.
You can find more of Dr. Keikelame’s work at: linkedin.com/in/dr-mpoe-johannah-keikelame-8a536a144
Upcoming videos:
Envisioning Indigenous Citational Practice – Hana Burgess
Critical Process Matrix – Paola Buedo
Nuancing Consent – Mehrunisha Suleman
Using Theories and Frameworks: Gender and Sexual Variance, and Justice – Tiia Sudenkaarne
Bolder Bioethics: Demanding a Gold Standard in REDI Recommendations
Read BBB co-founders’ Open Peer Commentary on the need for Bolder Bioethics led by Kumeri, in response to Lee et al. (2024)’s recommendations for Bioethics program directors to promote Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI).
Bioethics has often neglected racial justice, despite calls from bioethicists of minoritised backgrounds. Leadership tends to overlook racism as an internal issue, highlighting the need for REDI initiatives. Lee et al. (2024) offer recommendations for anti-racist practices in bioethics, such as fostering research with diverse populations and building equitable community partnerships. However, as co-founders of the Black and Brown in Bioethics, we argue that these suggestions fall short of challenging the power imbalances in academia, allowing institutions to seem responsive without addressing the root causes of racial inequity.
Medical Humanities and Black and Brown in Bioethics are joining forces to transform the academic publishing landscape to cater to more diverse voices, knowledge, and audiences via the BBB Medical Humanities Research Forum. In a discussion on the Medical Humanities Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Brandy Schillace speaks with Matimba Swana and Kumeri Bandara about Black and Brown in Bioethics (BBB). The podcast explores BBB’s origins, its focus on social justice, and its role in creating a supportive community for scholars of color in bioethics.
Key points discussed include:
The lack of representation for people of color in UK bioethics.
The importance of addressing health inequalities and promoting racial equity.
The need for community-building among marginalised scholars, especially following events like George Floyd’s murder.
The BBB’s formation through informal conversations and meetings.
The challenges faced in publishing and academia, including biases and gatekeeping.
Medical Humanities and BBB’s plans for a research forum to support Black and Brown scholars in publishing and sharing their work.
Overall, the conversation highlights the power of community and the necessity for structural changes in academia to ensure equitable opportunities for all. You can listen to the full conversation via Medical HumanitiesPodcast with Matimba Swana and Kumeri Bandara.
Subscribe to the Medical Humanities Podcast in all podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. If you enjoy our podcast, please consider leaving us a review and a 5-star rating on the Medical Humanities Podcast iTunes page (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/medical-humanities-podcast/id961667204). Thank you for listening!
The First Black and Brown in Bioethics 2024 Conference “Engaging Diversity in Bioethics Theory and Practice”
The Black and Brown in Bioethics network aims to create spaces to discuss issues affecting ethnic minorities in the UK, nurture underrepresented communities through knowledge exchange, academic interactions and driving change in bioethics. This conference, organised by Matimba, focused on the theme “Engaging Diversity in Bioethics Theory and Practice”. BBB chose this theme for our first conference to counter the lack of active recognition and consideration given to meaningful engagement of diverse voices and experiences in the bioethics field.
We were very pleased to have participants in person and online from a range of disciplines and countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. We were grateful to our keynote speakers, Sridhar Venkatapuram (King’s College London) and Rita D’Alton-Harrison (Royal Holloway, University of London), fireside chat interviewees, Anna Dowrick (University of Oxford) and Tanvi Rai (University of Oxford), and panelists Alya Khan (London Metropolitan University), Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra (University of Edinburgh) and Mavis Machirori (Ada Lovelace Institute).
We were also delighted to be supported by our session chairs Jordan Parsons (University of Birmingham), Kumeri Bandara (University of Oxford), Jonathan Ives (University of Bristol), Rachael Gooberman-Hill (University of Bristol) as well as Eve Kamau, (Fabulous Minds Founder & Senior Director at Thermo Fishier Scientific), our volunteers Helen Smith, Shyamli Suneesh, Avgi Stavrou, Faiq Habash and funders the Institute of Medical Ethics; please visit ime-uk.org for further information, the Society for Applied Philosophy; please visit www.appliedphil.org, Fabulous Minds follow fabulousminsco on Instagram, and Inclusive Research Collective; please visit inclusiverc.com/. Lastly we enjoyed the comedy performance by Muhsin Yesilada who made us all laugh with antidotes about dark humour, misinformation and academia. The BBB24 music playlist was made by Harleen and can be found on Spotify.
Watch the webinar recordings here:
Congratulations to our prize winners:
Oral Abstract presentation winners
Patricia Neville (University of Bristol, UK) & Eleanor Fleming (University of Maryland, USA) A Critical Retelling of Dental Ethics Told Through “George Washington’s Complete Denture”
Whitney Cabey (Temple University, USA) Abolition in Medicine or Abolition of Medicine?: Exploring Carcerality in Biomedical Contexts
Poster Abstract elevator pitch winners
Nishita Nair (King’s College London, UK) Social research ethics codes and institutional ethics processes: Perspectives of researchers working with ethnic minority communities in the UK
Manisha Pahwa (McGill University, Cananda) Precision breast cancer screening and breast cancer disparities in South Asian people in Canada
Poster Abstract digital poster gallery winner
Deborah Francis (Queen’s University, Canada) A qualitative study of the needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour students in higher education
Reflections on “Kumeri, in conversation with Patricia Kingori, Agomoni Ganguli-Mitra and Ayesha Ahmad on activism and advocacy in bioethics as a postgraduate”.
In the Polyphony BBB co-founders discuss postgraduate activism and advocacy in UK bioethics, reflecting on a panel hosted by the Black and Brown in Bioethics (BBB) Network during the 2023 Postgraduate Bioethics Conference. This panel will also form an episode of our Power and Privilege podcast. The panel stressed the importance of social justice in academia, addressing inequalities and empowering postgraduates to engage in advocacy. Key points include:
Activism Definition: Advocating for political or social change is essential for overcoming institutional barriers.
Personal Journeys: Panelists shared how microaggressions led them to engage in activism, recognising the support from past leaders.
Challenges: Postgraduates face significant institutional and structural challenges, including the myth of meritocracy and navigating politics.
Strategic Engagement: Advocates should evaluate their institution’s dynamics and seek allies to share the burden of activism.
Identity in Research: Personal experiences shape research approaches, demonstrating the need for diverse recruitment methods.
Community Importance: Building strong communities fosters connection, support, and self-care among minority academics.
Storytelling Power: Sharing experiences enhances understanding and promotes healing within marginalised communities.
Diversifying Bioethics: A call to include diverse perspectives in bioethics to create an equitable future and empower communities.
The reflections highlight the significance of collaboration and advocacy for minority researchers in academia. You can find the full blog post in the Polyphony – https://thepolyphony.org/2023/12/20/bbb-network/.
