Eurograd message

FYI

Hi Friends,

I hope you are well. I am sharing this message within Anti-GMO/ tech critical and precautionary science networks to encourage folks , especially younger activists, scholars and communicatorsto come forward to participate in an interesting event that will take place in February 2025 in California USA.

As you may know February 2025 is the 50th anniversary of the notorious Asilomar meeting on Recombinant DNA where most the scientists in the then new field of genetic engineering met to discuss what limits to put on theirscientific field - having just agreed a temporary moratorium on their own lab work.  In an attempt to avoid regulatory controls being imposed by government they were proposing setting up voluntary governance. The 'Asilomar moment' is widely lauded or decried as either a moment ofgreat scientific responsibility or gross evasion of oversight depending where you sit on the political spectrum on how biotech and new technologies should be governed.

Fifty years later a group led by Science historians, STS scholars and also a leading synthetic biologist  are mounting a 50-years-later conference at Asilomar itself  - called 'The Spirit of Asilomar' which will attempt to convene a broad group of folks from all sides of the debates on biotech to learn from 50 years of history - see more about this onthis website: https://www.spiritofasilomar.org and also in the description below. You can also read an article just published in Science by one of the organisers, Science historian Luis Campo: https://www.science.org/stoken/author-tokens/ST-2138/full

Personally I find this initiative interesting and somewhat trust the people putting this together and that this will not just be another industry whitewash. I encourage others to take a look and consider also maybe engaging with this timely initiative.

In particular the organizers are raising funds to support fifty young people to attend so that there is a significant block of folks with adifferent voice and clear stake in the future of how biotech is governed and develops - especially in the context of new AI developments. I think it would be excellent if you know of any younger (under 40?) anti-GMO activists , movement leaders, independent journalists,, critical scientists and scholarsto please encourage them to consider applying for this 'next generation leaders' scholarship. If selected they will have their travel to Asilomar, lodging, visas and conference fees covered. The form to fill in is not very onerous and applications need to be in by 18th October - see https://www.spiritofasilomar.org/next-generation-leaders  - They especially seek international applicants (beyond the US).

I've talked a bit with the organizers and if any young folks want to learn more or ask questions I'd be happy to be in touch with them . My email address is jim@scanthehorizon.org  . I do think this could be an interestingopportunity for a meaningful intergenerational , international encounter that speaks across difference and just maybe could contribute to shifting our problematic and broken governance around biotech, synthetic biology and emerging technologies - depending on who is in the room.

best,

Jim Thomas

http:/./www.scanthehorizon.,org

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More about the 'Spirit of Asilomar' conference from the organizers:

"The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology" will occur on the 50th anniversary of the 1975 international meeting on recombinant DNA molecules. We are convening a broad group to learn from 50 years of history and discuss topics and puzzles intertwined within biotechnology today, including:

• artificial intelligence
• pathogens research & biological weapons
• deployment of biotechnologies beyond conventional containment
• bioeconomic framing, and failure of flourishing
• new frontiers in synthetic cells

These exact topics and their framing will evolve over the next nine months.

"Spirit of Asilomar" will begin on the evening of Sunday 23 February 2025 and finish with lunch on Wednesday 26 February 2025. We expect over 300 diverse stakeholders to participate, from professionals and publics to next-generation leaders.

"Spirit of Asilomar" is being organized and underwritten by researchers and scholars at Rice University, Stanford University, and the Science History Institute. We expect others will join in support of this public benefit event.

Sincerely,

Drew Endy, Stanford University

Luis Campos, Rice University

David Cole & Michelle DiMeo, Science History Institute

—

Next Generation Leaders scholarship

The Spirit of Asilomar's Next Generation Leaders (NGL) program invites applications from young- to mid-career actors who seek to contribute to and lead towards better biotic futures.

Awardees will be provided with transportation to and from the conference, covered registration, and lodging and meals for the duration of the event. Awardees will be invited and expected to be full participants in the discussions at hand and will additionally be offered dedicated mentorship and networking opportunities.

One critique of the 1975 meeting was that many were excluded. Most notable was the exclusion of younger people. One then young biologist who was not invited--but later became a prominent university president--shared recently, "I was a victim of Asilomar," meaning that decisions made by others in 1975 influenced what she could do.

Because she and other next generation leaders were excluded from the 1975 convening, subsequent discussions for how to govern ongoing developments in emerging biotechnology have remained relatively static even as events, from bioterrorism to pandemics, reveal the urgent need for continuous and self-renewing leadership.

To directly address this issue we will include 50 next generation leaders as full participants in the 2025 convening. These young leaders will form a global fellowship who together can serve as catalysts for strategic, proactive, and effective governance of biotechnologies not just today but over the next 50 years.

We welcome applications from early career scholars, from undergraduates to assistant professors, across the humanities to the natural sciences and engineering; from early career leaders in government and civil society organizations; and from early career professionals in the arts. International applications are particularly encouraged.

Fellows will be selected based on their potential for extraordinary future contributions and leadership along with accomplishments to date. Selection of the fellowship will also consider the overall diversity of perspectives, backgrounds, interests, and capabilities along with geographic region.

Review of applications will begin Friday, October 18, 2024.

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