Die Kollegen von Genital Autonomy suchen für ihre Konferenz im September noch Redner, die über die Situation in Deutschland referieren möchten. Schwerpunkt der diesjährigen Konferenz zu genitaler Selbstbestimmung werden die neueren Entwicklungen in Europa sein; es ist mit einer hochkarätigen Besetzung und medialer Aufmerksamkeit zu rechnen.

Ich bin gebeten worden, Vorschläge bezüglich geeigneter Referenten zu machen. Wenn also jemand eine Idee hat, wen man ansprechen könnte oder sich selbst vorstellen kann, im September nach England zu reisen, würde ich mich um eine kurze Info (hier oder per privater Nachricht) freuen. Danke.

Die Unterbringung an der Universität Keele soll sehr gut sein. Ich werde wahrscheinlich schon am Freitag fliegen, am Samstag einige Intaktivisten aus aller Welt treffen und bis Mittwoch bleiben.

Du darfst verstehen, dass die Universität auch für Kontinentaleuropäer beliebiger Provenienz angemessene Übernachtungsmöglichkeiten bereithält Wer dennoch nicht schlafen kann, ist möglicherweise durch andere Dinge traumatisiert - was diesen Punkt betrifft, kann keine Garantie übernommen werden.

Ihr könnt euch jetzt für einen Newsletter von Genital Autonomy registrieren. Außerdem steht jetzt das Programm der Konferenz von Keele fest und es wird auf eine Veranstaltung Ende September in Brighton verwiesen. Hier die Informationen von GA im Original:

Genital Autonomy now has an online magazine and we invite you to sign up
for it through our website genitalautonomy.org.

Our website includes an interview with midwife Mary Cronk M.B.E. who
recounts her experiences of midwifery from the mid nineteen fifties when
male circumcision was much more common in the United Kingdom. Mary also
describes her developing awareness of the harm caused by non-therapeutic
genital modification. Genital Autonomy is honoured to have Mary on our
board of trustees. Please watch this interview recorded in spring 2013.

Members of Genital Autonomy and other organisations worldwide will also be
playing a major part in a two day conference at Keele University,
Staffordshire on 16th and 17th September. The conference run by Genital
Autonomy is entitled Promoting children’s rights in Europe: recent
developments.

There are a number of interesting presentations including one from John
Dalton who is a Genital Autonomy trustee and researcher. John will give
the first presentation on Monday. His talk is entitled Tale of two
cities. Using the Cologne ruling and the American Association of
Pediatrics task force document on circumcision John will explore the
differing cultural perspectives which led to such different conclusions
being reached and how the input of medical bodies into the development of
international perspectives in a number of countries could affect the
recommendations of the UN He will also seek to explore the significance
of this in respect of current debate in Denmark.

Other speakers on Monday include ethicist Matthew Johnson, who will be
speaking about invasive rites, neutrality and equality, bearing the
burdens and consequences of belief, a representative from Children’s
Rights International Network (CRIN} will be talking about their latest
policy documents relating to unnecessary genital surgery and Michelle
O’Brien will be exploring the impact of the inclusion of intersex into UN
documents which was a breakthrough and describe the example of Australia
and touch on the situation in Europe. She will explore, where the medical
profession seem to have given up unsupportable interventions for some
groups, while retaining a medical justification for purely cosmetic
procedures in others on the basis that this what parents want

Dr Antony Lempert from The Secular Medical Forum will be speaking about
U.N. developments. and will also expand on the new General Medical
Council policy on Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice, British Medical
Association inaction and medical developments.


This exciting programme continues on Tuesday 17th September, where our
first presenter will be J Steven Svoboda, the head of Attorneys for the
Rights of the Child followed by presentations from activists working
throughout Europe talking about the challenges and opportunities they
face.

A representative from the London Metropolitan Police will be talking about
their FGM initiative called Operation Azure which will be followed by a
talk by charitable organisation working in this area and the challenges
they face.

The day will continue with Frederick Hodges. The title of his
presentation is Cognitive Dissonance and its role in perpetuating harmful
cultural practices: An historical perspective

To round off the day, James Chegwidden will talk about “The Assault We
Ignore – the unlawfulness of non-consensual genital cutting of boys in the
UK; and why (almost) nothing is done about it, and Professor Marie Fox
from Birmingham School of Law will be talking about her latest research in
this area.

Further details and booking information is on the Genital Autonomy website
genitalautonomy.org

We would like to ask everyone to circulate details of this conference as
widely as possible. . It is important that the message reaches those who
would benefit from attending this groundbreaking conference including
child protection officials and policy makers so that they can learn that
unnecessary genital surgery must stop.

Also in September, members of Genital Autonomy will be speaking at
The Third National Conference for Men and Boys which will include a
section dealing with the unnecessary circumcision of boy. It takes place
in Brighton & Hove from Wed 25th - Sun 29th September 2013. Further
details at the following link
facebook.com/mensconferenceuk?hc_location=stream

David Smith
Chief Officer
Genital Autonomy