Genetic Discussion Town Hall Meetings

[Guest guest]

ANNOUNCEMENT: An opportunity to attend a Genetic Town Meeting

for an in-depth dialogue on reproductive genetic technologies

and to help shape public policy.

Participants will discuss issues such as: What are acceptable

uses of genetic testing? What limitations should be established

and who should enforce them? Are we doing all that we can to

promote safety and efficacy? What is the future impact on individuals,

families, and society? The viewpoints and opinions expressed

at the Genetic Town Halls will be shared with policy makers to

help shape policy discussions locally and in Washington, DC.

Below is the note that came to the Spastic Paraplegia Foundation,

Inc. regarding this opportunity. Please contact the individuals

listed below for more information.

_______________

Dear Colleague,

We want to share with you information about an exciting new project

the Genetics and Public Policy Center is undertaking to involve

the public in policy discussions about reproductive genetic technologies.

The Center, with funding from The Pew Charitable Trusts, is sponsoring

a series of Genetic Town Halls this summer in six cities across

the country. A Genetic Town Hall: Making Every Voice Count will

be held in:

Sacramento, California on June 29;

Seattle, Washington on July 1; Kalamazoo, Michigan on July 19;

Fort Worth, Texas on July 31;

New York City, New York on August 2; and

Nashville, Tennessee on August 4.

As an organization that has an important stake in policy discussions

around these issues, we invite you or a member of your organization

to attend a Genetic Town Hall to observe first hand this exciting

project.

Each Genetic Town Hall is free and open to the pubic and will

gather a diverse cross-section of citizens and community leaders

to engage in an in-depth dialogue on reproductive genetic technologies.

Participants will discuss complex issues such as: What are acceptable

uses of genetic testing? What limitations should be established

and who should enforce them? Are we doing all that we can to

promote safety and efficacy? What is the future impact on individuals,

families, and society? The viewpoints and opinions expressed

at the Genetic Town Halls will be shared with policy makers to

help shape policy discussions locally and in Washington, DC.

We take it as a given that, in a vibrant democracy such as ours,

public opinion plays a decisive role in driving political debate

and policy decisions. As decision-makers grapple with the many

policy matters related to genetics, they will want to know what

the public knows, thinks, fears and hopes for from advances in

genetics. The Center has conducted in-depth research on the public's

attitudes through focus groups, interviews, and surveys.

We are, however, keenly aware that as we solicit public opinion,

we are asking individuals to comment complicated technologies

and a confusing array of social and ethical issues about which

they may have had little opportunity to reflect.

We believe that we will be able to get a richer perspective of

how people from diverse backgrounds grapple with the challenges

presented by these technologies if they first have an opportunity

to learn more about the technologies and their implications and

then engage in debate and deliberation with fellow citizens.

If you or someone from your organization plans on attending a

Genetic Town Hall, please let us know so that we can alert our

local coordinator.

For more information, please visit www.dnapolicy.org and follow

the link for The Genetic Town Hall or contact us at .

Sincerely,

Kathy Hudson, Ph.D.

Director

Khudson5@...

Joan A. , M.S., C.G.C.

Deputy Director

Jscott22@...