World Transhumanist Association

The World Transhumanist Association (WTA) is an international non-governmental organization which advocates the ethical use of emerging technologies to enhance human capacities.

History

The WTA was founded as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 1998 by Nick Bostrom and David Pearce.Cite news | last = Sutherland | first = John | author-link = | title = The ideas interview: Nick Bostrom | publisher = The Guardian | date = 2006-05-09 | url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/ideas/story/0,,1770736,00.html] It began working toward the recognition of transhumanism as a legitimate subject of scientific inquiry and public policy.

The WTA has spawned a host of chapters around the world. In total there are nearly two-dozen formed or forming local groups—one on virtually every continent. A dozen transhumanist groups in the United States, Europe, South America and Asia have also formally affiliated with the WTA.

In possible contrast to the defunct Extropy Institute,cite paper| author = Extropy Institute| title = Next Steps| date = 2006 | url = http://www.extropy.org/future.htm| accessdate=2006-05-05] WTA officials considered that social forces could undermine their futurist visions and needed to be addressed.cite book| author = Hughes, James| title = Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future| publisher = Westview Press| year = 2004| id = ISBN 0-8133-4198-1] A particular concern is the equal access to human enhancement technologies across classes and borders.cite web | last = Ford | first = Alyssa | authorlink = | title = Humanity: The Remix | work = Utne Magazine | publisher = | date = May / June 2005 | url = http://www.twliterary.com/jhughes_utne.html | accessdate = 2007-03-03] In 2006, William Saletan of Slate reported a political struggle within the transhumanist movement between the libertarian right and the liberal left resulting in a more centre-leftward positioning of the WTA under its former executive director James Hughes. [cite web | last = Saletan | first = William | authorlink = William Saletan | title = Among the Transhumanists | publisher = Slate.com | date = 2006-06-04 | url = http://www.slate.com/id/2142987/fr/rss/ | accessdate = 2007-03-03 ]

Objectives

The objectives of the WTA are: [cite website|title=WTA Constitution and By-Laws|url=http://www.transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/constitution/]
# to support discussion and public awareness of emerging technologies;
# to defend the right of individuals in free and democratic societies to adopt technologies that expand human capacities;
# to anticipate and propose solutions for the potential consequences of emerging technologies.

Programs and activities

The WTA established the "Journal of Transhumanism". More recently, it renamed its journal the "Journal of Evolution and Technology" and transferred it to the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, and launched a webzine/blog called "Transhumanity" .

The WTA also holds an annual conference called TransVision. Past conferences include

* TransVision98, June 5-7: Weesp, The Netherlands, Europe
* TransVision99, June 4-6: Stockholm, Sweden, Europe
* TransVisionMM, July 15-16: London, England, Europe
* TransVision01, June 22-24: Berlin, Germany, Europe
* TransVision03, June 27-29: Yale University, USA, North America
* TransVision04, August 6-8: University of Toronto, Canada, North America, with nearly 125 participants including Steve Mann, Robert K. Logan and Robin Hanson.cite news | last = Bailey | first = Ronald | authorlink = Ronald Bailey | title = The Transhumans Are Coming! | publisher = Reason Online | date = 2004-08-11 | url = http://www.reason.com/news/show/34859.html | accessdate = 2007-03-02 ] cite journal | author=Daly, Bernard | title=Transhumanism| journal=America: The National Catholic Weekly| year=2004-10-25| volume=191| issue=12| url=http://www.americamagazine.org/gettext.cfm?articleTypeID=1&textID=3826&issueID=501]
* TransVision05, July 22-24: Caracas, Venezuela, South America
* TransVision06, August 17-19: University of Helsinki, Finland, Europe, with a simultaneous virtual online conference. The theme of the conference was Emerging Technologies of Human Enhancement. [ [http://transhumanismi.org/tv06/index.php TransVision 2006 - Emerging Technologies of Human Enhancement ] ]
* TransVision07, July 24-26: Chicago, USA, North America. The theme of the conference was Transforming Humanity: Innerspace to Outerspace. [ [http://www.transvision2007.com/ www.transvision2007.com ] ]

In 2006, the WTA adopted the following programs of activity: [cite website|title=Programs of the World Transhumanist Association|url=http://transhumanism.org/index.php/WTA/programs/]
#"Campaign for the Rights of the Person": A campaign to modify national laws and international human rights conventions to establish (a) that bodily autonomy, reproductive rights, and cognitive liberty should be explicitly recognized and protected, (b) that universal access to enabling technologies ("including such things as education and medicine") is a right in itself, and a precondition for all other rights, (c) personhood, sentience, and capacity for having morally relevant interests are the bases of rights-bearing, not humanness or the human genome.
#"Campaign for Longer Better Lives": A campaign for a multinational research program to develop therapies to slow aging.
#"Campaign for Future Friendly Culture": A campaign to encourage balanced and constructive portrayals of longevity, human enhancement and emerging technologies in popular culture.

Notable members

* Nick Bostrom
* David Pearce
* James Hughes
* Danila Medvedev

References

External links

WTA and affiliated organizations

* [http://www.transhumanism.org World Transhumanist Association] , official website
* [http://www.transhumanism.org/campus Transhumanist Student Network] , a student/youth organization affiliated with the WTA
* [http://www.hplusclub.com h+] , a transhumanist campus outreach organization

Media coverage

#" [http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050724/BUSINESS/107240056/-1/SPORTS02 Professor believes cyborgs are people, too] ". Nashua Telegraph
#" [http://www.raidersnewsnetwork.com/full.php?news=3177 The Most Dangerous Idea On Earth?] ". Raider News
#" [http://www.thomasmoreinstitute.org.uk/mcnamee.html Transhumanism, Biotechnology and Slippery Slopes] ". Thomas More Institute
#" [http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=062304D Death Be Not Proud] ". TCS Daily
#" [http://www.mcgilldaily.com/view.php?aid=5637 Drugs and marriage go together like a horse and carriage] ". McGill Daily
#" [http://www.nyinquirer.com/nyinquirer/2006/08/how_many_transh.html How Many Transhumanists Does it Take . . . ?] " New York Inquirer
#" [http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/083004/sta_livelong001.shtml Transhumanists envision 400-year lifespans] ". Macomb Daily
#" [http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2005/01/greatbytehope.php The Great Byte Hope] ". This Magazine
#" [http://ifrl.org/IFRLDailyNews/041021/4/ Biotech Issues Increasingly Political] ". Illinois Federation for the Right to Life Daily News
#" [http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/dacey_24_4.htm The New Perfectionism] ". Council for Secular Humanism
#" [http://www.radionetherlands.nl/features/cultureandhistory/041203vh The self-made man: equality, democracy, and the cyborg era] ". Radio Netherlands
#" [http://www.thenewatlantis.com/archive/11/rubinprint.htm The Rhetoric of Extinction] ". The New Atlantis