Schema Magazine

I moderated this contentious discussion as part of Simon Fraser University's Philosophers' Café. It explored the ethics and repercussions of Canada's recruitment of health care workers from the Philippines.

Background

The yearly loss of more than 5,000 health workers (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, caregivers) to countries around the world has serious ramifications that affect the health of Filipinos. At the crux of this migration phenomena is a moral question: Is it ethical for developed countries to recruit health workers from developing countries?

Short presentations will be made by Lawrence Santiago, a PhD Candidate who will share some of his fieldwork and research on the recruitment of Filipino health workers around the world; Jeremy Snyder, a Philosophy/Health Sciences Professor at Simon Fraser University, whose writing has focused on ethical obligations in the areas of health worker migration; and Nora Angeles, an Associate Professor at the School of Community and Regional Planning and the Women's and Gender Studies Undergraduate Program at the University of British Columbia (you can read more about Nora's work on the CWAGS Faculty website).

An ongoing effort of SFU's Continuing Studies to facilitate meaningful discussion, open to the public, on 'burning issues of the day', the award-winning SFU Philosophers' Cafe celebrates 12 years in Metro Vancouver. Check the 2010 cafe calendar at philosopherscafe.net.