Ethical Disaster Response in (Virtual) Reality - 30th October

What’s on offer?

• 30th October, 4:30pm-6:30pm, The Heath Bookshop (R/O, Kings Court, 94 High St, King's Heath, Birmingham B14 7JZ)

Using VR headsets, participants will immerse themselves in a recent European refugee crisis situation for 10 minutes with the goal of identifying ethical issues specific to the given scenario. Participants will have access to extra information and an opportunity to unpack and discuss the ethical issues identified with the Disaster Ethicist academic organising the event.

What’s it about?

We are bombarded with scenes of disasters happening locally and around the world. Fortunately, few of us have the opportunity to ‘feel’ a disaster and so we are removed from the specifics and what this means for ethical decision making by those affected, those responding, and government bodies supporting the event.

Participants of this event will be offered an immersive VR experience paired with constructive methods for talking about and arguing your perspective of how we ethically should be responding to disasters.

This event is operating as a drop-in session. If you wish to attend please show up anytime in the hours indicated (up until 15min before the end) to use the VR, talk to experts and browse materials.

Who’s leading the event?

Event Leader: Dr Lauren Traczykowski, Senior Teaching Fellow at Aston University

Open to

This event is open to all adults (18+) and children (12+) if they are accompanied by an adult.

Of particular interest to

This event will be of interest to those working on/with/for refugee/migration issues and/or ethical disaster response. Those who are less interested in the specific topics covered, but who want to try out VR headsets, are equally encouraged to attend.

Scheduling information

30th October, 4:30pm-6:30pm, The Heath Bookshop (R/O, Kings Court, 94 High St, King's Heath, Birmingham B14 7JZ)