by NexDev | February 3, 2016 | Press Releases, News, Publications
The 2016 edition of the Bioethics Conferences, organized by Alliance VITA, gathered more than 6,000 individuals this year in 122 cities to address the theme: “Our society in need of healing, how to act in favor of a culture of life?” The conference ended on Monday February 1, with Tugdual Derville’s speech on the theme “Choose Humanity!” which was broadcast live via you tube.
For the third consecutive year, the Bioethics conferences have been broadcast simultaneously by a live video conference system. More than 6,000 individuals participated at these events in 111 cities in France and 11 cities abroad: Berlin, Brussels, Liege, Luxembourg, London, Rome, Zürich, Lausanne, Mohammedia in Morocco, New York and Quebec. The success of these training sessions indicates that participants have a strong interest in training and in being involved, and they desire to act in favor of cultural changes.
Alliance VITA’s general deputy, Tugdual Derville stated « This year we proposed a personal journey for the participants, giving them the opportunity to modify their implication in society according to their competence, their personal background and their desire. The initial feedback confirms our project’s pertinence; thanks to multiple initiatives our country is started to be ‘clothed in humanization’ in rich and varied forms. It is founded on a solid anthropological basis. The compass which indicates the direction to follow for integral humanism is in fact, expressed by two expressions simultaneously simple yet demanding: ‘each man and all men’, ‘all life-long and the life of all’. In the end, it means working together so that no one be excluded from Humanity.”
The program
One the theme “Our society in need of healing, how to act in favor of a culture of life?” the 4 evenings allowed time for profound reflection:
- The force of personal action ( each one’s identity, background, capacity, incentive)
- Humanitarian acts for the most vulnerable;
- Political action for rights and justice;
- Worldwide action for a culture in favor of life.
- This program was addressed using Alliance VITA’s specific approach which is enriched on the one hand by the experience of its’ listening services for people confronted with painful situations at the beginning or the end of life, and on the other hand, by its’ awareness-raising effort aimed at the general public and decision-makers. François-Xavier Pérès, Tugdual Derville, Caroline Roux, Henri de Soos, Valérie Boulanger and Dr. Xavier Mirabel shared their analyses and explained their convictions and the way the association acts, with Blanche Streb leading the conferences.
The highlights of these evenings
Adding to their speeches were five experts: philosophers François-Xavier Bellamy, Thibaud Collin and Martin Steffens, accompaniment specialist, Anne Davigo-Le Brun et legal doctor Grégor Puppinck. They clarified several indispensible concepts for action such as trials, bereavement, democracy, natural law, human rights, culture…
Alliance VITA also invited four founders of institutions dedicated to weak or vulnerable people to tell about their itinerary and their outlook on society: Laurent de Cherisey (Simon de Cyrène), Etienne Villemain (Les Maisons Lazare), Christian de Cacqueray (Catholic funeral services) and Jean-Marc Potdevin (Réseau Entourage). The manner that their social innovations were founded and carried out is a valuable source of example and emulation for all of us.
Over 100 experts and witnesses (doctors, university professionals) participated locally in numerous cities at the end of the national sessions, ending each evening with “regional time” to discuss issues on a local level in each town so desiring.
Our last evening’s finale with live coverage
The Bioethics Conferences were widely covered on social media, being at the top of the twitter popularity list for the last 3 evenings. Seeing the success of this unique training session, the last speech was broadcast live via the Alliance VITA Internet site in order to share the bioethical challenges that our society faces today with an even larger public.
Tugdual Derville, thus concluded the session with the subject “Choose humanity!” a crucial challenge, simultaneously both personal and collective, for which Humanity is confronted today.
>> Total: more than 1,200 surfers were connected adding to the 6,000 inscriptions, therefore measuring a 15% increase.
>> To see a ‘replay’ of the live conference
>> To see the photo album of the conference
by NexDev | February 3, 2016 | Bioethics, Medically Assisted Procreation
The court hearing for International abolishment of Maternity substitution was held on Tuesday February 2, 2016 at the National Assembly, while the question has also surfaced within international institutions.
Organized by several national and international feminist movements in the form of two round table discussions, this event aimed to mobilize representatives of the left to realize the gravity of the stakes at issue, and the urgency for taking action. The crucial issue is that the European States take responsibility so that a European initiative achieves prohibition of gestational surrogacy practices in all its facets, whether commercial or not.
Several speakers, from France and elsewhere drew an analogy with prostitution, clearly explaining that gestational surrogacy is not “ethical”. Renting a body for either sexual or reproductive use is completely contradictory to the principle of inalienability of the human body and the dignity of women. Concerning the children, they are not items to be sold or donated.
The manner in which Gestational surrogacy has become part of a reproduction “economy” was also strongly denounced, being the origin of today’s billion dollar “business” .
Several MP’s from the left, followed each other to the floor: the Socialist deputies, such as Laurence Dumont, Benoît Hamon, Elisabeth Guigou, but also Marie-George Buffet (Communist Party) and even European deputy, José Bové.
A first step has thus been achieved, which gives hope that the issue will evolve: the European Parliament has just voted a resolution in December 2015 to condemn Gestational surrogacy practices in all its forms.
There is however, another initiative which remains preoccupying: the report in process at the Council of Europe pre-empted by the Belgian senator, Petra de Sutter, a gynecologist who practices surrogacy in Belgium, where this practice is tolerated, without being legalized. The question of a conflict of interest was raised and it remains a source of controversy. The members of the commission for social issues met last January 27, during the plenary session of the Council in Strasbourg, but refused to examine the question. But the affair has not been concluded, moreover as it has been revealed that Dr. de Sutter has maintained professional ties with an Indian firm, which provides Gestational surrogacy as a profitable business practice.
Alliance VITA, actively involved in the No Maternity Traffic movement to universally forbid gestational surrogacy, calls for more intense citizen mobilization during the upcoming weeks to appeal to the parliamentarians at the Council of Europe.
To sign the petition visit the site www.nomaternitytraffic.eu
by NexDev | February 1, 2016 | End of life, News, Palliative care
An audience before the Family Court at the Reims Regional Magistrate Court was held on February 1, 2016 where the guardianship judge heard the arguments from different members of Vincent Lambert’s family concerning the possible nomination of a tutor for this man hospitalized in a semi-conscious state since 2008.
This procedure was initiated by the Reims Medical Center who appealed the State Procurer on July 23, 2015 to “request global protective measures and determine the referent that could legally represent” the patient (see attached chronology). Since that date, the Procurer has named the guardianship judge, who has been investigating the case for several months before holding the final audience.
During the audience, Vincent Lambert’s wife, who hitherto took a stance for applying a “protocol for the end of life”, explained that her husband “does not need a tutor, I am his spouse. If the courts decide that a tutor is needed, I am obviously legitimate” to be his guardian. The nephew François Lambert also esteemed that “the guardianship is unnecessary; it’s an additional threat for Vincent’s right not to be subjected to disproportionate treatment”. The parents’ attorney for his part, declared that the parents « request the naming of a guardian which would be the first step for a transfer to another medical center better adapted to his condition. Vincent has progressed since last year and his place is not at the Reims Medical Center where there is nothing else but a death project for him.”
Meanwhile, the procurer requisitioned appointing a guardian outside the family circle, as well as nominating two substitute tutors, including Rachel Lambert, Vincent’s wife.
The decision of the guardianship judge will be announced to the different parties next March 10th.
Note: The following document retraces the chronology since 2008 of this painful case, with the principle stages, whether they be medical, legal, or press-related aspects.
by NexDev | February 1, 2016 | Bioethics
On February 1, 2016, the British authorities for human reproduction and embryology, the HFEA, gave authorization to a research team to genetically modify human embryos for research purposes for the first time in the UK. This authorization involves using the CRISPR-Cas9 technique, which can specifically target genes in DNA. This is one of the very first authorizations of this type for genetic editing on human embryos.
The request was submitted last September 18. Kathy Niakan, who heads this research project, works on early embryonic development. She plans to study the genes involved during cell development which will then form the placenta, to try to determine why certain women have miscarriages.
Genetic editing of embryos for treatment purposes is forbidden in the United Kingdom. However, it has been authorized for research since 2009, provided the embryos are destroyed after a maximum of two weeks, and this condition remains valid for this unprecedented authorization.
The United Kingdom is taking giant leaps using these techniques, last year having been the first country to authorize conception of babies using 3 different DNA: the 3 Parents In-vitro Fertilization. To avoid transmission of genetic diseases by the biological mothers, the fertilization is combined with the enucleated egg cell from a donor which is re-injected with the genetic material from the mother.
Hugh Whittall, Director at Nuffield Council on Bioethics, reacted to this announcement by saying “ There are possible scenarios in which editing performed in a research context – for example to study genetic mutations causing an illness – might, if it becomes legally possible, be used in a treatment which would lead to the birth of a child(..)”.
To cite Tugdual Derville « This authorization is a typical example of the Trojan horse transgression: the perspective of a genetically modified human (GMH) is based on human embryo manipulation, which is edited, and then destroyed. It is treated as a guinea pig, justifying the sacrifice of its’ dignity by the quest for therapeutic advancement.”
But what will the next step be? Or the upcoming demands? Certainly, the CRISPR-Cas9 technique is promising: giving us glimpse of amazing progress in genetic therapy. But when the human embryo or human gametes are at stake, the ethical issues raised are crucial. More than just a principle of precaution, it is the necessary protection of all human being which should apply. This authorization shows that we are beyond the stage of alert. The era of designer babies and transmissible editing of the human genome might be there soon: the worldwide heritage of humanity which should be collectively protected is in danger.”
by NexDev | January 28, 2016 | Bioethics
More than 6,000 participants followed the 3rd evening on Bioethics training dedicated to « political action for rights and justice”.
Tugdual Derville introduced the evening by sharing his accurate and clear-headed political vision, inviting us to be aware that “we are ‘all politicians” and calling for us to get involved in serving justice.” Alliance VITA’s General Deputy suggested using a compass for us to share a comprehensive humanism: to respect the human being in its entirety and all human beings, all aspects of life, and the life of all. Then he outlined his advice for acting “truthfully for life”: accept the complexity; adopt a language serving the truth, work towards one’s own freedom, act with prudence and be audacious to link up with others.
For his part, Thibaud Collin, philosopher, author, and speaker, explained the fondamentals, roles, capacities and pertinence of “natural law”. This expert on moral and political philosophy subjects demonstrated that natural law offers indispensable reference points for democracy, to fully implement the respect of fundamental human rights.
Caroline Roux, Alliance VITA’s Deputy General Representative and director of VITA International, broadcasting from Washington introduced a clip of perspectives on bioethical challenges abroad.
By video, 3 persons were interviewed. From Switzerland, François-Xavier Putallaz, professor of Philosophy at the University in Fribourg. For Canada : journalist, Michèle Boulva. And for Switzerland, Carine Brochier, project coordinator at the European Bioethics Institute in Brussels who organizes regional cycles of the Bioethics conferences.
Guest speaker as a « Great Founder » during this 3rd evening was Christian de Cacqueray, Director of Catholic Funeral Services. Having wide experience with individuals in mourning, he was invited to explain how he reacted, alerted, and got involved when he became aware of the unfairness of the pending Health bill.
The Government’s article, which aims to forbid embalming at home, thus making more complex the paper work, and more difficult the mourning process of the deceased person, appeared to him as unfair, useless, and harmful. He thus became involved, by meeting with MP’s and journalists, in defense of the common good, to block this reform. Thanks to this experience, the author of “Parcours d’adieux, chemins de vie” (Farewell Paths, Journeys for Life) is able to remind all of us that death has a message for all human beings on the essence of existence, and this is the reason why “death must not be confiscated from us”.
Then the participants were invited to view the video entitled » I am a GMO”. This short clip, which humorously presents a serious subject, brings to light the era which is unfolding before our eyes: that of “custom-made babies”. The emergence of techniques allowing human genome editing raise serious ethical issues.
Alliance VITA’s General Secretary and Head of Political Relations, Henri de Soos then invited us to reflect on the adequate means for a fair political action, in the noble sense of the term, meaning to deal with town affairs and to be at the service of people. Using some examples of action plans, he provided us principles, approaches, and reference points which can be useful to all of us.
The evening concluded by a round table discussion with the 4 invited guests, questions and answers from the 120 interconnected cities, which allowed further insight on issues such as relativism, freedom of conscience, and the importance of voting according to one’s conscience (..)
>> Unprecedented for the next and last evening :
Dedicated to “Global action in favor of a culture of life”, this 4th evening will be concluded by Tugdual Derville‘s speech available live via Internet and visible by all those who wish to do so via Alliance VITA’s internet site. The objective is to invite each individual to reflect on a capital question which concerns all of us: faced with a humanity which is today capable of self-destruction, how can one “choose humanity”?
With its 6,000 participants, 120 cities in France, and 11 outside France, this unprecedented cycle of bioethical training has been genuinely successful, including on social networks since the evening was widely shared: for the second time our hashtag #UDVie was in the top 5 on Twitter.
