by NexDev | September 15, 2017 | News
The French Prime Minister named Cédric Villani (LREM) to head a special task force on artificial intelligence. His assignment is to establish a national strategy, in order for France to be competitive in this field.
Villani has previously participated in the FranceIA, (“France: Artificial Intelligence”) group, set up in early 2017 by François Holland’s government. He has also been appointed as president of OPECST, (the Parliamentary Office for the Evaluation of Scientific and Technological Choices) and must therefore specify the economic and ethical challenges raised by artificial intelligence, and propose guidelines for action. In the summary submitted on March 21, FranceIA gave the following definition of AI: “The term “artificial intelligence” generally includes ideas based on the human brain and cognition, to support individuals in processing massive amounts of information “.
One of the major challenges for AI is the legal and regulatory framework to promote the development of applications while respecting our personal data, our social framework and our model of society.
![[Press Release] MAP without a father: Alliance VITA involved in defense of children](https://www.alliancevita.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PMAsansPere-1080x675.jpg)
by NexDev | September 12, 2017 | Medically Assisted Procreation, Press Releases
Alliance VITA speaks out on Marlene Schiappa’s recent affirmation that for the upcoming bioethical law revision, the government will propose that Medically-assisted Procreation (MAP) be extended “to all women” without any pre-requisite of establishing medical infertility.
As Coordinator for the Alliance VITA’s Hotline Listening Center, Caroline Roux claims: “How seriously ironic that the State Secretary, whose task is to work in favor of equality for women and men, asserts that MAP without a father is an issue of “social justice”. What an improper use of terminology! This is a return to the law of the jungle where “might is right” for the survival of the fittest, while recommending an original injustice for children. This is double punishment for children: starting from the original mistreatment of purposefully depriving them of their biological origins, plus cutting them off from any paternal relationship. This is truly original mistreatment and an abuse of power being inflicted on children, by refusing the dual paternal and maternal filiation which constitutes their identity. With the domino effect, some minority groups will then claim that surrogate mothers should be made available to men who also desire children.”
Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate, also reminds us: “We call on the President of the French Republic. It is for him to tell us what his priorities are for France. The government cannot ignore the huge risk of opening a new social cleavage which would deeply divide the French, whereas what is needed more than ever, is to gather together, calmly, with even tempers. If President Emmanuel Macron created this social smoke screen, we should protest its unfairness to the children by marching in the streets. In VITA, as well as many different associations from various political and philosophical backgrounds, we are strongly positioned against MAP without a father, in the name of the “right of the child” compared to the “right to have a child”. It’s a question of working together to prevent this landmark upheaval toward the global procreation market. In ultra-liberalism, the rights of the weak and feeble are ignored, since human beings are visualized as a product that one can acquire. We are all prepared to march in the streets with the largest number of participants possible based on our common convictions. The honor of France, as the country of Universal Human Rights, must be defended by resisting the commodification of the body.”
by NexDev | September 8, 2017 | News
On Thursday September 7, 2017, the Hubertine Auclert Center* presented the Regional Council for the Ile de France region, with a report entitled “Better Protection and Support for Children, Co-victims of Domestic Violence”. Just a few days earlier, the Ministry of the Interior had announced that in 2016, domestic violence was responsible for the death of 25 children.
The report was initiated by INSEE’s observation that domestic violence was being widely underestimated: “In France, an average, of 143,000 children live in homes where women have declared being sexually and/or physically abused by their partner, with two thirds of the children witnessing repeated abuse; and 42% of the children are under age 6.”
The Shaken Baby Syndrome is also reported on a regular basis. Every year, 200 babies are victims from this type of abuse.
One can observe reticence in reporting child abuse. In fact, people appear ready to intercede when they see a woman being abused in public. However, for a child, they tend to be reluctant to get involved in “family affairs”. “People do not feel collectively responsible” reports Anne Larcher, Director of “CFPE-Enfants Disparus”(French Center for Children Protection), who coordinates the crisis hotline center within the telephone number “116 000”.
In the hope of breaking the silence and this reticence “to get involved in other people’s business” the previous minister, Laurence Rossignol, under François Holland’s regime, presented an inter-ministerial plan to combat child abuse on March 1st, with the slogan: “Child in danger? If in doubt, react!”
The main themes addressed in this regional report are the following:
- Take greater account of the protection of children in situations of marital violence.
- Reinforce child protection in court decisions concerning parental authority for marital violence cases.
- Acknowledge, by penal law, that the child is a victim of psychological abuse when he is exposed to marital violence.
- Reinforce supportive measures for children, as co-victims to receive specialized care.
Fortunately, domestic violence is not always fatal, but it can have a significant impact on children’s health, behavior and development; not to mention the risk that as adults, they may reproduce the violence they witnessed as a child.
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* Center for Equality between Women and Men, an organization created in 2009 by the Ile-de-France Regional Council
by NexDev | September 7, 2017 | News, Old age and Dependency
Created at the beginning of August, 2017, the Parliamentary Mission on nursing homes, is scheduled to report its’ initial findings on September 13, 2017.
After 117 days of strike by healthcare personnel at the “Opalines” Nursing Home in Foucherans, in the French region of Jura, this mission was launched, with Deputy Monique Iborra (LREM: “La République en marche” party), as rapporteur. In mid-July, the French newspaper “Le Monde” published an investigation on the ongoing circumstances at this nursing home. Additional media sources reported similar situations due to the lack of funding, in other regions.
This is the first « flash mission » for the new Legislature, conducted by the National Assembly’s Social Affairs Commission. “The objective of this new verification tool is to quickly establish a perception of the Nursing Home situation and initiate propositions for more comprehensive work by the committee during the legislative term.”
After some twenty hearings performed in record time, the rapporteur will present her initial findings to the Commission on September 13th, at 10 am, transmitted live via the Assembly’s site, as an initial step before undertaking 6 months of more comprehensive field work in nursing homes.
As emphasized by Professor Emmanuel Hirsch, in an op-ed forum published September 4, in Figarovox, this is not a question of denying the dedicated care that these institutions and caretakers give the elderly. “Although seldom recognized, nursing home professionals often perform their work in an exemplary manner. I have seen their commitment with individuals affected by their ability to express their wishes, who are “placed” in an institution, when “home-stay is deemed impossible”. (…) Among those who protest for humanitarian principles which they deem unconditional, some decided to publically protest this summer. Let’s remain attentive to the purpose of their outcries. Together we should reflect on solutions to encourage proposals for dignified and quality care within nursing homes.”
One of the issues raised concerns about the current reform regarding tariffs. On a more general basis, taking care of dependent elders is a major issue for our society, which concerns every one of us, not only institutions, but also families, and society as a whole.
by NexDev | September 7, 2017 | Difficult pregnancy, News
Recently the British Medical Journal published the results of INSERM’s « EPIPAGE-2 » research study which demonstrated that in the past 20 years, preterm infants live longer and have fewer complications.
The EPIPAGE-2 research team studied over 5,500 infants born between April and December 2011 at 22 to 34 weeks’ gestation (5 to 7 ½ months). The data were collected from questionnaires completed by families and treating physicians.
In France, approximately 50,000 babies are born premature every year, accounting for 7% of births; with 8,000 of these being considered “extremely preterm” meaning prior to 31 weeks (7 months) of pregnancy.
In 2011, for babies born prior to 7 months’ gestation, the survival rate without any major complications, at two years of age, was 80.5% compared to 74.5% for children born in 1997. Study coordinator, Professor Pierre-Yves Ancel, pointed out: “The premature infants not only had improved survival rates but there were no motor or sensorial disabilities in the follow-up period.”
According to Professor Pierre-Yves Ancel: « The big difference with the late 1990’s is that nowadays there is a systematic and organized follow-up for preterm infants, thanks to implementing a network of doctors and other professionals”, which covers almost the whole nation, even if we still observe some regional differences in care for preterm infants. Thus the prognostic for extreme preterm infants may vary up to 50% according to the region of birth.
Furthermore, parents today are more often requested to become involved in their babies’ care. For example, the staff may suggest gentle and soothing skin-to-skin contact to comfort their child. The objective is to counterbalance the preterm infants’ technical environment with “a velvet revolution” as initiated by the USA’s Nidcap program (Newborn Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program). In France 25 maternity clinics out of a total of 66, are trained to use this technique. The association SOS Préma reports: “Recent research has demonstrated that these programs are beneficial for the child’s cognitive, motor, behavioral and psychosocial development, associated with a shorter hospitalization period.
Nevertheless, the results also reinforce the importance of each additional week in the mother’s womb. According to the 2011 data, the survival rate is much higher in infants born between 32-34 weeks’ gestation (almost 99%) compared to that for infants born between 24-26 weeks’ gestation (only 52%).
Professor Pierre-Yves Ancel specifies « the children in this study are now 5 ½ years old and are currently undergoing additional tests”. Additional time is required before reporting on more specific details.
