by NexDev | March 31, 2017 | News
While the presidential campaign has occulted societal subjects which will determine the future of French society, Alliance VITA has launched a national awareness campaign to rally citizens to evaluate the biopolitical challenges in the coming political election:
- protecting maternity, children and families,
- supporting vulnerable, disabled and dependent individuals
- accompanying aged individuals and those at the end-of-life; biomedical research ethics.
1 million flyers to warn and rally citizens
For 30 days, Alliance VITA’s volunteer teams will go forth to meet the French public to denounce and expose the damage caused to society during Holland’s term, containing more than 30 destructive measures, attacking every stage of human life, thus making our society more vulnerable, and to invite voters to choose the candidates who commit to repairing the damage and defending the life and human dignity of all, especially those who are the most vulnerable.
The awareness campaign which started last weekend and continues until April 23 involves one thousand volunteers from Alliance VITA in almost 200 French cities, distributing tracts and meeting with voters up until the first round of the French Presidential elections.
by NexDev | March 31, 2017 | Bioethics, News
On March 30, 2017, the French newspaper « Le Monde » published a column signed by 146 scientists, doctors and researchers, with a vehement complaint specifically naming the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation. As the main institution for Trisomy 21 research and inherited intellectual disabilities, the foundation was attacked specifically for its legal proceedings contesting human embryo research.
The Jérôme Lejeune Foundation contested the legality of some authorizations approved by the French Biomedical Agency which did not comply with the 2011 law. Already in 2015, the Paris administrative court cancelled authorizations for five research projects.
In answer to the accusations, the Jérôme Lejeune Foundation specified that the petition was launched “soon after the request that the foundation launched against the Biomedical Agency allowing research on the ‘3-parent’ IVF technique. This new technique uses cloning (nuclear transfer), the creation of a new embryo for research purposes and genome editing of the human being thus created. It is completely legitimate to contest this triple infringement of applicable bioethics law and international standards.”
Among those signing the petition against the foundation, are long-standing militants who advocate using human embryos as research material. For example, Marc Peschanski, scientific director at I-Stem, who works on embryonic stem cells and the author of embryonic research whose work was declared illegal by the Council of State in 2014. Pierre Jouannet also signed it, rapporteur of the Academy of Medicine of a controversial report on genetic engineering of human embryos, in which he recommends developing research using technology allowing targeted genome editing, including on germ cells and human embryos. Dr François Olivennes, also signed the complaint, as a gynecologist who is openly favorable for allowing in France Medically-Assisted Procreation (MAP) for single women, or homosexual couples as well as for surrogacy.
Also signing is Professor René Frydman who has been accused and convoked by the Council of the Order of Physicians of the Hauts-de Seine department, where he practices as an obstetrician gynecologist. Indeed, in the March 17 2016 column, also published in « Le Monde », the gynecologist signed a manifesto, along with 130 doctors and reproductive biologists, where they requested extending medically assisted procreation (MAP) to single women and homosexual couples.
In this column, the signatories admitted to having infringed French law: “We, as doctors, admit to having helped homosexual couples have a child, even if it is against the law”.
Professor Frydman also requested the development of oocyte donations as well as the implementation of genetic testing of embryos prior to transfer to the uterus by broadening the possibility of preimplantation diagnosis for all in vitro fertilizations. Shortly thereafter, a bill was submitted in reference to this militant manifesto, by Deputy Jean-Yves Le Déaut, aiming to extend preimplantation diagnosis.
Shocked by the public declaration of an illegal act whereby the perpetrator could be imprisoned for 5 years and charged a 75,000 € fine, an association in Lyons challenged before the Regional Council 4 of the gynecologists from Lyon who had signed the petition. When summoned for conciliation on October 25, 2016? (2017 en text français) the doctors denied having practiced any illegal act and explained “that the tagline was never submitted to them and that they reject it”.
In January 2017, Professor René Frydman followed up the manifesto by publishing a book, with the list of the signatories, “The Right to Choose. Manifesto of doctors and biologists in Medically Assisted Procreation”. The conciliation was held on March 22 with the Hauts-de-Seine Council, with Professor Frydman signing the minutes of the hearing (ipsissima verba) whereby he “contested the use of a tagline, including the one published in “Le Monde” on March 17, 2016, that stated that the signatory doctors had broken the law, and indicated that, to his knowledge, no illegal act had been committed”.
Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate declares:
« Beyond the researchers’ protests, maybe we need to decipher their frustration, since France is not yet totally in line with the Anglo-Saxon utilitarianism, which is honorable. Yet a dual risk appears. A risk of « ethics without citizens » first: for the 5-year term just finishing, serious bioethical principles were given up without public authorities summoning the National Assembly as provided for by the law. Then, the risk of “science without conscience”: specialists claimed in turns to break the law, then change the law, then stifle anyone who opposes their ethical abuses. But where would be the logic in having bioethics for different entities, without any debate or discussion, even going as far as contesting completely legitimate acts in the judicial system to protest against illegal practices?
To defend the human embryos, we need genuine science, science that keeps discovering that they are human beings, and not scientism that claims, without proof, that they deserve to be treated as laboratory material, at the expense of denying their identity, their uniqueness and their vitality. »
by NexDev | March 31, 2017 | Disabled, News
According to Dr. Ajboye, co-author of a study published in Lancet, this past March 28, 2017 his patient Bill Kochevar, a 56-year-old American, suffering from total paralysis, was able to coordinate reaching and grasping movements using his own paralyzed arm and hand, thanks to cerebral implants and an intracortical brain-computer interface.
Mr. Kochevar has been suffering quadriplegic paralysis up to his shoulders, for the past 10 years, following a bicycle accident. At the end of 2014, he underwent an implant operation to use a motorized arm support under cortical control.
American research scientists created an implant, which circumvents the spinal cord injury using wires, electrodes and software to reconnect his brain and his paralyzed arm muscles (see video). Mr. Kochevar has 2 apparatus on his head with 192 electrodes implanted in his brain. The electrodes register brain signals when he imagines he is moving his arm or his hand. With this experimental apparatus, his muscles are electronically stimulated via the signals from 36 implanted percutaneous electrodes in his right upper and lower arm.
Already last April, 2016, a young American, Ian Burkhard succeeded in moving his right arm using a computerized brain interface, but his paralysis was not as serious as that of Mr. Kochevar.
Mr. Kochevar stated « For someone who had been paralyzed, being able to move, even if only a little bit, is very exciting”.
Even if the treatment is still experimental, it is a real scientific step forward, representing real hope for quadriplegic individuals.
by NexDev | March 31, 2017 | Fertility and pregnancy, Maternity, News
France’s national statistics agency INSEE has just published a report showing that the average age of a first-time mother in France in 2015 was 28.5 years old, thus approximately 4 ½ years later than in 1974, when the average age was 24 years-old.
The biggest difference was observed between 1974 and 1998 (showing an increase of 3.3 years) which INSEE explains in different ways: increased use of contraception methods, more women in higher education and in the labour market. The increase has slowed down since the end of the 90’s.
As a consequence, second and subsequent births are also postponed. In 2015, the average woman had her second child at 31.0 years of age, and her third child at 32.6 years old.
For the year 2012, less-educated women had their first child 4 years earlier (at age 25.6) than women with higher degrees (at age 29.6). The report also shows the average age when immigrant women have their first child is 27.6 years old, or 6 months earlier than the overall national French average of 28.1 years.
In spite of having one of the strongest demographic profiles in Europe, with the average European woman first giving birth at 28.8 years old, France still remains below the generational renewal line with a fertility rate of 2.1 infants per woman.
In the European Union, the average age for the first child was 28.8 years old in 2014. There are huge variations from one country to the other. The country where women become mothers the earliest is Bulgaria, with an average of 25.8 years old; compared to Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, and Italy where women give birth for the first time after their 30th birthday. And finally the average Italian woman only becomes a mother at age 30.7, thus 5 years later than Bulgarian women.
![[Press Release] 2017 French Presidential Elections: time to throw light on Hollande’s term](https://www.alliancevita.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Cover-bilanFH-website.png)
by NexDev | March 23, 2017 | Press Releases
With only 30 days remaining before the first round of votes for the French Presidential elections, Alliance VITA decides to throw light on François Hollande’s 5-year term of office. It includes more than 30 destructive measures, penalizing families and attacking every stage of human life, thus making our society more vulnerable.
1 million flyers to be distributed throughout France
With its network of volunteers, Alliance VITA is launching a national awareness campaign regarding the biopolitical challenges in the coming political election.
For the next 30 days, Alliance VITA’s teams will go forth to meet the public and invite them to address the candidates on these issues and to reserve their vote for the candidates who commit to repairing the damage and to defend the life and human dignity of all, even those who are the most vulnerable.
Who will repair the damage caused to society?
Caroline Roux, the association’s coordinator for assistance:
« From our experience in assisting those who are vulnerable, we realize how much the women and men in this country who are confronted with life’s struggles have been penalized by these 36 measures that we denounce.
In place of a prevention policy, abortion is being promoted, with a dozen measures on this subject alone. Pregnant women wishing to carry their child to term, are now discriminated against… At the end of life, the idea of having the right to be sedated until death provoked fear and complete confusion, among patients, their families, and the caregivers…. Without previously calling a national consultation on Bioethics, as specified by law, the government also placed the human embryo on a slippery slope towards commodification. These damages need to be repaired urgently.”
Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate :
« If there is a mainstream idea in this chaotic 5-year term, it is most surely the complete destruction of society, which has the most serious consequences on the most vulnerable. Whereas several candidates announce new biopolitical transgressions, the only genuine change must be to start repairing the damage already done to society.
This presidential campaign must address the key subjects for the future of our society. We can prove that a different “biopolitical” agenda could live up to the French people’s expectations.
Confronted to Anglo-Saxon utilitarianism and mad scientists who are a menace to the very essence of humanity we urge the candidates to defend human dignity and integrity of mankind, at all stages of his life. “
Well known as an expert for alerting about bioethical concerns, Alliance VITA challenges the candidates who deny the damage caused to society on four main lines:
- to protect vulnerable people: pregnancy, sickness, disabilities, loss of autonomy, or old age.
- To support families by recognizing the value of the father-mother parity, by assisting pregnant women, and giving preference to the interest of the child.
- To accompany vulnerable people, those living alone, the elderly, the homeless, by recognizing they are worthy to have a place in society.
- To respond to technological challenges by using scientific progress to serve every human person.
