Hello,
We took advantage of the September 29 segment of Quebec’s popular TV show Tout le monde en parle on the La mort libre (Free death) podcasts to
publish our analysis of the Radio-Canada documentary series marking 10 years of medical assistance in dying.
The article can be found below.
I would have liked
TLMEP to talk about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge to Track 2
MAID, announced last Thursday by a coalition of disability organizations. Apart
from a mention in the Canadian Press, the news passed under the radar in
Quebec, even though its scope is significant, as we shall see in this
newsletter.
We’d also like to
offer you a few suggestions of content to discover from various sources concerned
with aid in living.
On this National
Seniors Day, October 1st, I’m celebrating my birthday, happy to be
gaining in wisdom while serving the mission of our citizen network!
Jasmin
Lemieux-Lefebvre
Coordinator
Vivre dans la Dignité
Free death: at what price?
We strongly
recommend that you listen to the four episodes (almost 45 min. each) of the
Radio-Canada podcastsLa mort libre / Free death. If you run out of time,
concentrate on part four, which tackles the issue of the slippery slopes
associated with MAiD. Four angles of MAiD are explored: its growing popularity,
its expansion into new categories, the aspect of the new trend (better way to
die) and the economic question.
This
podcast series does not call into question access to medical aid in dying, but
journalist Alain Gravel’s ambivalence about the issue makes for a high-quality
journalistic portrait.
As
Alexandre Sheldon’s direction makes the series highly enjoyable, we invite you to
listen to it before reading the 10 highlights and additional information
contained in our article (in French):
Track 2 of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying – Charter challenge
5 years after Canada’s Government refused to appeal the Truchon decision
(despite a letter from 72 groups), we
commend Inclusion Canada, the Council of Canadians with Disabilities
(CCD), Indigenous Disability Canada (IDC/BCANDS), and DAWN Canada for launching
a charter challenge against Track 2 Medical assistance in dying in our country.
Canadian Press’ article
Press Release
CBC Interview with Krista
Carr, Executive Vice-President of Inclusion Canada (6m15s)
Our suggestions of the week
When Quebec chooses to eliminate rather than care...
You
may have seen this
open letter on the digital platforms of the Coops de l’info. Hats off to the Comité d’action des personnes
vivant des situations de handicap, CAPVISH, which state “its strongest opposition to
the Quebec government’s recent decision to authorise advance requests for
medical aid in dying”.
Anticipating death cannot be a solution to human
suffering, especially in a society that cruelly lacks support services and
palliative care accessible to all.
Take part in the National Disability Summit 2024, via ZOOM
On October 6, COPHAN (the Confédération des organismes de personnes
handicapées du Québec) and its partners invite you to a historic online event,
accessible via Zoom: the National Disability Summit.
This summit is an ideal opportunity to discuss crucial issues related to
the rights of people living with a disability in Quebec, including aid in living.
Register now to reserve your place (event will be in French)https://cophan.org/2024/09/participez-au-sommet-national-sur-le-handicap-sur-zoom
Living with Dignity will be there!
Palliative care: medical aid in living (again)
Helping people to live when the desire to die is strongest: what are the
challenges of palliative care when the demand to induce death becomes frequent?
Thomas de Gabory, palliative care doctor and professor of medical ethics at the
Dominican University College, offers this lecture on “Palliative care:
medical aid in living (again)”.
A presentation on YouTube of 1h23m, with the participation of Dr. Patrick
Vinay, a member of our Board of Directors:
https://youtu.be/gdGxEvOS7_s?si=ipB_eT-B3ARUlNn6
OCT
2024