World Federation of Right to Die Societies

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The World Federation of Right to Die Societies is an international federation of associations that promote access to voluntary euthanasia. It holds regular international meetings on dying and death.

Contents

The World Federation, founded in 1980, consists of 45 right to die organizations from 25 countries. The Federation provides an international link for organizations working to secure or protect the rights of individuals to self-determination at the end of their lives.

World Right to Die Day

World Right to Die Day is celebrated November 2 [1] in countries such as France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, and Venezuela. The celebration was founded in France at the World Federation Conference in 2008 and has since spread. The participating countries vary in their customs of celebration. This day also falls within the celebration of Dia De Los Muertos in Mexico and is represented in the bigger cities as part of their celebration.

Controversy

Cases of people choosing assisted suicide programs have been met with some controversy in the media and public. One famous case is that of Brittany Maynard. She was diagnosed with a terminal brain cancer and chose to end her life, but before doing so, she chose to speak out about her situation and her choice, thus opening up the debate about the right-to-die movement in America. [2]

Controversy also lies in issues regarding whether or not the right to die should be granted to those who are in a minimally conscious state (MCS). [3] MCS refers to people who have suffered neurological damage and will never fully recover, but still have some awareness.

Groups such as Not Dead Yet fight against the movement to legalize and promote the right to die. They worry that if euthanasia is legalized, seniors and people with disabilities will be pressured against their will into accepting it. [4]

Additionally, controversy has also surfaced amongst right-to-die societies themselves. For example, the well-known organization in the worldwide movement Exit International (www.ExitInternational.net) publisher of the Peaceful Pill Handbook, was granted admission to the World Federation by 2018 but not without some opposition. Within just a few years it had decided not to renew its membership. Tensions appear to lie between societies that advance all options to a reliable, peaceful and painless death such as Exit International, Final Exit Network in the US, and Right to Die Society Canada for example, and most other member societies that only advocate for a medical model regulated by legislation with restrictive eligibility criteria. In keeping with the declared human right that all should have access to assisted dying, the former argue for greater inclusiveness of all persons seeking this remedy even if not gravely ill, while also noting the limitations and exclusions under limited medical assistance (MAID) or physician-assisted dying (PAD) in all jurisdictions where it has evolved. Persons preferring not to involve doctors and other professionals in this personal, final act should similarly not be denied knowledge and support without threats of criminal prosecution. [5] [6] [7]

Member Organizations<ref>Members Organizations

Africa

Asia

Europe

North America

Oceania

South America

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "2 November World Right to Die Day". Archived from the original on 2016-11-09.
  2. ↑ Stockenström, T. (22 December 2014). "Is Dying a Pro-Choice Issue?". TheHumanist.com.
  3. ↑ Johnson, L. S. M. (1 March 2011). "The right to die in the minimally conscious state". Journal of Medical Ethics. 37 (3): 175–178. doi:10.1136/jme.2010.038877. JSTOR   23034669. PMID   21084355. S2CID   9594783.
  4. ↑ "Disability Groups Opposed to Assisted Suicide Laws". Not Dead Yet. 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  5. ↑ Engelhart, K. The Inevitable: Dispatches on The Right to Die, 2021. St. Martin's Press, New York, N.Y.
  6. ↑ Dankwort, J. Collabartion and research imperatives for a growing right-to-die movement. Canadian Journal of Public Health https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-023-00755-8 March 2023
  7. ↑ Gandsman, A. (2018b). “Old Age Is Cruel”: The Right to Die as an Ethics for Living. Australian Journal of Anthropology, 29, 209–221
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