Bergen aan Zee, 11-04-1993.

Dear Friends,

Roughly all European Member Societies agreed with the dis­cussion on and the founding of a European Society of Right to Die Societies (EF) as a branch of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies (WF).

To those who are able to join the meeting in Bergen aan Zee we have arranged the following:

14 May arrival in Bergen aan Zee, Hotel Meyer 3*, Dinner.
21.00 an informal get-together party at Transvaal 13

15 May Meeting 09.00 till 17.00.
Stroll along the Seashore, drinks and dinner.
16 May Departure, after breakfast.
By choice: a guided walk in the dunes.

The overall price is Dfl. 250,00 including 2 nights,,diners, breakfasts and lunches.

AGENDA.

Foreman of the day Jan ­Westenbrink, organization advisor.
1 Opening
2 Welcome to the delegates
3 Election of the Chairman of the conference
4 Election of the Secretary of the conference
5 Deliberation about the founding of the EF
6 Amendments on the proposed constitution (sent earlier)
7 Discussion about topics raised by the delegates
8 What are our first steps to the European Counsel
9 How do we fund the European Federation
10 Election of board members of the EF in founding (working committee)
11 Any other points
12 Closing.

In the beginning I think that the board must be small to be decisive to set up the EF. At a next meeting the results of the efforts can be discussed. Perhaps in Bath at the WF conference the EF can be inaugur­ated.

One of the fundamental rights of human beings is the right to die in dignity. As far as we know, this right is not listed in the Declaration of Human Rights (1948) of the United Nations and the European treaty of Human Rights (1950).

We suppose that it must be one of the first actions of the WF and the proposed EF to become a Non-Governmental Organisation as soon as poss­ible and, after the accredit­ation, to stress the importance to incor­por­ate the right to die in dignity in the existing Human Rights’ declar­ations. Our president Helga Kuhse sent letters to the council of Europe and to the WHO in Geneva in order to be informed how to reach a consult­ative status as a NGO or otherwise or at least to know how to be repre­sented in the bodies. Please let us know on the meeting or beforehand when you know Someone, who may be of help to support our aims in this field.

After having settled the right to die in dignity as a fundamen­ta­l human right, the discussion on how to enforce on that right can be started. In Denmark there is recently adopted a law concerning living wills, a great success for our Danish friends. Only a few member societies have in their title the word “eutha­nasia” but not without the prefix voluntary. Accord­ing to the definition stated in 1990 in Maastricht voluntary euthanasia is a pleonasm. In the many dis­cussions ahead we should try to stick to one definition to prevent any misunderstanding in the polemic with the antagonist and the, more than likely, reluctant spokesmen in the Euro­pean Counsel.
Depending on the law and the mores of each nation in Europe, we must try to unite our forces and to find a solution to attain our object, that is, that eutha­nasia is not a reprehensible conception but, under conditions, the best solution to end one’s life.

I hope for a successful meeting in Bergen aan Zee, and I wish you all a pleas­ant trip to the Nether­lands,

Best wishes,

Aycke O. A. Smook.