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Exit International (Assisted Suicide/ Voluntary Euthanasia) | |
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Exit International is a leading End of Life Choices information & advocacy non-profit, founded by Dr Philip Nitschke PhD, MD.
Exit International holds regular Meetings & Workshops in the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland & New Zealand. Exit was previously known as the Voluntary Euthanasia Research Foundation.
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>>> 'Exit Choices TV Advertisement Banned By "Free" TV Australia
Updated 5.10pm AEST, 10 September 2010
On Monday 6 September, Sydney ad agency 'The Works' headed by Kevin Macmillan (best known for his two award-winning 'Pitches' on ABC TV's The Gruen Transfer) shot Exit's 1st TV advertisement. By Friday the Ad had been banned on advice from Commericals Advice (CAD) lawyer, Alison Lee.
Ms Lee alleges that the Ad which was approved by CAD at pre-production and post-production stages for airing on TV, breaches s2.17.5 of the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice' Suicide: Realistic depiction of methods of suicide, or promotion or encouragement of suicide'.
Even more offensively, in her email, Ms Lee continues "We have considered that an advertisement for voluntary euthanasia is a promotion or encouragement of suicide as voluntary euthanasia would be considered to be a subset of suicide."
Exit has heard many arguments against VE, but never one as left-field as this one.
The ad is an expression of free speech & political communication. The ad directly addresses the government and calls for legislative action. To argue otherwise suggests that CAD has an alternative agenda to censor important political debate on the issue.
The Advertisement was due to debut on Channel 7 between 8.30 - 9.30pm Sunday night with other cities/ countries to follow.
Further comment by Exit will be posted here in the coming hours.
>>> Nth America Workshop Tour 2010
Updated 6 September 2010
Dates & Venues are now confirmed for Exit's Safe Suicide Workshop tour this October - November.
Vancouver - Thurs 7 October
Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 49th Ave West, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 2T1.
Toronto - Wed 13 October
1st Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, 175 St Claire Ave West, Toronto, ON, M4V 1P7.
New York, NY - Wed 20 October
Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th St, New York, NY, 10016.
Orlando, FL - Sat 23 October
A Gathering Place, 1st Unitarian Church of Orlando, 1901 Robinson St East, Orlando, FL, 32803.
San Francisco - Fri 5 November
Audre Lorde Room, Women’s Building, 3543 18th St #8, San Francisco, CA , 94110.
Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 949 49th Ave West, Vancouver, BC, V5Z 2T1.
Toronto - Wed 13 October
1st Unitarian Congregation of Toronto, 175 St Claire Ave West, Toronto, ON, M4V 1P7.
New York, NY - Wed 20 October
Community Church of New York, 40 East 35th St, New York, NY, 10016.
Orlando, FL - Sat 23 October
A Gathering Place, 1st Unitarian Church of Orlando, 1901 Robinson St East, Orlando, FL, 32803.
San Francisco - Fri 5 November
Audre Lorde Room, Women’s Building, 3543 18th St #8, San Francisco, CA , 94110.
Public meetings are held 11am - 12 noon.
Workshops are held 1 - 4pm.
For details, download the Exit Workshop Flyer.
To register, download the Registration Form & fax/ email/ mail to:
Exit International US
PO Box 4250
Bellingham WA 98227
Ph 1-248-809-4435
Fax 1-360-844-1501
>>> Toronto Public Library Bans Exit Meeting
Updated 25 August 2010
Toronto Public Library has become the latest Canadian public institution to refuse a booking request from Exit for a Safe Suicide Workshop. In an email to Exit, Divisional Support Manager, Heather Mathis, told Exit the meeting would be "contrary to the law or the Library's Rules of Conduct".
Speaking in 
support of Exit, British Columbia Civil Liberties Association Vice President, Jason Gratl, said "open and public discussions about death and dignified means of dying may make us squeamish, but they are not unlawful".
Read Exit's Press Release.
A new venue is currently being confirmed although Exit remains astounded that a country that has a Charter of Human Rights which protects free speech allows this type of censorship to occur.
>>> Banned Books Forum @ University of Melbourne
Updated 18 August 2010
On Thursday 12 August Exit Director, Dr Philip Nitschke, was one of a number of speakers at the Banned Books Forum held at the Baillieu Library at the University of Melbourne. The forum was chaired by Ass Professor David Bennett (University of Melbourne).
Melbourne has a long history of banning books (both Australian & imported; past & modern) which is said to reflect the transience of social norms & community values. Panel speakers for the Banned Books Forum included:
- Dr Donald McDonald, Director, Classification Board, on Australia’s current censorship policies & practices, & in particular censorship & the internet;
- Dr Philip Nitschke (Exit International) author of the banned The Peaceful Pill Handbook, on censorship & the individual’s right to life-choices information;
- Ass. Professor Robert Nelson (Monash University), on censorship & art, in particular the Serrano & Henson affairs;
- Ass. Professor Richard Pennell (University of Melbourne), on censorship & sedition, in particular the significance of banning jihadist literature for research;
- Dr Lauren Rosewarne (University of Melbourne), on sexual perversion & the politics of censorship in Australia.
The exhibition highlights the complexity of the State’s role in policing the boundaries of acceptable/ unacceptable publications & how Australian publishers have historically challenged the authorities. The exhibition incorporates books from the University of Melbourne collections as well as private collections.
For more information, visit Banned Books in Australia.
>>> Compulsory Euthanasia for over 80s? 'The Works' Ad Agency Addresses Sydney Chapter Meeting
At the August Sydney Chapter Meeting of Exit, Kevin Macmillan (Partner of 'The Works' & the smarts behind the winning 'Pitch') spoke to his 'Compulsory Euthanasia for the over 80s' segment as recently screened on ABC TV's The Gruen Transfer.
Venue: The Rex Centre, 58A Macleay St, Potts Point
When: 10am, Friday 6 August
Inquiries: Call 1300 10 EXIT (3948).
>>> 6 August 2010 Update Now Available
Updated 6 August 2010 
The Peaceful Pill eHandbook is the only end-of-life choices, self-help book that is updated MONTHLY.
The Peaceful Pill eHandbook is published as Video + Images + Text.
To subscribe (2 years @ US$75), visit www.Peacefulpill.com
August 2010 update changes to include:
Chapter 6:
Carbon Monoxide Revised: Dignity on the Move (NEW Video)
>> New Prime Minister Dumps Australian Net Censorship
Updated 12 July 2010
It was with much relief that Exit learned that Australia's 27th Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, would dump the controversial Clean Feed Mandatory Internet Censorship plan of the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.
The censorship proposal has now reportedly been sent off to a joint States - Territories review which is expected to last at least 12 months. This means that Australia is now much less likely to be joining the ranks of Iran, China, Nth Korea and Cuba when it comes to State-sanctioned censorship.
Some of the more interesting commentary articles about this policy back-flip can be found at: