Something to be concerned and something to be pleased about
Dear Friends of ELIANT,
On 5th June the EU Commission published a Press Release announcing the launch of a new digital health partnership between the EU and the World Health Organisation (WHO). It included amongst other things the following statement: "Building on the EU's highly successful digital certification network the WHO seeks to offer all its member states access to a digital health tool that builds on the principles of justice, innovation and transparency as well as data protection and the safeguarding of privacy." It further states that: "This globalised system building on the EU Covid-19 certificate, aims to make global mobility easier and protect citizens across the world from current and future health threats including pandemics."
What is in theconstitution of the WHO?
In article 2 it states that the WHO shall "assist Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services". It is to be hoped that many countries will be awake to the consequences of such instruments of centralised health control and will not ask the WHO for support. Otherwise citizens' democratic control over personal health concerns will be stripped away and important choices lost. The goals of the Ottawa Charter of the WHO with their focus on salutogenesis would also be threatened.
Under article 1 it states: "The objective of the World Health Organization shall be the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health." It also has a department concerned with natural, traditional and complementary medicine – including concepts of integrative medicine. Although positive in itself, what is missing is the political-economic underpinning that is so crucial for a democratic health system namely that the population can freely choose a particular form of therapy and have access to this choice with health insurance.
What has been very positive however is the news from Sweden regarding age-appropriate media education: The Swedish digitalisation strategy of 2017 declared that every child must have access to and use a tablet. The new minister for education has now dropped this demand. Researchers had raised the alarm: Young children should not be given any screens at all. Now children in Swedish kindergartens and primary schools are once again screen-free.
What is interesting is that already in 2020 the Association of Waldorf Kindergartens in Sweden had presented the relevant research results in the hope that they would prevent the forced use of screens. At the time however it was said that in this case it is not science that counts, but the political principle of equality…. It is therefore all the more impressive to have a rethink in the country after such a short time.
What we are particularly grateful for: Many of you have made a special donation towards helping us expand the readership of our newsletter – especially towards the younger generation! We can continue this campaign with the help of our engaged co-workers because somewhat more than two thirds of the required resources have been received! This enables us to continue working until December this year. We will then provide a report and think how the work can continue in 2024.
We send you warm greetings for the summer season (and for our readers in the southern hemisphere the winter season).
For the ELIANT-Team
Michaela Glöckler
As we have a lot planned for this year, we are especially grateful for your donation.
