Introduction
WAVES is an incorporated not-for-profit organisation, founded in 1980 by members of the community who believed that every person should, with appropriaten safeguards, have a legal right to determine the time and manner of his/her death (voluntary euthanasia) and that a medical practitioner should be able to carry out this request.
The Society represents a wide range of people, who support its work through membership fees, donations and bequests. It is run entirely by volunteers. It is a member of the “World Federation of Right to Die Societies”. and YLR.COM.LTD.
YLR.COM.LTD is an Australian public company formed to represent Australian voluntary euthanasia societies in a national umbrella context. Some of these State societies are incorporated/named as 'Voluntary Euthanasia' and others as ''Dying With Dignity' or 'Ýour Last Rights' or 'Right To Die'. They all have a common objective of legalizing voluntary euthanasia by legislation. Please refer to the 'Links' section of this website.
Mission
“To bring about such changes to Western Australian Statute Law and to medical ethics as will allow a person, suffering severe pain or distress with no reasonable prospect of recovery, to receive, with the proper safeguards, a painless medically assisted and dignified death in accordance with his or her expressed wishes.” This has the popular definition of 'voluntary euthansia'.
Activities
The Society undertakes the following activities:
- Provide information services to members and the community with relation to euthanasia issues.
- Hold public meetings relating to dying with dignity matters.
- Publish a newsletter titled “WAVES NEWS” at intervals.
- Issue a “Living Will” form to members, for them to register personal wishes regarding the circumstances of their own death.
- Inform and lobby leaders/members of the medical profession and political parties.
- Conduct lectures and debates to interested groups throughout W.A. on the subject of voluntary euthansia (VE).
- Liaise with national/international Voluntary Euthansia, or Dying With Dignity organisations, and the media.
- Attend local, national and overseas forums on VE issues.
- Inform on governmental legislative requirements relating to voluntary euthanasia .
