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Congrès WOHO 2005 |
| 14-01-05 |
 WOHO's First CongressWorld Osteopathic Health Organisation Palais du Luxembourg, Paris January 8 2005 Interview Bruno Ducoux  French version here photo : from the left to the right : Bruno Ducoux, Renzo Molinari, Michael Mulholland-Licht - President of the WOHO |
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Interview by Guy Roulier DO :
Bruno DUCOUX, you set up this event and are a founding member of the WOHO, member of the first executive committee. You are involved in this worldwide movement interested in "sustainable" health. This historical conference of the first world osteopathic organisation in a highly symbolic place is milestone for a hundred years of osteopathic developpement. In order to help osteopaths interested in becoming members of this organisation, can you tell us what is your background to that point? BD: As a teenager, I dreamt of becoming a doctor in the so-called "underdevelopped countries", in Africa for instance. So I attended a French University to become a doctor in the Navy, but I missed my exams because of too much training with the college rowing team!; so I graduated a few years later as a physiotherapist. Then, my father became ill and died from undiagnosed brain cancer when he was 50. I suddendly realised the limits of the classic medicine and began to study osteopathy. I graduated as DO in 1985 at the IWGS (non-official French College of Osteopathy) and began to practice illegaly in Bordeaux. My practice became a real success and I tried to interest MDs to osteopathy as a new chapter, close to the traditional healing arts of the great book of the medical art. Then, in 1992, the centenial of the first American college of osteopathy, KCOM, in Kirksville (MI) changed my vision: I dreamt of a worldwide osteopathic movement, following A.T.Still vision. Back in France, I stopped my practice for one year to study political science, economy and law to apply to the French Ecole Nationale d'Administration, in order to serve in the French ministry of health. I wanted to prove that, if legalised, osteopathy could save an enormous amount of money to our healthcare system and provide a better care at the same time. I didn't pass the exam and was then prosecuted for illegal practice of medecine and was found guilty in 1993. Nevertheless, I didn't stop practicing. From 1996, Iwas actively involved in the foundation of the French Academy of Osteopathy (AO), in order to apply a scientific approach to the osteopathic art, to translate into French the basic textbooks, to collect all the French writings about osteopathy, for the students and researchers, create a documentation center and to communicate all these data on the web. In 2002, following Viola Fryman, the OCC (Osteopathic Center for Children in London) and Lionelle Issartel DO, in France, I started infant treatments in a maternity : "as the twig is bent...". I tried also but didn't succeed in getting together all the DOs from the Aquitaine region within the French Register of Osteopaths (ROF). Finally, in March 2004, I was presented to the WOHO excom by the AO and the ROF. Question: There are a lot of osteopathic associations claiming for the "true osteopathy", what's new with the WOHO? BD: the WOHO doesn't want to interfere with existing organisations, but propose to single osteopaths to participate to forums and commissions. Three ways are already proposed: 1- to stimulate research, help to build studies in accordance with scientific standards, and learn to communicate these works; to help a glossary of osteopathic terms and eliminate few irrelevant theories never verified 2- to look for educational standards in every country, help to raise this standards to a level consistant with the practice of osteopathy. 3- To protect the practice for the security of the patients, regarding the laws in every country. These forums already exists on www.woho.org and are open to members. To become a member, a DO is needed (or being a student) and apply on the web site and pay €100 each year (€30 for students). Question : in what sense is the Paris Conference a milestone regarding the history of osteopathy in the world? BD: without hesitation, January 8, 2005 and the prestigious French Senate are already in gold letters in the Book of Osteopathy! If the XXth century saw the fabulous progress of science, the discovery of the importance of the mind and the awareness of the earth as a village, the XXIth century starts with a global awareness that the resources of the Earth are largely overused by mankind, its tenants and that health is also our own responsability : we cannot be passive consumers! The scientific presentations of this conference, which will be published, showed that osteopathy is an efficient tool in need of the cooperation of all humans looking for good healthcare. Every participant of the conference went back home knowing the stakes: every osteopath is essential, every one of them can improve himself primarily for the benefit of his/her patients and that these stakes are on a planetary level. "Osteopathy is not a war of conquest, popularity or power; it's an active campaign for love, truth and humanity." A.T.Still; Autobiography, page 383. The osteopathic path is an opening to wide and beautiful horizons for the researchers of truth and liberty. Bruno DUCOUX DO Treasurer of WOHO |