The Associazione Luca Coscioni per la libertĂ di ricerca scientifica (Luca Coscioni Association for Freedom of Scientific Research, LCA), founded in 2002, is named after Dr. Luca Coscioni, a Professor of Environmental Economics at the University of Viterbo (Italy), who passed away on 20 February 2006, after having suffered for ten years from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
In the early 1990s, Dr. Coscioni started to get involved in local politics in his native Viterbo as member of the city council; in 1996, while training himself for the New York Marathon, he was diagnosed with ALS, which, in five years, confined him to a wheelchair.
In 2000, Dr. Coscioni decided to bring his health situation to the general public as a political case denouncing the lack of appropriate regulation and public funding to allow scientific research, in particular the one on embryonic stem cells, in Italy. In order to do that, in that same year, he was elected member of the General Council of a political organization affiliated with Italy's Radical Party.
At the 2001 Italian parliamentary elections, Dr. Coscioni ran for the Chamber of Deputies in the same list of former European Commissioner Emma Bonino (Radical Party member). On that occasion the Nobel Laureate for Literature Josè Saramago wrote him a message to add his support to the one expressed by scores of scientists and Nobelists saying that "perhaps the support of a mere writer like me will seem a little or a lot out of place in a list of scientific leaders who, with their names and their prestige, seal the words spoken by Luca Coscioni. In any case, my name is at your disposal, so that the light of reason and human respect can illuminate the gloomy spirits of those who believe themselves to be, still and always, the masters of their destinies. For a long time we waited for the day to break, we were exhausted by the waiting, until all of a sudden the courage of a man, rendered silent by a terrible disease, gave us renewed strength".
Though Dr. Coscioni was not elected to Parliament, he received the support of hundreds of scientists, physicians, patients as well as politicians and intellectuals. Later in that year, a similar show of support accompanied his unsuccessful bid to become a member of the National Bioethics Committee.
In 2002, together with Emma Bonino and Radical Party's founder Marco Pannella, Luca Coscioni founded his association in order to promote freedom of scientific research, with particular attention to research on embryonic stem cells, a technique that was running the risk of being severely hindered by a draft bill before the Italian Senate.
The main objectives of the Luca Coscioni Association (LCA) are:
- the promotion of freedom of scientific research and cure;
- the promotion of projects and technologies for "Independent Living";
- the ascertainment of civil and political rights of patients and people with disabilities.
After the adoption on February 2004 of the bill that prohibited embryonic stem cells research, and strictly limited in vitro fertilization in Italy, the LCA and the Italian Radicals launched a referendum campaign to repeal it. The referendum was voted upon in June 2005, despite an overwhelming majority of those that voted supported the proposal to radically amend the law, the referendum did not reach the quorum of 50% necessary for the vote to be valid.
Over the Summer 2004, the LCA, together with the UN-affiliated non-governmental organization, the Transnational Radical Party (TRP), launched a campaign to discourage the adoption of an international convention to ban all forms of cloning. Four months of international mobilization coordinated with the US based Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research and the Genetics Policy Institute were able to substantially diminish the proposal which was transformed in a declaration and endorsed by some 80 UN members in February 2005.
To better coordinate, and institutionalize, her international activities, in October 2004 the LCA promoted the creation of an international network to promote freedom of scientific research. A first meeting was organized in Rome to launch a World Congress, which was convened in Rome at the city's Capital Hill from 16 to 18 February 2006 at the presence of scientists, researchers, politicians and advocates coming from all over Europe and the United States. The meeting was opened by Dr. Coscioni with a video message, his last public appearance - he passed away on 20 February 2006 on the eve of the filing of candidates for the Italian Parliament where he was supposed to head the list of the newly founded party of the "Rose in the Fist", an alliance of Liberals, Socialists and Radicals.
Throughout 2006, the LCA has been involved in a campaign to promote the legalization of euthanasia; the main actor, and testimonial, of this new struggle was Mr. Welby, a long-time member of the LCA, affected by ALS since the 1980s, who after 90 days of struggle saw fulfilled his desire to end his life peacefully after a Dr. Mario Riccio, sedated him and terminated the life support that Mr. Welby considered a torture rather than a treatment. The case stirred a national debate on a variety of subjects, from euthanasia to the living will to the right not to be cured when the treatment is imposed against the patient's expressed will. Several bills were introduced in the Italian Senate to find ways to regulate several of the issues raised by Mr. Welby's case, among them one on the right-to-die.
In the last days of his struggle, Mr. Welby's ordeal became of international interest triggering interest and solidarity all over the world. His correspondence with the President of the Italian Republic was fully covered by several international media outlets.
While the promotion of scientific research and euthanasia remain the main issues of the LCA work, over the years several ad hoc initiatives have been promoted. In March 2006 the LCA launched a campaign to ask the Italian Authority for communications to issue a regulation framework aimed at adopting text messages and video calls at a cost price for deaf people, since in Italy telecommunications companies charge 1,000% on the cost of text messages even of deaf people, who can send up to 20 SMSes a day, since this service, along with other new generation telecommunication services, helps them to go over their typical communication impairments. In particular SMSes allow deaf people’s real-time distance communication, without needing any assistance by a third party. LCA has calculated that in Italy deaf people currently spend up to 90,00 euros a month to send text messages, therefore during the last year has been asking the Italian Authority for communications to adopt the art. 57 of the Italian communication code, which acknowledges the EC Universal Service Directive and states the deaf people constitutional right to communicate. We have been asking the Authority to regulate the telecommunication market by imposing to the four Italian telecommunication companies to avoid concurrence at least in the case of service for deaf people.
Thank to the extraordinary life experience and political will of Luca Coscioni, since its foundation his association has been keeping fostering one of his fundamental campaigns: Libertà di Parola (literally “freedom of speech”), to allow to communicate to those people affected by severe diseases such as neuromuscular diseases, deafness and blindness, so that the prison of silence is no longer added to that of their sickness. Libertà di Parola concerns a political campaign addressed to national and local institutions, so that they issue a more effective regulation and more adequate funds for every disabled person by supplying patients with the so called Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
In the framework of this campaign, last January 26-27, 2007 the LCA held in Milan the International Congress "TECHNOLOGIES AND REFORMS AGAINST DISABILITIES - Digital and political revolution for “freedom of speech” and independent living".
Thanks to Luca Coscioni Association initiative, last 28 March 2007 the Italian Minister for Health, who had taken part in the Milan Congress, issued to finance with 10 Meuro the acquisition of communication devices for people affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
On April 10, 2007 Hon. Marco Cappato, MEP and executive director of LCA, submitted an oral question to Commissioner Viviane Reding, asking what initiatives the Commission is implementing and intends to undertake to facilitate the access of people with disabilities to telecommunications with particular reference to:
1. broadband
2. SMS and video calls at a cost price for deaf people
3. subtitling of television programs, starting from public service and political information programs
4. free adoption of the digital signature.
On February 20, 2007, on the first anniversary of Dr. Coscioni's death, a series of events were organized to commemorate his work and struggle to promote freedom of scientific research.
Since 2004 the Luca Coscioni Association acts as the Secretariat of the World Congress for Freedom of Scientific Research. In 2008, a second meeting of the World Congress will be organized.
Over the years, Dr. Coscioni and the Association have received the support of 96 Nobel Laureates:
Alexei Abrikosov, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2003 (United States)
Peter Agre, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2003 (United States)
George Akerlof, Nobel Prize in Economics, 2001 (United States)
Zhores Alferov, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2000 (Russia)
Sidney Altman, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1989 (United States)
Philip Anderson, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1977 (United States)
Werner Arber, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1978 (Switzerland)
Kenneth J. Arrow, Nobel Prize in Economics, 1972 (United States)
David Baltimore, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1975 (United States)
Baruj Benacerraf, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1980 (Venezuela)
Paul Berg, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1980 (United States)
Sir James Black, Nobel Prize in Medicine,1988 (United Kingdom)
Gunter Blobel, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1999 (United States)
Norman E. Borlaug, Nobel Prize in Peace, 1970 (United States)
Paul Boyer, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1997 (United States)
Herbert C. Brown, Nobel Price in Chemistry, 1997 (United States)
Thomas Cech, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1989 (United States)
Steven Chu, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997 (USA)
Stanley Cohen, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1986 (United States)
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997 (France)
Leon N. Cooper, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1972 (United States)
Robert Curl, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1996 (United States)
Pierre De Gennes, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1991 (France)
Johann Deisenhofer, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1988 (United States)
Cristian De Duve, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1974 (Belgium)
Richard R. Ernst, Nobel Price in Chemistry,1991 (Switzerland)
John B. Fenn, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2002 (United States)
Edmond H. Fischer, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1992 (Austria)
Val Fitch, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1980 (United States)
Jerome I. Friedman, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1990 (United States)
Robert Furchgott, Nobel Prize in Medicine,1998 (USA)
Ivar Giaever, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1973 (Norway)
Walter Gilbert, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1980 (United States)
Vitaly Ginzburg, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2003 (Russia)
Donald A. Glaser, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1960 (United States)
Shelly Glashow, Nobel Proze in Physics, 1979 (United States)
Cliwe W. J. Granger, Nobel Prize in Economics, 2003 (United States)
Paul Greengard, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2000 (United States)
Roger Guillemin, Nobel Price in Medicine, 1977 (United States)
Lee Hartwell, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2001 (United States)
Herbert A. Hauptman, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1985 (United States)
James J. Heckman, Nobel Prize in Economics 2000 (United States)
Alan Heeger, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2000 (United States)
Dudley Herschbach, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986 (United States)
Antony Hewish, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1974 (United Kingdom)
Gerard 'T Hooft, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1999 (Netherlands)
H. Robert Horvitz, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2002 (United States)
Sir Godfrey Hounsfield, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1979 (United Kingdom)
R. Timothy Hunt, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2001 (United Kingdom)
Sir Aaron Klug, Nobel Price in Chemistry,1982 (Great Britain)
Walter Kohn, Nobel Price in Chemistry, 1998 (USA)
Arthur Kornberg, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1959 (United States)
Herbert Kroemer, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2000 (Germany)
Sir Harold W. Kroto, Nobel Price in Chemistry, 1996 (United Kingdom)
Paul C. Lauterbur, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2003 (United States)
Leon M. Lederman, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1988 (United States)
Jean-Marie Lehn, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1987 (France)
Alan G. Macdiarmid, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 2000 (United States)
Rudolph Marcus, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1992 (Canada)
Daniel McFadden, Nobel Prize in Economics, 2000 (United States)
Robert Merton, Nobel Prize in Economics, 1997 (United States)
Mario Molina, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1995 (United States)
Kary B. Mullis, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1993 (United States)
Erwin Neher, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1991 (Germany)
Christiane Nuesslein-Volhard, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1995 (Germany)
Paul M. Nurse, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2001 (United States)
George A. Olah, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1994 (United States)
Douglas D. Osheroff, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1996 (United States)
Martin L. Perl, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1995 (United States)
William D. Phillips, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1997 (USA)
John Polanyi, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1986 (Canada)
Ilya Prigogine, Nobel Price in Chemistry, 1977 (Belgium)
Richard J. Roberts, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1993 (United States)
Josè Saramago, Nobel Prize in Literature, 1998 (Portugal) - Honorary President of LCA
Reinhard Selten, Nobel Prize in Economics, 1994 (Germany)
Jens Chr. Skou, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1997 (Denmark)
Richard E. Smalley, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1996 (United States)
Hamilton O. Smith, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1978 (USA)
Robert M. Solow, Nobel Prize in Economics, 1987 (USA)
Jack Steinberger, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1988 (United States)
Horst L. Stormer, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1998 (Germany)
John Sulston, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 2002 (United Kingdom)
Henri Taube, Nobel Price in Chemistry, 1983 (USA)
Richard E. Taylor, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1990 (United States)
Donnall E. Thomas, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1990 (United States)
Daniel C. Tsui, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1998 (United States)
Sir John Vane, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1982 (United Kingdom)
Harold Varmus, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1989 (United States)
Martinus Veltman, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1999 (Netherlands)
Klaus Von Klitzing, Nobel Prize for Physics, 1985 (Germany)
John Walker, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, 1997 (United States)
Steven Weinberg, Nobel Prize in Physics, 1979 (United States)
Carl Wieman, Nobel Prize in Physics, 2001 (United States)
Eric F. Wieschaus, Nobel laureate in Medicine, 1995 (United States)
Kurt Wuthrich, Nobel Price in Chemistry, 2002 (Switzerland)
Rolf Zinkernagel, Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1996 (Switzerland)
