VIEWPOINT PROFESSION UNITY IN DIVERSITY Respect for our differences BY ANDRÉ-MARIE GONTHIER T 24 Canadian Chiropractor February 2020 www.canadianchiropractor.ca LSOphoto/ iStock / Getty Images Plus/Getty Images. he G6 is a think-tank on contemporary pro-fessional challenges or issues in chiropractic. On behalf of the mem-bers of the G6, I hope that this will allow you to better understand what it is all about. We advocate unity in diver-sity . We want to promote more re-spect for the differences between us as chiropractors. We firmly believe that the future of our profession lies with the different factions or groups of chiropractors and how they behave with each other. Otherwise, and as many external observers of our pro-fession believe, the chiropractic pro-fession, as we know it, will implode, fragment, and even disappear – at least in its current form. It is possible that the G6 Proclamation-Declara-tion will rub some people (or organ-izations) the wrong way. But there comes a time when we must have the courage to say things as they are, in an honest and lucid manner. And yes, the situation is alarming. However, there is hope. On our bilingual website, dia-loguechiropratique.org , you will find all relevant information on the G6. We are a group of experienced chiroprac-tors who care about the future of their profession and share a common mis-sion: Put our voices and energy at the service of the profession and help Finally, some aspects of future G6 projects will be presented. We, as a profession, are once again confronted to attacks from the out-side (journalists, anti-chiropractic detractors) which were launched against chiropractors who probably went too far in their allegations, and consequently, would have exceeded ethical limits. This has been seen in England, France, the United States, and Canada. The problem is that some chiropractors may have said or done something that may have proved the critics of our profession right. This has resulted in a tightening of the regulations/articles of the codes of ethics by certain regulatory bodies, both in Canada, in Europe and in Australia (authoritative drifts). DR. ANDRÉ-MARIE GONTHIER is the Vice President of the Quebec Chiropractic Research Foundation On the other hand, it should not be (FCQ) and full professor in the Department of Chiropractic at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. He forgotten that an “International Co-was a former President of the Ordre des chiropraticiens du Québec (OCQ) from 2007-2011. alition on Chiropractic Education” make it more respectful of its origins – what chiropractic can bring to the health of our humanity. We also want to work towards establishing a greater degree of respect between the differ-ent parties or groups that compose our profession, as well as a more harmonious cohabitation. To do this, we want to create opportunities for constructive and structuring dialogue between all of us chiropractors. The G6 was founded more than a year ago, in December 2018. We have written and published a discussion paper, entitled: “The chiropractic profession, a community that must aim and achieve real respect for in-tra-professional differences: an essen-tial condition for its survival,” in the form of a “Proclamation.” A one-page document, a “Declaration,” is at-tached to the Proclamation. Follow-ing this publication, several people have questioned the G6. We then published an explanatory document on our website, entitled “Solidarity and Respect,” written by one of our members, Dr. Richard Giguère, past president of the Canadian Chiroprac-tic Association. In this article, I will explain the reason for the creation of the G6, its mission, its vision and its objectives for the present and future. I will also describe the different actions that have been undertaken and will pres-ent a summary of its achievements. “We want to create opportunities for constructive and structuring dialogue...”
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor February 2020: Page 24
