WFMH: THE BIG TENT (Last Updated On: ) WFMH: THE BIG TENT WFMH is the heir of many streams of advocacy and education, and an agent of many constituencies. Its identity, from its beginning, has been that of an inclusive organization. It is a “big tent” or “umbrella” sheltering individuals and organizations of many different professions, persuasions, interests, cultures and nationalities. Indeed, its uniqueness and potential strength lie in its ecumenical nature. How did this develop? Our predecessor organization was the International Committee on Mental Hygiene (ICMH), founded in 1919. Its core mission, still a significant concern for WFMH, was mental hospital reform. Its members were primarily mental health associations composed of citizen volunteers. But the first International Congress on Mental Hygiene, held in Washington D.C. in 1930, attracted a diverse group of professional clinicians and scientists. In Paris, in May 1932, a reorganized ICMH expanded its concerns to include “mental problems involved in education, research, industry, unemployment, delinquency, crime, dependency, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, prostitution, drug addiction and other subjects within the broad field of human behavior.” In 1948 ICMH was transformed into WFMH at the International Congress on Mental Health in London. The new Federation’s founding document, Mental Health and World Citizenship, was inspired in part by UNESCO’s conference, Educating Children for World Mindedness. In the post-World War II era a priority was the maintenance of peace through international collaboration. The founding document called for “a world community built on…respect for individual and cultural differences” as well as the promotion of mental health for “all of the world’s peoples.” Beyond Traditional Concerns Britain’s John R. Rees, the Federation’s first president and then chief executive, regarded this document as the Federation’s “bible,” providing the expansion of the traditional concerns of mental health associations essential to the vision of a new organization. Its seminars and advocacy, often aimed specifically at leaders of influential organizations, dealt with global mental health issues ranging from international administration to urbanization to population to immigration. Rees was fond of pointing out that WFMH’s major opportunities came through influencing and working with UN agencies, national health ministries, universities, and national and regional associations of professionals as well as volunteers. With the retirement of John Rees in 1961 came the appointment of a new Chief Executive, eventually a transfer of the Secretariat to Geneva, and then several years during which the offices of president and chief executive were combined. The 1977 World Congress for Mental Health provided funds for a small Secretariat in Vancouver, Canada. In 1979 the Board voted that World Congresses should be held biennially. A World Congress in Washington, D.C. in 1983 permitted the establishment of the post of Secretary General with an accelerated recovery of the Federation’s functions. It also saw the initiation of “Mental Health Association Day” at World Congresses. A New Expansion In the years between 1981 and 1995 the big tent once more came into being. Psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, social workers and nurses became active in the organization. Collaboration was established with university groups in order to provide a scientific basis for advocacy and to recruit scientists, themselves, as advocates. Topic-oriented committees were formed. Major projects, some continuing to the present day, concerned refugee trauma, prevention, responsible parenthood, substance abuse, human rights, prevention of the sexual exploitation of children, and an international consortium of women leaders. Advocacy for mental health system reform and the reduction of stigma continued through an annual “World Mental Health Day.” In 1982, for the first time, a deliberate effort was made to involve self-help organizations and psychiatric survivors in Federation affairs. This has contributed to the establishment of international organizations of survivors, as well as their increased participation in WFMH governance. In 1983 the basis for regionalization of the Federation was formally established, increasing the “big tent” to include significant mental health activity in areas such as the Eastern Mediterranean and Africa which had, hitherto, been relatively silent. Much has been done, but there is still much to do. There are regions which are only barely represented in our Federation. There are tasks which remain undone. There are potential constituencies which have been ignored. But there is room in the big tent for all! – Eugene B. Brody