~WFMH 50th Anniversary Programs
London Celebration Symposium~

The WFMH anniversary symposium in London in October promises to be a very special event. TheFederation was founded in 1948 at a congress in London organized by MIND (then Britains NationalAssociation for Mental Health). Knowledge of this, and the challenge of celebrating fifty years ofachievement by the Federation, has created interest at high levels. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hasagreed to serve as the symposiums Patron. Prime Minister Tony Blair has notified the organizers thathe is willing to lend his support as a Vice Patron, and a number of government ministers have alsoagreed to do so. In honor of the Federations anniversary there will be a government reception (byinvitation only), on 21 October, the eve of the symposium. It will take place at Lancaster House andwill be hosted by the Prime Minister.

The World Health Organization (also born in 1948) is co-sponsoring the symposium, which will beheld in Church House, Westminster, a historic building adjacent to Westminster Abbey and theHouses of Parliament. The symposium theme supports the WHO Action Program, Nations for MentalHealth for Underserved Populations. Speakers will include heads of the major United Nationsagencies which, still in their infancy in 1948, were represented at the 1948 congress and at the actualsigning ceremony when WFMH was formally established. The other part of the theme – Partnershipsfor Mental Health – reflects the essential nature of WFMH. The symposium will explore how effectivepartnerships can be fostered and all participants are expected to contribute. Leaders of WFMH in theRegions are collaborating with their WHO counterparts and other NGOs, in preparing joint plenarypresentations setting out their Regions priorities, policies, problems and solutions. Their preliminarydiscussions now, and their collaboration at the symposium, should help to create lasting partnershipsand benefits in the Regions.

Workshops, poster sessions and exhibitions are an integral part of the program. Workshop themesproposed so far include: mental health promotion; stigma and discrimination; work and mental health;violence; refugees; ethnic issues; womens rights; children; and mental health and ageing. Commentsand suggestions are welcome.

The symposiums organizers are Edith Morgan, OBE (Chair of the WFMH Past Presidents Counciland Honorary Founder of the European Regional Council of WFMH) and Rachel Jenkins (Director ofthe WHO Collaborating Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry in London). They work closely withWFMH President Marten de Vries and a small international advisory committee. Offers of practicalhelp are invited, for example by sponsoring workshops (costed in the budget at 2,500 each)and by contributing to the Scholarship Fund (to support participation from low-income countries andmental health service users).

Edith Morgans contact numbers are:
Telephone 44 (0) 171 485 5244
Fax 44 (0) 171 482 1417
Email: [email protected]

Rachel Jenkins contact numbers are:
Telephone 44 (0) 171 740 5293
Fax: 44 (0) 171 919 3669
Email : [email protected]

The registration fee is 300 for early registrations, and members of WFMH (including thosejoining now) are offered a discount of 25. After 1 May the registration fee goes up to 340, with the same discount for WFMH members.
Enquiries should be made to:

Professional Briefings
120 Wilton Road, London SW1V 1JZ, UK
Tel. 44 (0) 171 233 8322
Fax 44 171 (0) 233 7779
Email: [email protected]

Also, see the booking organizations website at:
http://profbriefings.co.uk/events/partmh.htm

Associated Conference
An associated one-day conference on “Bridging the gap” focusing on adolescent and adult mentallydisordered offenders will be held on 21 October in London. Enquiries should be sent to:

PavilionPublishing:
Tel. 44 (0) 1273 623 222
Fax: 44 (0) 1273 625 526
Email: [email protected]