On 8 September the Executive Committee of the Federations Board of Directors met at Imperial College, London. Other committee meetings also took place. Following these preparatory sessions, a meeting of the Board was held at the Royal College of Psychiatry on 9-10 September, chaired by WFMH President Pirkko Lahti. The major item on the agenda was the appointment of Preston J. Garrison as Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer. A session of the Membership Assembly was convened after the Board meeting.
The Board reviewed current expenditures, the budget for next year, and other financial matters. A number of Bylaw changes were approved for submission to the Assembly, including one to establish a review process for those voting member organizations not having paid annual dues, which will lead to cancellation of voting status. Changes to the Manual of Policy and Procedures included the adoption of revised procedures governing the submission of resolutions at the Assembly.
After a discussion of the current World Mental Health Day campaign, the Board decided to adopt a theme involving childrens mental health again in 2003. This will be the second time a two-year theme has been used.
A report from the organizers of the next World Congress in Melbourne, Australia, was presented, and the Board also reviewed plans for future Congresses after the February 2003 event.
The Federations Main Representative to United Nations Headquarters in New York, Nancy Wallace, gave a presentation on recent activities there, including the meeting of the ad hoc committee on a proposed UN convention on disability (28 July-9 August). She attended the meeting on behalf of the Federation with Board member Sylvia Caras, who also provided comments. The Board passed a resolution expressing support for the development of the convention, with the intention of soliciting the active interest of the Federations membership. Earlier, on the afternoon of 8 September at Imperial College, Ms. Wallace had given a general briefing to Board members on the Federations advocacy work at the United Nations.
Seven applications for the renewal of Collaborating Center status had been received. The following were approved:
Womens Health Program, University of Toronto, Canada
Office for Gender and Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Harvard Program in Refugee Trauma, Harvard University, USA
Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Survivors (STARTTS), Caramar, New South Wales, Australia
Institute for Human Ageing, University of Liverpool, UK
CCPMH/IPSER, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
A voting member application from the Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network, USA, was accepted.
The Board passed a resolution supporting the investigative efforts being undertaken by the World Psychiatric Association with regard to alleged misuses of psychiatry in China to suppress the practices of the Falun Gong.
Edith Morgan
Former President Edith Morgan (1985-87) attended the meeting and chaired the session of the Membership Assembly. Leo deGraaf, president of Mental Health Europe, a WFMH Regional Council, also attended the Board meeting as an observer.
– Elena L. Berger