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This has been a busy year for the WFSA as a whole and for the Secretary and Secretariat in particular as we continue to build on the successes occasioned by the World Congress in Cape Town in 2008. It has been a time for a detailed examination of all our activity and for positive change and improvement in communication and development of service. New personnel in key positions within the organisation have brought a ‘wind of change' which, while ensuring that the aims of the WFSA are maintained, has sought to refine and improve the processes of achieving those aims. Membership changes:At the World Congress in Cape Town in 2008, the General Assembly voted to suspend Portugal, Macedonia and Estonia due to failure to pay their subscriptions for at least 4 years. The WFSA was delighted to welcome 2 new members Societies at that same time namely Angola and El Salvador.Affiliated organizations:The list of organizations with whom the WFSA is affiliated has been revised and defined. Affiliation now involves an exchange of information relating to:1. Current constitutions and annual reports 2. Information of World or Regional congresses we sponsor or organize 3. Invitation for reciprocal observers to formal Council or policy meetings at said conferences 4. Website linkage 5. Consideration of joint sessions within Scientific Meetings Organisations that have accepted or renewed affiliation this year are: International Federation of Gynaecology & Obstetrics (FIGO) World Association of Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) World Society of Intravenus Anaesthesia (SIVA) World Federation of Societies of Critical and Intensive Care Medicine (WFSIACCM) World Health Organisation (WHO) American Association of Clinical Directors (AACD) Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) International Standards Organisation (ISO) Primary Trauma Care Foundation (PTCF). I would be pleased to consider any other organisations with which members believe we should affiliate. Administrative manual:This document is a crucial adjunct to our Constitution that details how we do what we do. It tells of the procedures that take place within the London office, how we run meetings, job descriptions, just how everything is done. Many of the old ways were out-of-date since we passed the new constitution. The new manual is about to be published on our website.London office:Ruth Hooper continues to provide a vital service in our office and we all owe her a huge debt of gratitude for her excellent work. In the run up to and the immediate post World Congress periods, she was ably assisted by Yolanda who was seconded on a short term contract. The office is open during normal office hours and Ruth is always pleased to see any member of any Society who happens to be passing through London at any time. It is wise to phone ahead to ensure someone will be there.Archives:Ruth and I have been slowly working our way through a large amount of material that has been filling multiple filing cabinets in our London Office. With space at a premium, we have been able to dispose of a large body of material and send further old information to our archive store within the Wood Library Museum in Park Ridge, Chicago, USA. Trained archivists there have been able to catalogue and store this material so that it is available for researchers both now and in the future.Legal base:Resolutions were passed during the 2nd General Assembly in Cape Town that were related to specific legal changes we had to make to conform with Dutch Law and to verify our exact legal registered status within that country. We have now re-established our legal registration in The Netherlands where the WFSA was originally recognised in law.All Africa Congress:This September sees the 4th All Africa Congress take place in Nairobi between 12-16th (see www.aaackenya2009.org). Many of those who could benefit most from attendance at a meeting like this find that they are prevented from attending due to financial constraints. We have been fortunate to receive funding from Baxter (as they did for the World Congress in Cape Town) to provide a series of Fellowships to enable those less affluent on the African continent to attend and present a poster. This generous donation has in turn encouraged other National Societies outside of Africa (notably Canada, UK, Norway, Finland, and USA ) to donate further funds to enable even more to attend. WFSA remains very grateful for this type of philanthropy which literally changes lives both now and for the future.Communication:Timely communication is vital in a world wide organisation such as ours. I have been very grateful for the speedy responses I have received from many Societies to my questions. However it is apparent that we may not be reaching all of our membership because perhaps personnel have changed or email addresses altered. Please take time to look at the information on our website that relates to you or your Society and ensure that the details there are correct. If they are not, then email me at wfsahq@anaesthesiologists.org so that we are able to keep in touch. Please remember that if there are matters that you feel we should be ‘doing something about' then let me know. We need you to lead us forward, so do not hesitate to put matters in front of us for our views.Other activity:The Annual Report is full of further information about the activities of all our personnel and committees. The amount of work that ‘gets done' is phenomenal and it is very encouraging to see the willingness of individuals and societies to make that extra effort so that we are able to move towards our goal of fulfilling our aims to see an equality of services across the world.David Wilkinson. (UK) |
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