Euro-TC Newsletter September 2009

Dear Members,
Trying to increase communication and information we regularly will send out this information newsletter for our members. Certainly, information about your organization, your recent activities, is very welcome and we would like for the future to include lots of your inputs into this medium. The Vienna operational office is looking forward to receive material from your side.

Board Meeting, San Sebastian, Nov 09:
We hope you all had a good summer with time for relaxation and holidays to be ready for the usually very busy autumn, which has also started quite busy for Euro-TC:
The new board will meet for its first board meeting on Nov 6 & 7 in San Sebastian, on the occasion of the famous half marathon run from Behobia to San Sebastian (information was sent out) organized by one of the most active and energetic euro-TC members, Fernando Ibarreta. As decided at the Venice meeting, it will be a joint meeting between the new and old board – with the now honorary president and vice presidents – to guarantee a positive transition and stable outline for the future.

New Members:
One of our honorary vice presidents, Horst Brömer has been very active at the end of summer in contacting treatment centers in the Ukraine which results in great interest and also application from colleagues from the Ukraine to join Euro-TC. We want to thank Horst for his ongoing efforts in promoting Euro-TC and motivating centers working in our spirit to become members.

DCD II project:
The DCD II project is now at halftime and Julia Kalchhauser will present the intermediate report at the next Steering Committee meeting at the beginning of October in Venice. The project, which had its last meeting of the partner cities in Vienna, is extraordinary productive as successful so far. You can find the updates on the overall DCD project on the website: www.democitydrug.org

Centro Integracion Juvenile:
Last week a conference of Centro Integracion Juvenile took place in Mexico City. The CIJ celebrated its fortieth anniversary. Since Kena Morena – the grand dame of prevention and treatment of addiction in Mexico – founded CIJ forty years ago on a voluntary basis with huge personal efforts and incredible power it has become one of the biggest NGOs caring for addicts in the world, running more than a hundred treatment centers in Mexico with thousands of employees and voluntaries. The outstanding conference was organized by the executive director of CIJ Lic. Carmen Fernandez, who could welcome the incredible number of four thousand participants from more than fifty countries. It was an enormous success on the scientific level as well as in the spirit of honoring the incredible achievements of CIJ.


(Euro-TC president Thomas Legl on the podium with health minister Cordova at the closing ceremony)

Through the ongoing international activities of Euro-TC our work is highly respected by the Mexican colleagues and President Thomas Legl as an old friend of the organization, as well as Professor Philip Lazarov from our Cypriot member Kenthea were invited as speakers. Thomas held a plenary speech on the new treatment development and also made a statement in the closing ceremony which was honored by the presence of the Mexican minister of health, Dr José Angel Cordova Villalobos. Philip and Thomas also organized a two-day pre-congress institute on capacity building which was highly welcomed by the Mexican colleagues. For information on CIJ you can visit their website: www.cij.gob.mx
(Euro-TC president Thomas Legl; Lic Carmen Fernandez, General Director Centro Integracion Juvenil; Euro-TC member Philip Lazarov, Kenthea Cyprus)

International participants crowding to find a seat in the conference hall