India Delegates Spell Bound Attendees of International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment in San Diego, CA

India Delegates, Louise Anita Williams and Valji Bagda of Love Humanity International headquartered in Mumbai India spell bound attendees at the International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment in San Diego.

Mumbai, India (PRWEB) February 17, 2006 -- The 20th International Conference on Child and Family Maltreatment was held at Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, CA USA from January 23rd to 27th. It was organized by Chadwick Center for Children & Families and Children’s Hospital-San Diego. The conference was supported and collaborated by 39 organizations and institutions including U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN); various universities and Children Hospitals. 1800 delegates from 39 countries participated in the conference.

Some pre-conference meetings presented by ISPCAN were held in which various issues on the theme of “Public Health Approaches to Child Maltreatment: Prevention as a Priority” were discussed. Topics presented included: A Public Health Strategy for Preventing Child Maltreatment; Child Abuse and Neglect: Opportunities and Restrictions; Public Health Related Approach to Jordan for Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention; Steps of Child Abuse Prevention in Estonia During the Last Decade; Developing Child Protection Service in Developing Countries; Building a Multi-Sectoral Taskforce in Lebanon for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect; and Preventing Fetal Alcohol Syndrome in Russia: A Public Health Approach.

American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC) held pre-conference meetings including: Advanced Training for Forensic Interviewers, Basic Training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Pediatric Sexual Abuse – Update on Medical Evaluation, 2006. In addition, University California San Diego (UCSD) Department of Psychiatry held an Institute on Attachment.

Throughout the conference there were various tracks for attendees to follow. These included Trauma Treatment, Medial, Law, Investigation, Interviewing, Domestic Violence, Child Welfare, Prevention, Disaster Response, Research and International Global Issues.

A grand reception was held on the evening of 23rd January in the California Room for conference faculty and international attendees. All participants were amazed and lost their heart beats for awhile and there was pin drop silence when Mr. Valji Bagda from Rajkot India started addressing the gathering that he has come from the land of Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavir, spiritual leader Vivekananda who not only addressed the people of the USA but spread the spiritual message throughout the world and Mahatma Gandhi who brought peace and non-violence, would like to introduce the legendary Louise Anita Williams who is the founder and managing trustee of Love Humanity International and who has left all the pleasures and happiness of the USA and migrated to India to help the hapless children and to create homes for children living on the streets and who is creating miracles in India through her selfless work. Valji Bagda further stated that people from India and all over the world want to migrate to the USA – the land of opportunity whereas Louise Williams has migrated to India to begin the work of Love Humanity International to empower the children. After giving this introduction he invited and requested Williams to come and say a few words.    

As Louise Williams came forward the audience was spell bound. Due to the love and affection of the people, Louise Williams was overwhelmed. Once at the microphone, Louise could only say that she was there in hopes of changing the people’s vocabulary and mindset to stop focusing on Child Abuse Prevention, but to instead focus on the positive of teaching people how to raise children with love. Her message and suggestion, although brief, reached to the hearts and minds of the people and was welcomed by all.

Valji Bagda’s brief speech and the way of introduction of Louise Williams had touched the hearts of the people in such a way that everyone was anxious to know more about India and Love Humanity International.

Representatives from all parts of the world including Nobel Peace Prize Nominee for 2005, Dr. Jeanne Devos, ICM, from Mumbai India and Consul General of Belgium in the USA, Mr. Ronald De Langhe, met with Valji Bagda and Louise Williams.

The opening general session was held on the morning of 24th January in the Grand Ballroom. The session began with music from the U.S. Navy Band Southwest followed by opening remarks by Charles Wilson, Executive Director of Chadwick Center – Children’s Hospital-San Diego where the conference was dedicated in memory to the late William Friedrich, PhD who was a professor consultant in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN. and who authored several books on the treatment of sexually abused children and published numerous articles on the evaluation and treatment of maltreated children and their parents.

The introduction of the international delegates welcome was given by Ronald DeLangue, Consul General, Embassy of Belgium followed by a video message by Crowne Princess Mathilde of Belgium. In her heart-touching message the princess emphasized on world attention and measures to prevent child abuse and family maltreatment.

The introduction to the keynote address was given by Blair Sadler, President, CEO, Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego.

Paul Bate, PhD, Chair of National Health Services, Royal Free & University of College Medical School, University College London, UK delivered the inspiring Keynote speech entitled “Climbing the Rainbow to the Stars: Spreading, Implementing and Embedding Best Practices”.

The day was filed with concurrent workshops beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. At the lunch break between 11:45 to 12:45 Barbara Bonner, PhD, President of ISPCAN provided a brief overview of the research on child abuse and neglect throughout the world. Specific information focused on India, Canada, Colombia, New Zealand, Portugal, Zambia and Syria followed by a speech given by Dr. Jeanne Devos of Mumbai, India and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee entitled Intervening in Traditional Cultural Practices that Mask Abuse.

Love Humanity International’s main focus in India is on empowering children and in teaching adults who care for children how to raise them in a loving teaching manner. Therefore both Williams and Bagda attended various workshops on prevention and visited the Chadwick Center for Children and Families. The first of many workshops attended on prevention was lead by W. Rodney Hammond, PhD, Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Division of Violence Prevention of the Center for Disease Control and Kevin Kirkpatrick from Metropolitan Group.

At the end of the first day a dance party was organized in celebration of Chadwick Center’s 30 Anniversary and the 20th San Diego International Conference, which was enjoyed by the delegates of the conference and the staff from Chadwick Center.

On the 25th of January the general session began with music played by Cici Porter and with welcome and opening remarks by Dr. Cynthia L. Kuelbs, Medical Director of Chadwick Center. Dr. Irwin A. Kaufman, Chief Operating Officer, Children’s Hospital-San Diego introduced the Plenary Speaker Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, Surgeon General of the U.S. Department of Health and Welfare, Washington DC. Carmona delivered one of the most touching speeches ‘Making Child and Family Maltreatment a National Priority’ where he opened his heart and shared from his past of how he, too, had suffered from various forms of maltreatment. He shared his life experiences that led to him being selected Surgeon General and how President George Bush has decided to make this a national priority.

Cybele F. Daley, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington DC ended the morning session explaining the Office of Justice Programs Goals and Priorities. She briefly touched on the global issue of trafficking children and stated it must be an international priority.

The conference ended with a general session on the 27th of January where Casey Gwinn, National Director, President’s Family Justice Center Initiative, San Diego, CA raised enthusiasm of all the attendees by his lecture on the subject ‘Dreaming Big and Changing the World’. Final closing remarks were given by Charles Wilson, Executive Director, Chadwick Center.

Love Humanity International is an all India charitable trust in Mumbai with one goal – to effect positive change in the future by empowering children to grow into strong, loving, educated, self-reliant adults who may one day give back to their community, country and/or possibly the world. Love Humanity serves adults as well as children by providing community awareness and educational programs on alternative ways of rearing and treating children, using love and encouragement as the basic foundation. Target audiences for the course are parents, expecting parents, teachers, relatives of children and childcare providers. In addition, Love Humanity creates family-like homes as close to normal as possible for orphaned, neglected and abused children.

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