Pre-conference Symposia
Following on the success at Melbourne in 2004, Canada 2007 will officially support the organization of a series of one-day, thematic symposia. The symposia are designed to focus on a specific area of concern for health promotion, allowing local people, who might not otherwise be able to attend the full conference, to participate with and get exposure to some of the international experts in their fields of interest.
The following symposia are available:
- School Health 2007
- Promoting Healthy Child & Youth Development
- Indigenous Health Promotion Forum
- No Health Without Mental Health Symposium
- Active Aging and the Built Environment: Towards Health for All
School Health 2007
June 8-10, 2007, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre
The School 's Role in Promoting Positive Social Development and Mental Health: Canadian and International Perspectives
Hosted by the Canadian Association for School Health in cooperation with Canadian Psychological Association, Canadian Mental Health Association, International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools, Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, Sex Information and Education Council of Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, Health Canada, Canadian Council on Learning, Safe & Caring Schools Society of Canada, Promoting Relationships to Eliminate Violence Network and the International School Health Network
Research about the anti-social and risky behaviours is increasingly showing that delinquency, bullying, harmful substance abuse and sexual risk-taking all stem from the same basic disconnect between some young people, their parents, schools and the community. This same research shows that these social problems are directly linked to dropping out of school, alienation within families and difficulties in identifying adults that can be trustworthy guides and advocates. School-based and school-linked programs and services are evolving to respond to these clusters of negative behaviours. These include:
- Anti-bullying programs that take a social development approach.
- Sexual health education programs that include youth development strategies.
- Mental health programs that improve the social climate of the school.
- Substance abuse prevention that builds life skills.
- Crime prevention that include police officers working on prevention and restorative justice.
However, all of these effective programs require inter-agency cooperation to be effective and sustainable. The third annual Canadian School Health Conference will focus on how local agencies and professionals from a variety of sectors can work together on proven strategies. Conference keynotes will bring the latest insights. The conference workshops will provide hands-on, practice-based information and experience.
For more information and to register for the School Health 2007 conference, please visit the website.
Promoting Healthy Child & Youth Development
Hosted by the Human Early Learning Partnership
June 10, 2007, 08:00–15:00; Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre
Led by Dr. Clyde Hertzman, the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) is a pioneering, interdisciplinary 'cell to society' research partnership that is directing a world-leading contribution to new understandings and approaches to early child development. HELP is an inter-university, interdisciplinary partnership of six universities across British Columbia, Canada. HELP currently serves as the World Health Organization's (WHO) Knowledge Network for Early Child Development with a focus on the social determinants of health.
Well established evidence illustrates that opportunities provided to young children are crucial in shaping lifelong health and development status.
Together our unique local and global research partnership is contributing to an effective 'global conversation' on early child development and places a priority on those things that are shared by all societies.
See Program for further details.
Indigenous Health Promotion Forum
Hosted by the Indigenous Peoples’ Committee of the 19th IUHPE World Conference
June 10, 2007, 0830 – 1700, Fairmont Waterfront, Vancouver, BC
This one day forum will focus on issues of Indigenous health and health promotion. There will be Indigenous speakers from several countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the USA.
Plenary sessions at the beginning and end of the day will highlight Indigenous health promotion in Canada and internationally, as well as the new resolutions around Indigenous issues in the IUHPE.
There will be several breakout sessions in both the morning and the afternoon. Topics of these sessions are:
- Social Change and Equity
- International Research Collaborations
- Wisdom of the Past
- Looking to the Future
- Effectiveness
- discussion sessions focusing on the new IUHPE resolutions.
A few of the many speakers and topics during the day will be:
- Dr. Pita Sharples ( New Zealand ) – plenary speaker
- Dr. Jay Wortman ( Canada ) – Traditional Diet and Diabetes
- Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill ( Canada ) – Traditional Health and Healing with North, South and Central American Groups
- Lori New Breast ( USA ) – Indigenous Self-Determination and Dedication to Optimum Cultural Wellbeing
- Dr. Heather Gifford ( New Zealand ) – Building National and International Indigenous Research Partnerships: Challenges and Solutions
- Belinda Borell ( New Zealand ) – It’s all Good in the Hood: Cultural Diversity of Maori Youth
- Suaree Borell ( New Zealand ) – Indigenous Family Futures for the 21st Century and Beyond: The New Social Order: Maori Responses to Political Capture
- Dallas Young ( Australia ) – Social Change and Equity: An Australian Aboriginal Perspective
- Dr Christine Jeffries-Stokes and Geoffrey Stokes ( Australia ) – Fat, Food and Forgiveness
- Dr. Mihi Ratima ( New Zealand ) – plenary speaker
- Dr. Boni Robertson ( Australia ) – plenary speaker
No Health Without Mental Health
Community Approaches to Mental Health Promotion
June 10, 2007, Vancouver, BC
This symposium is endorsed by the 19th International Union for Health Promotion and Education World conference and will be held prior to the conference opening ceremony.
Mental Health Promotion requires working upstream and in the community for success. This one-day symposium will bring together international and Canadian speakers, researchers, and practitioners to:
Venue:
- Wosk Centre for Dialogue
- 580 West Hastings Street
- Vancouver, BC, Canada
Contact for more information:
- Melody Monro
- mmonro2@bcmhs.bc.ca
- 604-707-6391
- increase worldwide collaboration
- facilitate debate, discussion and networking
- advance mental health promotion research and practice
- demonstrate how to apply and evaluate a comprehensive community approach for strengthening MHP
- highlight effective community policies, programs and strategies for practice and evaluation from around the globe
Speakers:
- Eva Jane-Llopis, Keynote, WHO- Europe
- Therese Agossou, Congo
- Penny Hawe, Canada
- Corey Keyes, USA
- Jean Caron, Canada
- Margaret Barry, Ireland
- Cornelia Wieman, Canada
- Katherine Minich, Canada
- Nadarajah Sivarajah, Sri Lanka
- Esau Keukebata, Solomon Islands
- Jaime Sapag, Chile
Themes in mental health promotion:
- women
- youth
- healthy aging
- Aboriginal people
- people with mental illness
- victims of trauma
- rural and remote villages
- national policy
- community development
Active Aging and the Built Environment: Towards Health for All
Hosted by the Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre
June 8-9, 2007, Simon Fraser University Vancouver campus, 515 W. Hastings St, Vancouver, BC
The theme of this 1.5 day symposium recognizes the importance of taking an active approach in meeting the challenges of population aging. It also recognizes the important role that the built environment can play in enhancing the health and well being of today’s and tomorrow’s older population. Our plan is to explore ways of removing barriers and increasing the age-friendliness of the various settings in which older people spend their time, examine the links between the location and design of housing, shopping, restaurants and service areas, parks and recreational settings and the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the country; and the implications for various sub-groups of the population of increasing the walkability of our communities. One size may not fit all – the World Health Organization’s Active Ageing policy framework highlights the need to take culture and gender into account in examining all policies and programs. Current and planned health, housing and lifestyle initiatives targeted to the aging population need to be examined from the perspective of these two cross-cutting variables. We also need to the sensitive to four key planning principles, identified in the BC Ministry of Health’s recent symposium on Active Aging, that are important considerations that will guide the development of provincial, regional, and local active aging plans and actions. These are: inclusiveness, evidence, communication, sustainability and leadership. Some "how to's" and "best practices" will be presented as a guide for achieving these goals.
See the program for further details.