“Solidarity in Times of Adversity: The Global Voice Hearing Community Reconnecting”

12th World Hearing Voices Congress, Cork, Ireland, 1 – 3 September 2021

The Hearing Voices Network Ireland (HVNI) will be hosting the annual World Hearing Voices Congress 1-3 September 2021. With the ongoing uncertainty about travel and other restrictions, Congress will either have a hybrid format (if restrictions allow), with both in-person events in Cork and online events, or a full online format. It would be good to receive abstracts from people who are engaged in HV type activities in Ireland.

Congress details, including the ‘call for papers’ info and form can be found here:

https://hearingvoicesnetworkireland.ie/intervoice-congress-2021/

https://hearingvoicesnetworkireland.ie/call-for-papers/

Online registration details can be found here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/12th-world-hearing-voices-congress-cork-ireland-1-3-sept-2021-tickets-145886254715

The Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing was set up to act as a forum to facilitate and enable discussion on issues relevant to Mental Health Nursing. The Institute aimed to foster the development of the profession and contribute to policy on matters relevant to nursing and mental health.  Over more than 10 years, it ran programmes on hearing voices facilitation for children and adults, the Maastricht Interview, Working with Paranoia, Voice Dialogue and Safewards.  It inputted into policy discussions and ran conferences at a national and international level. In 2021, the Irish Institute of Mental Health Nursing revoked its status as a charity.

At this junction, we would like to set out a new vision for the future of the organisation and with your help would like to see where the next years brings the institute. To this end, the Institute would welcome your views on what you would like it to do in the future.  In the near future we hope to conduct a survey to see where you would like use to focus this next phase of development. We will be in touch shortly.

The organising committee of the 12th World Hearing Voices Congress, invite you to join them in Cork from 1-3 September 2021, either in person or online for: “Solidarity in Times of Adversity: The Global Voice Hearing Community Reconnecting”

Congress Theme

Over the past 18 months, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented challenge across the globe, which many of us will have experienced as disconnecting, isolating, frightening, chaotic, overwhelming, and, at times, unbearable. However, the pandemic has also shown the power of solidarity when communities come together to offer each other support in times of adversity.

This year’s Congress will create spaces for voice hearers, family members, carers, practitioners, academics, and all those interested in the principles and values of the International Hearing Voices Movement, to connect and or reconnect with one another in a post-pandemic world, either in person in Cork, Ireland or online across the globe. Drawing on two ancient Irish traditions, the Congress organisers aim to provide a platform (ardán*) to focus on the ways in which many voices can work together, supporting each other in difficult times (meitheal*).

Ardán (pronounced ar-dawn) is an Irish word meaning platform, stage, but it is also used in the context of ‘raising one spirits!

Meitheal (pronounced meh-hill) is the Irish expression of the ancient and universal appliance of cooperation to social need, referring to the co-operative labour system in Ireland where neighbours help each other in turn with farming work, such as harvesting crops. It establishes community unity through cooperative work and mutually reciprocal support.

First announcement and call for papers can be found on

http://hearingvoicesnetworkireland.ie/intervoice-congress-2021/

Congress Format

Congress will have a hybrid format, with in-person events, if restrictions allow, in Cork, and online events. In-person delegates will be able to access all the in-person events in Cork as well as the online events. Online delegates will be able to access all the keynote presentations, all the online concurrent sessions, and all the networking sessions, but they will not be able to access the in-person concurrent sessions in Cork. If restrictions do not allow to have a hybrid Congress in Cork, then Congress will move fully online!

Online Registration details can be found on 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/12th-world-hearing-voices-congress-cork-ireland-1-3-sept-2021-tickets-145886254715

The HVNI Board, would like to invite people to attend the HVNI AGM 2021, which takes place on 14 April from 19.00 – 21.00 via a Zoom link.  The HVNI needs new Board members, if you are interested all you need to do is complete a nomination form with your details. They look forward to receiving nominations in advance of the meeting. If you are interested, or know of others who are, but are not sure what it entails, please email h.gijbels@ucc.ie.

In addition to the formal AGM procedures, the board look forward to hearing how HV related work is progressing across the country from individuals and/or from groups. They are interested to find out how voice hearers have dealt/are dealing with the challenges, caused by the pandemic. They would also like to hear how people have managed to continue with HV related activities in their areas.  The meeting will also have an Open Forum, where attendees will have an opportunity to share their experiences, ask questions and provide suggestions.

Peter Bullimore has kindly agreed to be the guest speaker, sharing his insights and experiences of supporting the hearing voices community over the last year.

Provisional schedule:

19.00 Welcome to AGM, overview of HVNI activities over the last year

19.15 Peter Bullimore, guest speaker

19.45 Open Forum

20.30 Nominations for HVNI Board and election of Board members

21.00 AGM finishes

To express your interest in attending the AGM, please email Harry Gijbels at h.gijbels@ucc.ie.  You will receive a Zoom link by email a few days in advance of the meeting.

All details, including the nomination form, will also be available on the HVNI website:  http://hearingvoicesnetworkireland.ie

Call for Abstracts for Oral and Poster Presentations

The School of Nursing and Midwifery has issues a call for abstracts on the theme of ‘Mental health and recovery’.

https://nursing-midwifery.tcd.ie/events-conferences/THEconference2020/call-for-abstracts.php

The ‘Being Me’ Consortium, an EU funded project looking at supporting the social inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) older people who use healthcare and wellbeing services, has launched best practice principles on developing LGBT cultural competence in health and social care education. The document outlines principles regarding inclusive education for older LGBT people within educational curricula.

You can download the guidelines here.

The School of Nursing and Human Sciences, DCU has announces it’s forthcoming series of public lectures for 2019.  The events are open to the public and are free.  They run from 7pm-8.30pm on the following dates.

6th March
Living with suicide and suicide related behaviours – responding and making sense
Evelyn Gordon
13th March
The Dublin North, North East Recovery College – Our story so far: Creating an inclusive culture of mental health recovery in the community
John Kelly
20th March
Perfectionism: A double edged sword
Rosaleen McElvaney
27th March
Recovery in the context of mental health
Siobhan Russell
Martha Griffin
3rd April
Living well with the consequences of cancer
Simon Dunne
10th April
Apps, online programmes and other digital re-sources to improve mental well-being
Manuela Ascari
17th April
The role of nutrition in health and wellbeing
Mary Rose Sweeney