Quarterly Report of the World Federation of Chiropractic

In a closing statement to members of the World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC), group President Bruce Vaughan,DC, thanked members and associates that supported the WFC Biennial Congress in Paris, May 2001. These included the European Chiropractors' Union and the Association Fran­aise de Chiropratique (AFC).

The federation's next congress meeting will be held in Orlando, Florida in May 2003.

Dr. Vaughan ran down the many "firsts" throughout the world in 2001, including the efforts by the AFC to make chiropractic a recognized profession in France. Since 1991 the Iranian Doctors of Chiropractic Association has tried to legalize chiropractic in its country, and watched its parliament pass legislation regulating it last year.

Brussels, Belgium was the site for the first meeting of the Councils on Chiropractic Education (CCEI) in July. It is comprised of the U.S. Council on Chiropractic Education; the Australasian Council on Chiropractic Education; the Council on Chiropractic Education-Canada; and the European Council on Chiropractic Education. Its purpose is to "aid and recognize new accreditation agencies that implement the CCEI model standards, and meet other qualification requirements."

Over the past year, three countries have begun registering qualified chiropractors within their boundaries: Hong Kong-SAR, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Uganda became a member of the WFC in 2001, along with the British Virgin Islands; Ghana; Guatemala; Malaysia; and Poland. In contrast with the cohesiveness of 78 associations from 77 nations belonging to the WFC, the world seemed divided after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The WFC recognized how the U.S. "rallied together to provide assistance where necessary, from organizing successful fundraising events, to donating blood through the Red Cross."

"The WFC and all its member associations remain in solidarity with our American colleagues. Everyone the world over has been touched, in one way or another, by these events," Dr. Vaughan's message added.

"As we close out one year and open another, we can only look forward to the continuing hard work and sacrifice that we are making to improve the chiropractic profession in our respective countries and internationally."

Ugandan DC Charles Sebwana was given permission by his nation's ministry of health to perform chiropractic in its capital, Kampala, within the department of orthopedics at the Mulago Teaching Hospital. His unit received assistance from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and its president, Dr. Jean Moss, in securing equipment and support.

Dr. Moss answered the Ugandan doctor's request with the cooperation of Vince Attisano, manager of the CMCC's supply center and bookstore, who procured for Dr. Sebwana an adjusting table, provided by the Elite Table Company of Hagarsville, Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Sebwana is a representative of the Chiropractic Association of Uganda, part of a profession in its infancy in his country. Later this year he will join with 1997 Life graduate Dr. Nakato Mubanda, who is studying acupuncture in New York, to practice chiropractic and acupuncture at Mulago.

One of the first priorities of the WFC's Health-for-All Committee has been to demonstrate its unequivocal support for the World Health Organization's Tobacco-Free Initiative (TFI). Life University of Marietta, Georgia, U.S.A., is also an active supporter of TFI and has represented the WFC at several TFI meetings and workshops, both in Geneva and North America. The WFC and Life University are working on artwork for posters and brochures.

In response to the recommendation of the Health-for-All Committee in establishing Chiropractic Against Tobacco, the WFC invited its member associations to respond to a survey on this matter, indicating which associations would support this initiative.

The WFC, in collaboration with the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research (PCCR), has worked extensively to successfully develop a web-based program for the collection of standardized, electronic, quantitative data on chiropractic by shifting the WFC's country reports online. For the first time, every member association of the WFC was able to present its country report in an online format at the WFC's 6^th Biennial Assembly in Paris. Despite the many hiccups encountered along the way, Dr. Monica Smith, of the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research and coordinator of this effort, is looking to fine-tune the data. This stage of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2002. For further information on this ongoing WFC/PCCR project, please contact Gillian Sloane-Seale at the secretariat:

tel: 1- 416-484-9978;
fax: 1-416-484- 9665;
e-mail: gsloane-seale@wfc.org.

The first draft of the minutes of the 2001 Assembly meeting, which were mailed to members, did not contain the resolution which asks the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC) to review the Chiropractic Paradigm with participation from all chiropractic schools. The WFC regrets this oversight. The minutes have been amended by adding the following resolution:

Motion: Moved by United Kingdom (Dr. Michael Barber), seconded by Denmark (Dr. Henrik Laugesen) that the WFC encourage the ACC to reconvene in the next two years to revisit the ACC Paradigm with all chiropractic colleges, including those outside North America, invited to participate.

Carried

Due to civil unrest in the Middle East, the upcoming WFC council meeting in June has been moved from Tel Aviv to Rome. This is in accordance with the Italian Chiropractic Association.

Following the success of the WFC's last education conference in November 1999 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (in collaboration with the ACC), the WFC and ACC are now planning the next conference. The focus of the upcoming conference will be the development of innovative curricula. We hope, as in Fort Lauderdale, that it will attract participation from all chiropractic schools around the globe. The conference will be held in SÜo Paulo, Brazil, which is the location of one of the two chiropractic schools in Brazil. The dates are Saturday, October 26 to Wednesday, October 30, 2002. The program will also be open to participants from other chiropractic organizations. Details will be listed on the WFC website as they become available.

The WFC is engaged in supporting the profession throughout the world. This work would not be possible without the generous support of our associate members, whose annual contributions provide significant financial support.

World Federation of Chiropractic
Fédération Mondiale de Chiropratique
Federación Mundial de Quiropráctica
3080 Yonge Street, Suite 5065
Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3N1
Canada
Tel: (416) 484-9978
Fax: (416) 484-9665