ACTUALIZING: Today is World Suicide Prevention Day

Some local activities submitted from around the world - From International Association for Suicide Prevention

Australia: Department of Health and Ageing (Australian Government)
The Australian Government's Department of Health and Ageing has funded a Breakfast Forum to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day. The Forum is being held on Monday 11 September 2006 in Perth, Western Australia. The Forum is being funded under the Department's National Suicide Prevention Strategy, and will be hosted by the State based Advisory Group for the Strategy. It is hoped there will be 150 attendees from across the community in the following sectors: government and non-government; community based service providers; the corporate sector, Divisions of General Practice and the tertiary sector. The following three presentations will occur at the Forum: 1), Mr Michael O'Kane, State Manager, Department of Health and Ageing re: Welcome and overview of the Australian Government's National Suicide Prevention Strategy; 2) Mr Peter Orchard re: Headspace, National Mental Health Initiative; 3) Ms Lorna Hirsch, Livingworks in the Pilbara re: Pilbara Suicide Prevention Project; and 4) Mr Simon Dann, GP Coastal Division of General Practice & Dr Pam Hendry, Perth Modern School re: GP Coastal's Suicide Intervention Program: GPs Life Saver. In addition to Forum attendees accessing valuable information about these topics regarding suicide prevention, the Forum will provide a valuable opportunity for networking.

Australia
Launch 3 quilt creation workshops in Tasmania: Have sought funding to provide counselling and textile artist resources to enable creation of memorial quilts in a supported and therapeutic environment. We do not have support available for people on our island who have experienced the death of a parent, brother, sister, friend, due to suicide. I hope that the spiritual reflection and launch of 3 quilt creation workshops to be held during the next 10 months will draw attention to the need for such support. As the quilt grows it will perhaps also draw attention to the fact that our state has the second highest incidence of suicide in the country and we need to put suicide prevention more strongly onto health policy agendas, and understand more about why we have such terrible losses (statistics).

Austria: Viennese Crisis Intervention Center
Media-workshop `Mass-media Reporting on Suicide´: We organize a workshop for journalists providing them information about suicide prevention, imitational effects, crisis intervention, influence of media reports on suicidal behavior and suicide media coverage (guidelines `How to Report on Suicide´). In order to improve the cooperation between the Viennese Crisis Intervention Center and Austrian journalists we post regularly updated suicide statistics of Vienna, Austria and EU on our website: www.kriseninterventionszentrum.at

Belgium: Centre for Suicide Prevention
Press Conference and breakfast to be held on Friday 8th September. Issues to be discussed at the press conference include: Suicide in Belgium, Suicide as a public health problem, the role of the media in disseminating information about suicide. There will also be a presentation of new suicide prevention activities being undertaken at the Centre for Suicide Prevention. Time will be provided for questions and answers.

Belgium: Suicide Prevention Project of the Flemish Mental Health Centres
On Monday 4 September we will hold a conference for the media and the mental health sector to launch the new website of the Suicide Prevention Project of the Flemish Mental Health Centres: www.zelfmoordpreventievlaanderen.be At this conference, the Minister of Health and Well-Being will present her plans regarding suicide prevention. Several press releases will announce the event.

Brasil: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Serviço de Psiquiatria, Porto Alegre
On September 11th we will deliver a brief training on suicide prevention for the clinical personnel of the hospital (including nursing attendants, nurses, etc.). On September 12th two lectures will be presented (by M.D. Ph. D Cláudio Laks Eizirick, President of the International Psychoanalysis Association (IPA) and Ph. D. Blanca Werlang, a Psychologist who studieshistorical aspects of suicide behavior). These lectures will regard the psychodynamics and historical aspects of suicide. We are also developing a guideline for management of suicide risk on our hospital that will be presented to the hospital staff on September 12th.

Canada: The Casey Project, Suicide Awareness
We have had a newspaper interview (full page), have a radio interview coming up, we will start our walk in New Minas, Nova Scotia, Canada to Kentville, N.S., Can. where we will meet at the recreation centre. We have displays of resources available to people in crisis at the rec. cent. We have a wooden forget-me-not crafted out of cedar on a bamboo dowel with wooden leaves, in the centre is a round engravable plaque that can bear the date and name of the loved one you lost, this can be put in a memory garden or indoor plant pot to honour your loved one lost to suicide. This is a fund raiser for suicide prevention. From the rec. centre we will walk around the town square with our banner for World Suicide Prevention Day (which we will honour on Sept. 9th.in our town). Once we get back to the rec. centre, we will have a charity barbeque. This is our second year for the walk. Last year it involved only Kentville, N.S. Next year I hope to involve more towns. One day, all of N.S. and then all of Canada will pick up the torch.

Canada: Central Vancouver Island Crisis Society
We will be doing a button and poster campaign: "Embrace Life Suicide is everyone's Loss" and will be presenting that message along with the message "With Understanding New Hope" in the media, our local univeristy, banks, doctors offices, community service providers, local businesses. and in all of our local high schools and midle schools. We have also recently begun campaigning with business and service providers to make them aware of this day and to solicit their support in making our plans for awareness a success. Planned events include a workshop and luncheon that will focus on information about suicide and the importance of awareness and self care as a preventative measure, a student booth at our local university, and a candle light vigil on Suicide Prevention Day.

Canada: Embrace Life Council Isaksimagit Inuusirmi Katujjiqatigiit
The objective of the event will be to celebrate life, to create awareness of suicide as an issue where solutions can be identified at the community level; to encourage teamwork within communities, and be a media campaign for youth not to give up. Each community will be requested to: • do a walk and to hold hands in a similar manner as the embrace life council logo; • fly the newly created Embrace life flag; • celebrate Nunavut Embrace Life Day by providing refreshments and prizes for games; • post the newly created Poster with Jordan Tootoos image and Kamatsiaqtut’s Helpline number; • distribute wristbands with the words "embrace life" and Brochures for youth entitled embracing life: this is who i am, which includes images of youth and quotes with their perspectives.

Canada: NEED Crisis and Information Line
On Sunday, September 10th there will be a short walk, to be followed by a short discussion forum. We will hear from people impacted by suicide and people working on prevention. We anticipate some media coverage of the event.

Canada (New-Brunswick): Suicide prevention Society
Public awareness by radio interviews. Walkaton, barbecue and live bands.

Chile: Particular/Fondart
Suicide awareness campaign: With the support of the Ministry of Culture of Chile, we are making a campaign for awareness about the suicide phenomenon. We will distribute to the public of Santiago city a series of artistic photo-postals, each one of them with a brief "infography" about suicide statistics and other facts, with its social and medical consecuences. We'll try to get this activity promoted in several press spaces, planed for the 10/09/06.

Germany: National Suicide Prevention Programme for Germany (NaSPro)
Main special event in Berlin. Special ecumenical service in the Gedächtniskirche. Public meeting with politicians and speeches after the service in front of the church. Other local events.

Germany: Psycho-social crisis center Psychosozialer Krisendienst Gesundheitsamt Dresden
The press-conference is a cooperation project between several crisis-intervention-teams, telephone help-lines, the psychiatric clinic of the University of Dresden and especially Prof. W. Felber, president of DGS. We want to inform about + suicide and suicide prevention where can people find professional help and about media guidelines for reporting.

Ghana: Young Mobilization Association
Conference: Children's health.

Guam, United States of America Territory: Life Works Guam
Collaborate and network with other agencies like University of Guam, Department of Youth Affairs, Guam Public School System, public media like the newspaper and television media on the island regarding our Suicide Awareness, Precvention, and Intervention Campaign: With Understanding , New Hope Campaign starting September 1-30, 2006. Weekly write up in the newspaper media, 2 TV interviews. Candle Light Vigil after the 5 K run walk event. Mememory Trees at the various McDonald's Restaurants (we have started last year), a very profound touching event. September 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, 2006 conduct a two day workshop on the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training at the Univeristy Guam and Outrigger Guam Resort Hotel. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me: 671-632-0257, 671-777-4624, 671-477-8040, Marie Virata Halloran, Executive Director, Life Works Guam.

Hong Kong: The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong
The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong will have a radio program in RTHK 2 on 8/9/2006 (Friday)3:30-4:30. The main theme is "With understanding, new hope". The whole radio drama will be divided into three parts to introduce suicide prevention services as well as the importance of listening and understanding. 24-hours hotline volunteers are invited to participate in the drama and share their experience through a storytelling way.

India: Medico Pastoral Association, Bangalore
Rally is being organised to partner with agencies and organisations that provide services to people with emotonial problems and disorders.This will involve representation from students, working professionals,senior citzens, celebrities and volunters of various backgrounds on the theme "Life.You're worth it".

Ireland: Johnstown Therapy Centre, Dublin
Our Centre will be holding an open day on Sunday 10th Sept exhibiting information about suicide. We will also have psychotherapists/counsellors available throughout the day to talk to people who have been affected by suicide.

Ireland: The 3Ts (Turn the Tide of Suicide)
In Dublin, The 3Ts will host a Candlelight Vigil in the city centre to commemorate the many lives that have been lost in Ireland through Suicide both this year and in the past. The Vigil is open to all who have lost loved ones or who have been touched in some way by suicide. Key speakers will join the Vigil to mark the day with music, song, and a minutes silence. Venue: Bank of Ireland (Forecourt), College Green, Dublin 2 Time: 9.00pm - 10.00pm. email: 3ts@alburn.com web: www.3ts.ie

Italy: Department of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome
Following the pattern used last year, we are celebrating World Suicide Prevention Day 2006 with various activities, coordinated by Dr. Maurizio Pompili, such as a conference with the participation of a number of speakers that will present updated information on suicide prevention strategies and focus on the issue. Special meetings have been organised to educate medical personnel to deal with suicidal patients effectively. Nurses and doctors have been invited to take part in this event which has been divided into two parts. One took place in July and the other will be held in the second week of September. Dr. Pompili has also organised conferences devoted to psychologists and other mental health professionals. He also provided a number of editorials and press releases in order to attract public awareness of the problem. Dr. Pompili is also taking care of events to celebrate the National Suicide Prevention Week 2006 organised by the American Association of Suicidology. He has also been invited to organise events for the World Mental Health Day 2006 (Oct 10) dedicated to suicide.

Japan: Lifelink
Following up on our conference of last year and with the enactment of the Fundamental Law for Suicide Measures this year, Lifelink, with sponsorship from the WHO, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (waiting approval), the Johnson and Johnson Contribution Committee and the Central Research Institute, INC, will be holding an all-day forum for invited specialists at the National Institution for Youth Education, Tokyo. The aim of the forum is to create the framework to realise the initiatives for suicide prevention, research and survivor support provided in this new legislation. The forum will begin with Livelink, an interchange between private suicide-related organisations from throughout Japan and will be followed by three sessions to discuss the grand design for suicide measures, surveys of the current state of suicide prevention measures and creation of a regional network for suicide prevention. The forum will end with a party for all participants to deepen their ties and informally exchange ideas. For further information, please visit our website at http://www.lifelink.or.jp.

México: BENEMÉRITA UNIVERSIDAD AUTONÓMA DE PUEBLA
On 14, September, we have organized an activity at the university autonomous of Puebla, this is titled "Meeting about suicidal tendencies: detection and prevention". This activity is organized by the Faculty of Psychology. In this activity professors and students participate in some round tables, and we have made a poster to spread the activity. On 12 and 13, October, we have organized an event titled: "International seminary of integral attention before suicidal conducts". All the information is at:

New Zealand: Canterbury Suicide Project

- A display has been held (27th August 2006) at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences Research Open Day.

- In Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, the Ministry of Health will organise a display for World Suicide Prevention Day which will include suicide prevention resources and materials. This display will be in the foyer of the Ministry of Health offices.

Norfolk Island, South Pacific: Norfolk Island Hospital Enterprise

I will present the LivingWorks program "Suicide TALK", an exploration in suicide awareness. It aims to create to create a community climate of awareness and and interest in learning more about a wide range of suicide prevention activities. To be held on 10th September. I will also write an article for "The Norfolk Islander" local paper and discuss WSPD in a radio interview for Radio Norfolk.

Norway: LEVE (The Norwegian Organization for Suicide Survivors)

There will be, in the period 10th September - 24th September, an art exhibition outside the City Hall in Oslo. The exhibition will be prints of work of arts sent in from all over Norway, and there will also be an exhibition catalogue free of charge available. The title will be "Å LEVE" ("Living").

Pakistan: Fountain House

Fountain House, Lahore is organizing Suicide Prevention Day on 10th September 2006 at 12:00 noon at Prof. Muhammad Rashid Chaudhry Auditorium, Fountain House, Lahore. Eminent mental health experts, famous TV and film artists, teachers, families of the patients and journalists are going to participate in the event. (Public meeting/Suicide awareness campaign.)

Switzerland: Association STOP SUICIDESTOP SUICIDE

organizes various activities around the World Suicide Prevention Day of September 10th, 2006: - an awareness campaign of the population, thanks to the participation of municipalities (Communes) in the Genevan region; - the distribution of brochures, "prêt-à-prévenir", wanting to indicate various help-places, by "mini-theater" in schools; - the participation in a festival of "electro"-music, aiming at to touch young people. All these activities are turned around various solutions which STOP SUICIDE wishes to advance, because suicide is not a solution.

Turkey: Turkish Air Force Command