Dr Andrew Macnab. Expert on Health promoting schools and founder Brighter Smiles Africa

An amazing group of people attended the Jan 2013 Rose Charities Canada Project Forum of varied interests and backgrounds and organizations.  A comment from one of the participants summarized it well ‘I cant believe the amount of shere competence and expertise present in this room this evening;   The meeting was held again at Creekside Community Centre. False Creek, Vancouver

This year the format was slightly different.  instead of fixed presentations the concept was to more to generate debate, comment and constructive participation.  In the first half Will Grut of Rose International summarized the network in an individual presentation but invited the various project groups to update as their projects were presented.  In the second half a panel consisting of Dr Andrew Macnab ( www.brightersmilesafrica.ca ) ,  Dr Ruth Brighouse and Annette Borkent  (www.safemotherhoodproject.org ) facilitated discussion using aspects of their excellent projects to focus on particular issues.

Food, sushi, dips, cakes, cookies and coffee were kindly provided by some of the participants, notably Dr Diana Carter (UBC Psychiatry Dept)

Attendees concentrate on a presentation

Notable attendees in addition to those mentioned above, were  Ms Sue Ishii  www.amdacanada.org , Nicole Schouela, Honey Halpern and a team from www.standtalleducation.org  ,  Prof. Jane Roskams of the The Ha Mpiti Project/Mathabo Leadership Academy Project, Lesotho,  Liz Moss  of  Proyecto San Gerardo Costa Rica, Luke King  of Rose Madagascar   www.rosecanada.info/madagascar/  Will Grut represented Roses Cambodia and Vietnam  www.rosecambodia.org   www.rosevietnam.org  and Dr Yoga Yogendran of Rose Sri Lanka Committee  www.rosesrilanka.info . International Counsellor (original organizer of 2005 Rose Tsunami post traumatic counselling program) Yaya de Andrade ( see   http://rosecharities.blogspot.ca/2009/12/impact-of-disasters-on-children-by-dr.html )  attended as well as Emily McCance and
Pierre Etienne Banville
of the Rose Social Enterprise Committee  (see https://rosecharities.org/2012/11/social-enterprise-seminar-vancouver/ ) . The Hillman Fund www.hmef.info were well represented by  Dr Joanne Young and Mr Craig Keeting , as were International Health Initiatives, Juliette  www.internationalhealthinitiatives.com .  Dr Ellen Coburn of  www.mayanproject.org Guatemala school project contributed an excellent update.  Mrs Janice (and husband Dr David) Wensley of the Safe Motherhood Committee of Rose Charities came as did    Rose Charities Canada’s Chair, Maggie Francis and Hon Treasurer Eric Vanderluit   Accountant Kevin Simpson, (who carries out pivotal accounting  work for Rose Canada) as did a fellow accountant and Rose supporter,   Richard McCallum

Dr Ruth Brighouse and Anne Borkent of Safe Motherhood Guatemala

The atmosphere of the meeting was stimulating, creative and constructive. Discussions ranged around many areas though focusing on transfer of training and teaching schools.  Such skills transfer is very much the focus of the projects (Birthing attendant skills Guatemala and Health Promotion in Uganda) .  The Rose Charities network is now fairly broad as well as deep and the forum allowed organizers from dispersed parts of it to meet and exchange ideas.

A big thank you to Maggie Francis (Chair Rose Charities Canada) and Linda Roberts(Rose International Hon Sec)  for much of the structuring of the meeting.