International Stammering Awareness Day, 22nd October 2013
Over the summer I went travelling throughout Vietnam – a wonderful country where I had the pleasure of meeting many warm, openhearted people, eager to share their fascinating history, rich cultural heritage and exquisite cuisine.
Throughout my travels, I was frequently moved by the important role ‘kinship’ plays in Vietnamese culture, evidenced in strong family values and a deep respect for the other. So very contrasting to the Western emphasis on individualism and personal gain.
I was also struck by how central the practice of ‘worship’ is to Vietnamese life regardless of religious denomination. I returned home inspired by these important principles of community and celebration; and deeply committed to integrating them more fully into my work.
Tuesday 22nd October 2013 is International Stammering Awareness Day: an ideal opportunity to unite the community of people who stammer in order to give voice to the lived experience of stammering and raise public awareness.
intandem will be marking the occasion in two ways this year:
- The Fluency Network – I will be taking part in a question and answer session via teleconferencing to mark the official launch of The Fluency Network, a newly established adult stammering service attached to the University Of Auckland, New Zealand
- Book launch at Waterstones Teddington – on Wednesday 23rd Oct we are co-ordinating a local book launch to mark the publication of ‘Stammering Therapy from the Inside – New Perspectives on Working with Young People and Adults’. Do come along and offer your support
– Click here for details
Through these two events we hope to bring together people who stammer, their families and friends as well as therapists and other people with an interest in stammering in order to foster new connections, open up dialogues and establish greater collaboration at both local and international levels.
Through kinship and the gathering together of the stammering community, we hope to extend our thinking about stammering, to celebrate developments in stammering therapy and to signpost relevant services in the voluntary, educational and independent sectors.
‘Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much’
-Helen Keller
Sam