INTERVOICE meeting held in Dundee 1st – 3rd June 2006 at the Verdant Works: A report

1. Introduction: The INTERVOICE steering group meeting was attended by 85 delegates from 15 countries. This makes it one of the best attended INTERVOICE meetings in recent years. New countries represented included Australia, New Zealand and Palestine. The two day meeting started with a Scottish bag-piper welcoming the delegates and ended with a wonderful BBQ, in between we had two days of intensive discussions on a wide range of topics, whilst also finding out all the latest developments from all the member countries (see below).

Also we cannot forget the receptions held at the Dundee Hearing Voices Network offices and the Verdant Works Museum with live music. Our grateful thanks go to the Scottish Hearing Voices Network and to Ron and Karen Coleman for organising the event and for making everyone so welcome.

2. Reports from INTERVOICE member countries

Paul Baker, who lives in Alicante, Spain, provides support for INTERVOICE, such as sending out a newsletter from time to time and more recently developing an online discussion forum to help develop contact between INTERVOICE members and friends. Paul was ably assisted in setting up the online forum by Frans Wever, from Holland and Caroline von Taysen, from Germany. The result has been a very busy forum (see below for more information), which already has almost 200 members, although the forum is still in development and there have been some initial problems, the signs are good that this will become a very useful way to continue contact between members throughout the year.

England: We have learnt with sadness that Jon Williams died on the 5th of February. Jon will be remembered with great affection by many people throughout the world. In particular he will be held in great respect for his stewardship of HVN through some of its most difficult years. The National Hearing Voices Network, based in Manchester continue to be very active with the support of their co-ordinator Julie Downs. The Network has recently moved into new office premises. There are now over 180 self-help groups, a telephone helpline and training and education initiatives. HVN publishes a quarterly newsletter and has its own website. London also has its own development worker, Jacqui Dillon, to help co-ordinate voices groups across the capital, London recently received a large grant from the governement to develop work in London.

Scotland: Scotland has a National network, local groups and has been organising regualr meetings. The Network has an active steering group, including Pat Webster, Roddy Gordon, Audrey Reid, Maria Griffins and Ron Coleman. Roddy Gordon and Babs Johnston continue to be active in Scotland too. Dundee Hearing Voices Network have just open their impressive new offices, with beautiful work and creative areas it is a place that reflects the values of the voice hearers who run it.

Wales: Has a National network and has been organising meetings. The work is supported by Hywell Davies

Finland: This is the country that, after England, was the first to translate and publish “Accepting voices” into Finnish. There are now 23 self-help groups in Finland, the Association for Voice Hearers has its own office with two part time administrators. The Association organises seminars (4 in 2005) and is activley promoting their work and ideas through the media and by working with other organisations. They publish 6 newsletter a year to keep their membership informed.

Germany: Has a National network of 100 members, has its own office and has organised two conferences in Berlin. Sadly we have to announce that Hannelore Klafki, died recently from a cerebral accident, which was sudden and completely unexpected. It was Hannelore Klafki, who started the activities in Berlin and organised the German Network. Everybody who knew her is very sad, because she was such a wonderful person, creative and active and a good friend to so many people. Antje Muller who has been involved with the Network for many years has taken over the co-ordination of the German Network. Monica Hoffman has also supported the network since the beginning and does so to this day. Andreas Gehrke wrote an interesting book about his voice hearing experience. ‘Aufbruch aus dem Angstkafig – anus Verlag’. It is only available in German at the moment. Perhaps somebody could find the means to translate it into English? Also, as I said earlier, Caroline von Taysen has been involved in setting up and supporting the new INTERVOICE Online Discussion Forum.

Holland: Resonance is still very active, has 200 members, publishes a well organised periodical and holds two yearly meetings. It has a number of contact people are available for telephone information about hearing voices. There are still only a few self-help groups. Recently, the book of Ron Coleman “Recovery an Alien Concept” has been is translated into Dutch, entitled ‘Herstel kan dat wel’. Sandra Escher has also finished her research into the experience of children hearing voices and has written her PhD. She became Dr. Escher in May last year. Resonance now has its own website.

Austria: In Linz, Chuck Schneider and Marlene Weiterschein are active with supporting self-help groups and running a training program. Whilst in Vienna, Professor Katschnig and Professor Michaela Amering organised a big congress held in January 2003 in Vienna with 600 participants.

Italy: Marcello Maccario is now helping to co-ordinate a hearing voices movement in Italy with the help of regular appearances by Karen & Ron. There are now more centres in Italy (Savonna, Milan, Rome, Bologna, Parma and Trento in the North with Sicily coming on stream soon). Ron’s book “Recovery an Alien Concept” has recently published in Italian by Manifesto Libro. Working with Voices 2 is now translated into Italian as well. Activities in Prado (near Florence) continue, with conferences held on a regular basis, ably organised by Pini Pini and Donatella Miccinesi.

Sweden: There are two active networks in Stockholm and in Lund. In Lund, Maths Jesperson leads the activities, whilst in Stockholm, Amy Rohnitz and Siv Wetterberg are also very active. Alain Topor, who originally stimulated the approach in Sweden and co-ordinated the translation and publication of ‘Making Sense of Voices’ into Swedish, has also started a new research program on recovery. “Managing the contradictions on recovery”, is the title of his Ph.D, published in 2003.

Norway: activities in Norway depend mainly on a number of interested individuals. We had two congresses in Oslo, the first held in Molden, initiated by Geir Fredriksen, who has almost finished publishing a book on his psycho-drama work with people who hearing voices. In Oslo, Marit Borg and Siri Blesvik are involved in a EEG project, which involves users in training professionals about user perspectives. It is project involving six countries and also includes INTERVOICE members, Mervyn Morris from Birmingham and Harrie van Haaster & Sandra Escher from Holland. Alain Topor from Sweden is also involved.

Switzerland: Theresia Krummenacher has organised two, three day training programs for psychiatrists in psychiatric clinics in Basel and Geneva. She also founded a self-help group in Geneva and has organised the translation of “The Voice Inside”.

Denmark: has become very active since the first congress in Arhus, organised by Karl Bach and two subsequent conferences organised by Inger Mosbaek-Greve, also held in Arhus. There are active groups of professionals working with voice hearers in Herning organised by Nina Stenshoj and one group run by Jorn Erikson and his wife Ann in Lungby, near Copenhagen. In Arhus, Trevor Eyles now has a full time job working with a voice hearing project. The book ‘Making Sense of Voices’ has also been translated into Danish. They now have their own website and interest in hearing voices work is growing rapidly.

Spain: There is new interest in Spain where Prof Dr. Manuel Gonzalez de Chavez Menendez has initiated the translation of ‘Making Sense of Voices’ into Spanish. This edition was published in December 2005 and presented at a course in Madrid with 800 participants. Interest has been expressed in setting up a group in Gijon, Asturias.

Australia: Work is developing in Australia, mainly around Perth in Western Australia and the Western Australia Hearing voices Network will be launched in May, supported by the Richmond Fellowship who have seconded a part time development post to help the work develop further.

New Zealand: Arana Pearson is busy developing a national hearing voices network. Whilst Vanessa Bevan has now completed her research into voice hearing experiences in New Zealand.

Palestine has 2 voices group running in Bethlehem Hospital , with new groups being set up in Ramala & Hebron and hearing voices training also carried out in the Gaza Strip.

We are also aware of work on voice being carried out in Ireland.

In the USA, there is a group in Madison, Wisconsin.

Work continues in Japan.

3. Presentations/Discussions

4. The next INTERVOICE meeting
will be held in Denmark in 2007, dates and venue to be confirmed and a meeting for voice hearers who are members of INTERVOICE is also being planned.

Back to Events and Training contents page