Imvc Press Release 10.10 Final

Exhibitors and Speakers Anxious for
2011 Global Humanitarian Summit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 14, 2011…Atlanta, Georgia
The Global Health and Humanitarian Summit, formerly known as the International Medical
Volunteerism Conference, scheduled for April 1-3, 2011, is taking shape with nearly 225 exhibitors and
speakers already scheduled to make presentations and provide information on humanitarian efforts
around the world. The Summit is a unique opportunity to inspire others, to create synergy among groups
with similar objectives, and to give a voice to humanitarians on a global basis.
The goal of the second annual free Summit is to inspire individuals and organizations to become active
in humanitarian volunteerism. The organizers of the unique event hope to catalyze an international
movement, which promotes similar events throughout the world and creates synergy and connections
between humanitarian volunteer efforts globally.
The 2011 event will again be held at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and is open to anyone with
an interest in humanitarian efforts. People from all political parties, religious backgrounds, nationalities,
ages, states of health and professions will be in attendance to help build a great network of global
humanitarians. Register as an attendee, speaker or exhibitor online at the website www.imvc.org.
Speaker sessions include a variety of themes, including Community/Public Health Efforts;

Environmental & Education Programs; Poverty & Homeless Programs; Free Clinics; Clean Water
Programs in Third World Countries; Igniting the Humanitarian Spirit Around the World; Medical
Volunteer Programs; Art & Healthcare; Humanitarian Advocacy Efforts; Integrative / Holistic Health;
Health Education; International Medical Missions and many more.
“The interest in this year’s Global Health and Humanitarian Summit has been phenomenal,” said Dr.
Neil Shulman, associate professor at Emory University’s School of Medicine and chairman of the IMVC
Organizing Committee. “The momentum and interest from last year's summit has grown as more and
more people are inspired to volunteer and help their fellow humans. We continue to have exhibitors and
speakers reaching out to us daily and wanting to be a part of the 2011 Global Humanitarian Summit on
____________________________________________________________________________________
Global Health and Humanitarian Summit / International Medical Volunteerism Conference
Contact: Eric Kocher  Phone: 404.428.7085  Email: [email protected]  Website: www.emoryimvc.com
April 1-3. The synergies and collaborations continue to inspire others to get involved. We want
everyone to know about this free event and come take advantage of the information that will be shared
so everyone will feel like they have a voice, as happened among the 1500 participants at last year’s
event.”
The closing Keynote Speaker will be real Patch Adams, the internationally–acclaimed Clown, Doctor,
and Activist who was played by Robin Williams in the 1998 Warner Brothers motion picture. On
Sunday evening Patch will present about “The Joys & Challenges of Health & Humanitarian Volunteer
Work.” True to the movie about his life, Patch Adams has devoted his life to creating and inspiring a
model for a more humanitarian face for health care in the United States and around the world. He
regularly leads international clown mission trips to war-torn and suffering parts of the world to calm the
nerves of distressed children, patients, and caregivers.
The Gesundheit Institute (PATCH ADAMS’ non-profit organization) will also be a part of this year’s
schedule, and represented by the board member John Glick. Mr. Glick will discuss an overview of the
Gesundheit! Institute, which reaches out globally to help in all sectors of distressed communities by
combining art, healthcare, and collaborative community development. Together in the same “Art &
Healthcare” approach is the Clowns Without Borders USA, as well as the Brazilian clowns volunteer
organizations Canto Cidadao and Sorrir é Viver.
Another of the scheduled speakers is Victor Mbaba, Executive Director and Founder of Africa’s
Children’s Fund (ACF), who serves under-assisted children and their families in the U.S., the Caribbean
and Africa. ACF seeks to improve the quality of their lives and civic contribution through education,
affordable housing, nutritional and medical programs and has already served over 100,000 children. Mr.
Mbaba is speaking on promoting medical volunteerism in developing countries.
“The Global Health and Humanitarian Summit is a worthwhile event that helps promote medical
volunteerism and humanitarian efforts worldwide,” said Atlanta, Georgia-based Victor Mbaba. “Africa’s
Children’s Fund is very involved in a special initiative this year to deliver quality healthcare services to
disadvantaged communities in Nigeria, in addition to our many other projects. We see Dr. Shulman’s
Summit as a perfect forum to educate others about our efforts in trying to improve the quality of life for
others and that everyone can be a part of making a difference in people’s lives.”
Street Medicine Institute and Operation Safety Net founder, Dr. Jim Withers, will speak about backpack
medicine and teaching medicine in the context of service. In 1992, he founded Operation Safety Net
(OSN), the first full time, comprehensive medical service of its’ kind for the unsheltered homeless,
which has been recognized internationally and is being replicated and studied in cities throughout the
world. Medical care is delivered directly on the streets, along the river banks and in the abandoned
buildings of Pittsburgh, with full social service and housing follow-up. In 2005, Dr. Withers established
the annual International Street Medicine Symposia (with current partners in North America, South and
Central America, Europe and Asia) to foster collaboration in the care of those sleeping on the streets. In
2008, Dr. Withers created the Street Medicine Institute to focus on helping communities establish Street
Medicine programs, improve existing practice and create a student fellowship in Street Medicine.
Inspired by last year’s event, Zed Zha will be speaking about the Peking University Student-Run Free
Clinic in Beijing, China, the first of its kind. Ms. Zha was instrumental in the formation and current
operations of the exciting clinic and will discuss its target population, support systems, educational
impact, running model and more.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Another speaker is Tantoh Nforba of Save Your Future Association, based in Cameroon, Africa, who
will speak on the water crisis in Africa, drilling wells, protecting water catchments through planting of
trees and building water reservoirs to provide clean water to poor communities. A farmer himself, Mr.
Nforba is currently on a U.S. Department of State-sponsored scholarship in Green Bay, Wisconsin
studying organic farming techniques, horticulture and landscape and teaching to young people and low-
income farmers.
Fred Seligson, Founder of the Children’s Peace Train in 2002 in Seoul, South Korea, will discuss how
children from various countries have participated in the Children’s Peace Train project by drawing a
picture of peace in their life and joining it to the artworks of others to make a poster train. Teachers are
encouraged to mail their class-made trains to another school on a railroad that will run forever. The
Children’s Peace Train has conducted its way through Turkey, Iraq, Israel, Denmark, Trinidad, Ecuador,
India, Australia and the USA.
One of the spin offs from the 2010 International Medical Volunteerism Conference event is a Journal on
Medical Volunteerism, created and written by many of the participants. The first issue was recently
released on the internet. Charles Moore, M.D., an organizer of the event, is the editor-in-chief.
Be part of this big humanitarian initiative. Come to Emory University in Atlanta in April and exchange
experiences with others wanting to make a difference in the world. For more information, please go to
the website at: www.emoryimvc.org
###
For more information, contact:

Eric Kocher
Global Health and Humanitarian Summit
Phone: 404.428.7085
Email:[email protected]
www.emoryimvc.org
____________________________________________________________________________________

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Exhibitors and Speakers Anxious for

2011 Global Humanitarian Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Speaker sessions include a variety of themes, including Community/Public Health Efforts;

For more information, contact:

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