September 9th 2009 to be proclaimed International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders is the leading cause of mental retardation in Canada and the industrialized nations of the world. FASD is not just a "disease of the week" but a major root cause of numerous social disorders, including the homelessness issue that currently exists in the City of Kenora. People with FASD also are at high risk of learning disabilities, early school drop-out, juvenile delinquency, drug addiction and alcoholism, mental illness, crimes against property, vandalism, child and spousal abuse, unemployment and poverty. Some researchers believe that as many as 1 in 100 people are affected with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and each of these individuals can cost the taxpayers upward of $2 million for a lifetime of social and health services.
An FASD network in Kenora who are working to build awareness of the dangers of drinking in pregnancy, and the desperate plight of individuals living with FASD and their families, and are asking council to Proclaim the day as such on September 9th 2009 at 9:09 AM.
Why September 9 at 9:09 a.m.? On the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month, our network asks that Kenora remember that during the nine months of pregnancy, a woman should not drink alcohol. We also want Kenora to remember those millions of individuals who will not reach their genetic potential because their mothers drank in pregnancy. People around the world are working at getting their local bells to ring at 9:09 a.m.
PROCLAMATION
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder DaySeptember 9, 2009
WHEREAS: children are our most important resource and it is our responsibility to care for, nurture and protect them; and
WHEREAS: statistics indicate that individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Canada and industrial nations throughout the world, face the risk of mental retardation or learning disabilities, early school drop-out, homelessness, addictiveness, trouble with the law and mental illness; and
WHEREAS: to reduce the incidence of FASD, it is essential that women in pregnancy are provided with support and information; and
WHEREAS: parents, professionals, individuals living with FASD and other people around the world will observe the tenth International FASD Awareness Day on Sept. 9, 2009, with a Minute of Reflection at 9:09 a.m. NOW THEREFORE: I, Len Compton, Mayor of the City of Kenora, on behalf of Kenora City Council and the more than 16,000 people of our great city, do hereby proclaim September 9, 2009 as "Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Day" in the City of Kenora. I encourage everyone to act with compassion and understanding towards those individuals whose lives were affected by alcohol before they were born.(signed)____________________________ Len Compton, Mayor
Participating in the Bell Concordance
The Bell Concordance is an optional event, relatively easy to organize, and many were held last year.
This can be done in numerous ways - e.g., inside or outside a church, with ringing church bells or carillons; in a school or schools, with children ringing tiny bells; in a park, ringing wind chimes. Last year at 9:09 a.m.,, bells marked the "Minute of Reflection" all the way from northern Canada to South Africa and New Zealand.
You can participate in this even if you are the only person in your community who knows what Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is!
We have come up with the bell idea as there is a purity about bells that reminds us of the innocence of children. As well, bells are historically associated with warnings, alarms, marking important moments, and simply pealing for the joy of connecting with the community. FAS Day is all of these things.
The FASD Bell Concordance is quite simple, and you can do most of the work on your phone. Is there a tower with a hand-rung bell in your community? This could be an older church, a city or county hall, state or provincial building, or part of a college or university campus. Unfortunately many church bells are now rung by computer, making it difficult to ring the bells off-schedule, and this may be the case in your community.
Find out who is in charge of getting that bell rung, and ask that person to have the bell rung for one minute at 9:09 a.m. on September 9. You can download the FASD Day information from FASWORLD.COM and present it to this person. If this building is a church, you may wish to speak briefly to the congregation on one of the Sundays before FAS Day, and explain why the bell will be ringing at 9:09 this year.
You may want to have a small program in the church or near the bell tower, for 20 minutes to a half-hour before 9:09 a.m. Notify your child's school, friends of FAS and related organizations that you think would be interested, e.g., your local ARC (U.S.) Association for Community Living (Canada), Exchange Club, homelessness and anti-poverty coalitions, John Howard and Elizabeth Fry societies B and every single friend or relative you can convince to come.
No bells in your community? Use other musical instruments of your choice: drums, cymbals, whatever. One FAS Day supporter shook her grandmother's old school bell -- and a group in a small northern Canadian community approached their local fire department!
This should be a happy occasion. Those ringing bells - or whatever else you choose - will be a powerful auditory reminder that we are all connected to the planet, and each other. They are a statement that FASD can be beaten. Last year, by working together in that "magic minute," we began to change the world. In 2009, we will build on last year's work.
More Ideas for Minute of Reflection
No Bell? More Suggestions for 9/9, 9:09 a.m.
Everyone participating in FAS Day is invited to share in the "Minute of Reflection" -- 9:09 a.m. on September 9, as it goes around the world. In this magical moment - the ninth minute of the ninth hour of the ninth day of the ninth month - we want to get out the message that in the nine months of pregnancy, while breastfeeding or planning to conceive, women should not drink alcohol. In this minute, we also want the world to remember those millions of people around the world who are living with fetal alcohol disorders.
The Minute of Reflection symbolizes the worldwide circle of community which links all of us who care about FASD, all of us who are working towards prevention, all of us who are trying to help children and adults with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders reach their full potential. Here are nine more suggestions for observing the Minute of Reflection. If you have other ideas, please share them with us.
* Alone or with others, sit outside quietly and listen to the birds, or the wind blowing through the trees, or water lapping against the shore of a river or lake. You may want to focus on the wonderful gifts and strengths of the person (s) with FASD in your life.
* Say a prayer or recite a poem appropriate to your beliefs,; or the nonreligious poem "The Integrity of Hope," by Michael Kami, both in Section 12. (We're currently looking for other suitable selections and would welcome suggestions.)
* Listen to an excerpt of your favorite music. (Again, any suggestions?)
*Sit in a circle and share some pure spring water with people you care about.
* Place a long-distance phone call to a special friend who is equally committed to the FAS issue: you could even make it a three-way or teleconference call.
* You may find 9:09 a.m. inconvenient and may prefer to mark the Minute of Reflection at 9:09 p.m., and light a candle to symbolize both the flame of your love for individuals living with FAS, and your burning desire to eradicate this preventable disease.
* Simple silence. Each person with FAS is different, and those of us who love them respect their differences. Respecting each other while working together is what FAS Day is about.