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To all Press and News Agencies!

On 11th May, 2007, in the beautiful Croatian coast town of Cavtat, near Dubrovnik the 8th World Congress For the People Who Stutter, organized by International Stuttering Association and the Croatian Association “Hinko Freund”, concluded its activities with a new message for the world. More then 350 representatives of national stuttering associations, scientists, speech an language therapist, persons who stutter and others interested in stuttering, exchanged their ideas and studies, for a better understanding of stuttering and its recognition as a spectrum disability with heavy consequences on the lives of people affected by this shattering communication disorder.

In the conclusion of the congress, ISA elected its new Board and its new Chair that will lead this international association spread everywhere in the world for the next 3 years.

Mr. Benny Ravid from Israel Stuttering Association was elected Chair of the Board of ISA

ISA Statement

For the world to understand stuttering and remove ignorance we must all move beyond the borders of our own village.

In closing  the 8-th World Congress For the People Who Stutter, with the theme “Inclusion: Creating Our Place In Society,” the International Stuttering Association, has chosen to spread the message that came out of all the discussions from the key speakers and other participants, using the words of Dr. Moussa Dao, from Burkina Faso, who said:

“Being  physically disabled as well as a Person Who Stutters, has made me think a lot about stuttering: about the frustration of speaking, but not being able to say the right words, the need to find understanding for my disabilities from fellow human beings so we can all overcome our ignorance.

If by magic, I was offered the choice to be free of one of my disabilities, to run or to speak without stuttering, I would happily keep my crippled legs in exchange for speaking without stuttering. Unfortunately, my physical disability attracts more attention than my stuttering.

We can get out of our village and discover that the world is a beautiful place where you should be listened to, for what you are saying, not the way you are saying it. There is need for so much respect and understanding.  I have seen in the schools of my country that small steps towards better understanding of stuttering, especially in children, has freed them from discrimination and teasing, and has opened new windows for their lives.

We should work together. We must let everyone know that stuttering is a big problem not only because it affects more than 60 million people all over the world, but because it is misunderstood and ignored by society and the majority of the world’s governments.”

Message of ISA Chair, Benny Ravid

Dear friends!

To stress further the message of our closing statement, I must say that to find our place as equals in the society we should advanced our knowledge about stuttering, as part of a better understanding of stuttering from the whole society. This cannot be reached without taking upon our self’s bold goals and new ideas for the future of ISA and creation of a new warm wind between the Persons Who Stutter, the professional community of SLP-s and one of the most important players, the governments, all over the world. To begin with, we need better information about stuttering in schools. We need professional attention for our kids. We need more attention for adults who stutter and legal acknowledgement of stuttering as a spectrum disability that can go from mild to severe, like every other disability.

Maybe is to soon to put down a mission statement for the next tree years until the Beijing Congress in China, but I was given the permission by the my fellow board members of ISA to inform you that the main focus of our work will be on the kids affected by stuttering, without forgetting the reason why the ISA was formed, the self help initiatives. Is time that Self Help to be considering helping our children also.

Thank you for your great work and your trust.

For any further information, please contact:

Dritan Kiçi, ISA Advisory Board dritan_kici@yahoo.com

Suzana Jelcic-Jaksic, ISA Board suzana.jelcic-jaksic@zg.htnet.hr

Benny Ravid ISA Chair benny.ravid@gmail.com