Friday, 2 September 2022 OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE 32ND WORLD CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION AND WORLD SUICIDE PREVENTION DAY
On 2 September 2022, an event was held at the Cukrarna Gallery to inform the public about the activities on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September and to officially announce a key event in the field of suicide prevention - tthe University of Primorska will host the 32nd World Suicide Prevention Day in September 2023. This is a special honor and a testament to the excellent work of researchers in the field of suicide prevention who have been working at the University of Primorska since 2011 within the Slovenian Centre for Suicide Research at the UP Institute Andrej Marušič.
In the first part of the program, moderated by dr. Vita Poštuvan, the participants were welcomed by dr. Klavdija Kutnar, Rector of UP, who emphasized that such large international events are proof of the University's excellent involvement in the international environment. Dr. Rory O'Connor, President of IASP, congratulated the organizers. Dr. Diego De Leo, Head of the Slovenian Centre for Suicide Research and a world-renowned suicidologist, emphasized the importance of Slovenia hosting IASP because suicide is a key public health problem at the national level. He handed over the floor to dr. Mojca Gobec, Head of the Disease and Injury Prevention Sector at the Directorate for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Slovenia. The announcement of the Congress was concluded by Ms. Wendy Orchard, Director of IASP, who highlighted the importance of studying and preventing suicide.
The second part of the event showcased the activities that have helped improve mental health in the past year and will support it in the coming year. World Suicide Prevention Day is now in its 20th year, this time under the theme ""Creating Hope through Action" ; - key activities include the lighting of candles on World Mental Health Day and the Cycling around the World campaign, which runs from 10 September to 10 October, World Mental Health Day. The activities were presented by dr. Vita Poštuvan alongside other activities of the Slovenian Centre for Suicide Prevention. Dr. Saška Roškar (NIJZ) presented the activities and data of the National Institute, and Anamarija Zavasnik (representative of the Slovenian Association for Suicide Prevention / Psychological Counselling Centre "Posvet") presented the activities for people in need. More information on the activities is available in the press release > HERE.
The event was further enriched with a dance interpretation of hardship and mental health by dancer Lia Ujčič, who in a three-part performance took the audience through a depiction of physical distress, through the awareness of emotional adversity and to the final liberation.
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