World Chiropractic Congress April 30-May 5, 1991, Toronto, Canada.

A. Introduction -- World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC)

The World Federation of Chiropractic, established in 1988, is providing the unity and consensus the world chiropractic community has needed and desired. It's funding members are national associations of chiropractors in 46 countries worldwide, including both the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and the International Chiropractic Association (ICA) in the United States.

The WFC has its secretariat in Toronto. Its constitution provides for governance by an executive council with representatives elected from seven world regions (for details see Table 1).

The president is Dr. Gary Auerback of Arizona who, as a member of ICA and ACA, has been a major force in promoting unity and growth in the international chiropractic community during the past ten years. The vice president is Dr. Christoph Diem of Switzerland, president of the European Chiropractors' Union. The secretary/treasurer is Dr. John Sweaney, past president and current executive director of the Australian Chiropractors' Association.

The WFC's goals include the promotion of international acceptance and licensure of chiropractic, and it is currently assisting pioneering chiropractors in countries such as Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (Middle East), Japan, the Philippines, Republic of China, and Taiwan (Asia).

The WFC's constitution also provides for promoting acceptance through major interdisciplinary research meetings. These are being planned and coordinated by the WFC Research Council, (see Table 1), which is most ably chaired by Dr. Scott Haldeman of Santa Ana, California.

The first full WFC Congress is to be held in Toronto next April-May, the second in London, England in September 1993.

B. 1991 Congress in Toronto

This meeting, the first full Congress of the WFC, will be a significant event in the history of chiropractic. It will also be of great interest and value to individual DCs because it combines:

• Live, current reports on chiropractic in 46 nations worldwide -- from DC delegates from each country.
  


• Practical seminars and workshops on many aspects of chiropractic practice.
  


• Presentation of the best, current, chiropractic research from around the world. (A special issue of JMPT in the summer of 1991 will publish the proceedings.)
  


• Keynote lectures from the finest gathering of chiropractic and medical researchers ever assembled for one meeting. (See below -- as just one example, Alan Breen, D.C., the principle chiropractic researcher for the recent British MRC trial of chiropractic published in the British Medical Journal, will be there to review the results and answer your questions.)
  


• The most extensive exhibit hall of chiropractic and back care products and services you have seen -- possible because of the size of the meeting which is being organized jointly by the WFC and the American Back Society.

Facilities for 1200 have been booked at the Royal York Hotel. However, the WFC suggests you register early to avoid disappointment.

C. Details of Congress Program

The Congress runs for six days and comprises three parts.

You can register for the full program (parts one to three) or the weekend WFC Symposium only (part three). It is anticipated that most registrants from North America will attend four days (parts two and three), most international registrants for the full six days.

1. WFC Assembly -- Tuesday/Wednesday, April 30-May 1 (Part 1)

This is the membership meeting of the WFC, to be attended by delegates from all member nations, but open also to Congress registrants as observers. Features include:

• A five minute report on chiropractic in each country, presented orally, with opportunity for questions and comments.
  


• A full report on the activities of the World Federation of Chiropractic.
  


• A number of related meetings, e.g., the annual meeting of the Federation Latino-Americano de Quiropractia.

A dinner on Tuesday is restricted to delegates, but a cocktail reception on Wednesday night is open to all Congress registrants.

2. American Back Society (ABS) Spring Symposium -- Thursday/Friday, May 2-3 (Part 2)

This is a typical ABS Symposium, except that the number of chiropractic workshops is increased, and is the first to be held in Canada.

The ABS, founded in 1982 in California, was created to furnish a premier interdisciplinary forum for all health care professionals and scientists interested in back care. The first ABS president was Dr. Rene Cailliet; current president is Dr. William Kirkaldy-Willis.

The ABS Symposium features mornings of lectures and clinical presentations, with afternoons of seminars and workshops. You may choose which of the many concurrent one-hour seminars you wish to attend. Topics include: a chiropractic seminar on management of disc problems; cervical examination; adjustment techniques; report writing; lectures on MRI; functional capacity testing; back school; acupuncture; and osteopathic soft tissue techniques.

Coordinator for the ABS Symposium program in Toronto, is Scott Haldeman, who is both an ABS director and chairman, WFC Research Council. Chiropractic seminars are being directed by the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto.

3. WFC Symposium -- Saturday/Sunday, May 4-5 (Part 3)

The WFC Symposium runs from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon, and details of the program are confirmed. Keynote speakers, all leading experts in the international health science community, are:

Chiropractic

Alan Breen, England, Clinical Examination
David Cassidy, Canada, Sacroiliac Dysfunction
Lynton Giles, Australia, Facet Syndrome
Scott Haldeman, U.S.A., Research Trials
Reed Phillips, U.S.A., Chiropractic Radiology
John Triano, U.S.A., Biomechanics

Medical

Bjorn Rydevik, Sweden, Nerve Compression
Akio Sato, Japan, Neurovisceral Reflexes
Gunner Andersson, U.S.A., Occupational Back Pain
Nicholas Bogduk, Australia, Spinal Anatomy
Sam Wiesel, U.S.A., Differential Diagnosis of Spinal Disorders

In addition, there will be presentations of the finest current chiropractic research (ten minutes with five minutes discussion each) under the four categories of Basic Sciences, Diagnostic Sciences, Adjustive/Manipulative Sciences, and Special Interest (including epidemiology, history, and philosophy).

Allowances of $5,000, $3,000, and $1,000 will be given for the three best papers, and the proceedings are to be published in a special issue of JMPT in summer 1991. Those interested in submitting research for presentation at the WFC symposium should complete and mail the coupon at the bottom of the Congress notice opposite.

D. Registration for Congress

1. How to Register

Complete and return the coupon appearing at the bottom of the Congress notice opposite. You will then be sent registration forms and additional information on the program, accommodation, and Toronto.

Basic registration fees are:

Full Congress -- $400
WFC Symposium -- $300

(U.S. currency, Canadian for Canadian registrants).

There are concessions for early registration (by January 1, 1991), for new graduates and students. Registration fees entitle attendance at all business sessions; WFC and ABS receptions; WFC and ABS written proceedings; refreshments; breaks; and continental breakfasts (Thursday/Friday).

An outstanding value -- possible because the WFC and the ABS are pooling their resources to attract leading speakers and, in essence, giving two meetings for the price of one.

2. Hotel Reservations

The Congress is being held at Toronto's historic Royal York Hotel. Details of these and alternative accommodations will be sent with registration forms.

3. Toronto

Peter Ustinov calls Toronto "New York run by the Swiss." The city and environs (pop: 5.3 million) provide a wealth of shopping, international cuisine, night life and theatre, sports (the SkyDome and Blue Jays are 200 meters from the Royal York Hotel), museums and sightseeing (from the world's tallest building -- CN tower -- to Niagara falls). You may also be interested in a tour of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College.

Facts that may surprise you about Toronto include:

• In a city that was once predominantly Anglo-Saxton, more children start school today without English as their first language. This is a truly multicultural city.
  


• The Italian community numbers over 500,000. A variety of ethnical groups leads to an excellent choice of restaurants.
  


• Toronto has the third highest theatre seat/population ratio in the world after London and New York.
  


• A city always known for its beauty, safety and efficiency now has the size, amenities, and energy that have made it one of the North America's most favored convention sites.

E. Conclusion

Quite simply, spend a week in early Spring, 1991 in Toronto and return to your practice, knowledgeable and excited about the practice of chiropractic in the 1990s.

Table 1

WFC Executive Council

President
Gary Auerback, D.C.
Tuscon, AZ, U.S.A.
(North America)

Vice President
Christoph Diem, D.C.
Winterthur, Switzerland
(Europe)

Secretary-Treasurer
John Sweaney, D.C.
Falconbridge, Australia
(Pacific)

Africa
Christopher Diedericks, D.C.
Ermelo, South Africa

Asia
Bruce Vaughan, D.C.
Hong Kong

Eastern Mediterranean
Yousef Meshki, D.C.
Amman, Jordan

Latin America
Enrique Benet-Canut, IX
Mexico City, Mexico

North America
Gerard Clum, IX (ICA)
San Lorenzo, CA., U.S.A.

Vince Lucido, D.C. (ACA)
Lakeland, FL., U.S.A.

Kenneth Luedtke, D.C. (ACA)
Madison, WI., U.S.A.

Donald Wood, D.C.
Grande Prairie, Alta., Canada

WFC Research Council
Chairman
Scott Haldeman, D.C., M.D., Ph.D.
Santa Ana, CA

Alan Breen, D.C.
Bournemouth, England

J. David Cassity, D.C., MSc
Saskatoon, Sask, Canada

Lynton Giles, D.C., Ph.D.
Brisbane, Australia

Reed Phillips, D.C., Ph.D.
Whittier, CA

John Triano, D.C., Ph.D(C)
Lombard, Ill., U.S.A.

David Chapman-Smith
Secretary General WFC
Toronto, Canada