On 6-9 March 2013 the German Society for Pain Therapy ("Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schmerztherapie e.V.") will organise the 24th "German Pain & Palliative Day", which will take place in Frankfurt am Main. The topic of the event is pain therapy for elderly ("Schmerz im Alter"). 
Workshops, symposia and seminars on different topics are planned.

For more information on the German Pain & Palliative Day, please have a look into the German programme or event website.

The Congress organized by the Dutch Pain Society will take place on 20 April in Hotel de Reehorst in Ede (The Netherlands). The theme of the congress will be called; from multi to more, the Dutch Pain Society in new times (~ "van multi naar meer, the Dutch Pain Society in nieuwe tijden"). Members of the Dutch Pain Society and everyone who is interested in the multidisciplinary diagnoses and treatment of acute and chronic pain are welcome.

The Dutch Pain Society is a full Chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain. They hope 350 participants will come, the congress consists of plenary lectures and simultane workshops, for more information please have a look into the Dutch Programme.

Registration already started and stops at 19 April, please go to the website (you can register yourself under: inschrijven - registratie deelnemers).

This year the 1st International Congress on "Person in Medicine and Healthcare - Science and Art" and the 3rd Croatian Congress on "Prevention and Rehabilitation in Psychiatry" will take place in the Valamar Lacroma Hotel in Dubrovnik, Croatie. The congresses will be held from 18 - 21 April.

For more information on the 1st International and 3rd Croatian Congress, please have a look into the website.

The two organizers of the congresses are the Centre for Palliative Medine, Medical Ethics and Communication Skills (CEPAMET) and the Society for Mental Health Promotions - Croatian Medical Association. One of the co-organizers is The International College of Person-centered Medicine (ICPMC, New York, USA).

Bildungswerk Aachen will organize a Bereavement support course("Trauerbegleitung"), a qualification course for voluntary hospice companions. The course starts on 6 May in Aachen, more courses will follow until end 2013. 

Participants of this course will be able to guide people in their non-complicated mourning process in an appropriate and usefull way. During this course participants will for example reflect their own farewell experiences.

For more information on the content of the courses and the registration, please have a look on the website.

Following three European SIP symposia between 2010-2012, this year for the first time the SIP Programme Committee has decided to invite to the so-called "SIP Focus Groups", which will take place on 14th and 15th May 2013. More information on the venue & draft programme will follow shortly on this website.

On 16 May 2013 the 7th European Patients' Rights Day will take place in Brussels. To celebrate this day, an international conference will be organized. 

The Active Citizenship Network (ACN) has decided to focus the EU Patients' Rights Day on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. The reason why this decision is made is because the EU has decid to dedicate 2013 to European citizens and their rights. The Commissions' goal is to raise citizens' awareness of their new rights resulting from the EU policies, as well as to stimulate their acive participation in the Union policy-making.

For more information on the 7th European Patients' Rights Day, please have a look into the draft program.

The main target of this multistakeholder conference will be citizens, patients' organizations, health professionals (pshysicians, nurses, pharmacists) and national/regional health authorities. The expected amount of participants is about 180 people.  

Bildungswerk Aachen will organize a basisseminar for nurses ("Basisseminar für Pflegende") on 22 and 23 May. During this seminar nurses will learn the basis principles and elements of basal stimulation® in nursing. There will also be clinical excersises on "Perceptional awareness of the situation of severely affected people". Participants will for example learn possible practical approaches who will support people and how to make contact with victims in a non-verbal way.

For more information on the basisseminar for nurses and the registration, please have a look on the website.

The 93th Hospice Day will take place in Aachen on 23 May 2013. The Hospice Day will be organized in cooperation with "Lebenshilfe Aachen e.V." (~Life help/coaching Aachen). The topic of this day is: Why palliative care for disabled people at the end of life? ("Warum Palliative Care für Menschen mit Behinderung am Lebensende?")

Since two years "Lebenshilfde Aachen" cooperates with "Servicestelle Hospiz" to assist the people in their facilities and make it possible for them to live at home until the end of their lifes. To make a success out of the assistance, it requires a professional training for all employees, the integration of hospice culture in the structures and processes and a close cooperation with the stakeholders of palliative and hospice network in the region. During the Hospice Day, the experiences, successes and obstacles for employees, residents and families of this project will be presented.

If you want to participate the 93th Hospice Day in Aachen, please registrate yourself on the website. For further information on the Hospice Day please have a look into the programme.

"New Frontiers in Pain Medicine"

The 36 th National Congress of the "Italian Association for the Study of Pain" will take place on May 30 - June 1st in Verona, Italy under the topic : New Frontiers in Pain Medicine.

For further information on AISD look into our SIP 2012 Abstract and Background Booklet or the AISD Homepage !

Since 2011, ISAL Foundation organizes the National Day against Pain in Italy. This year, with the agreement of important cities in Great Britain, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, this important event has reached a continental dimension becoming the European Day against Pain.

This is a very important step that significantly intensifies ISAL Foundation relationships with the world, underling the necessity to create an even stronger network in the territory with an increasing number of different experiences.

This represents also the concrete start point for the realization of the 1st Chronic Pain Research and Therapy European Institute.

For more information on the European Day against Pain, please have a look into the flyer or the website of ISAL Foundation. Please also read the flyer on the first chronic pain call centre.

On 30 October 2013 the first regional Patient Solidarity Day, organized by African IAPO members, will take place across Africa. This inititiative provide an opportunity to build country partnerships, networks and multi-stakeholder collaboration towards achieving patient-centred healthcare in Africa.

The Theme of this day is: "Improve lives through patient-centred healthcare". During this day, the needs of patients across Africa will be highlighted. Some of the activities are public events, workshops, performances and exhibitions.

IAPO (International Alliance of Patients' Organizations) is an endorsing organisations of SIP since 2011.

For more information on the Patient Solidarity Day, please have a look on the website of IAPO.