A Program for World FAS Day
September 9
9:00 Greeting
and Welcome
9:02 Reflection
Bells have been rung for centuries;
to mark the passage of time, to serve as a reminder, to sound a warning; they have
rung in mourning and in celebration.
Today we will ring this bell for all these reasons.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is
the most common birth defect in the industrialized world, affecting millions of
people world-wide, resulting in physical and neurological damage to those
exposed to alcohol during pregnancy. It
affects us all, because such damage has a profound affect on the entire society
in which it occurs. And, it is entirely
preventable. If a woman drinks no
alcohol during pregnancy and when breastfeeding, the child will not have
FASD. This disorder has been with us as
long as there has been alcohol, but it was just thirty years ago that
researchers defined and named it. Since
then, much progress has been made in diagnosing and identifying those with the
disorder. Some help is now available
for women at risk of having affected children, and some interventions and
services have been developed to help children and adults damaged by alcohol
prenatally. But, there is still much to
be done, and we have a long way to go.
Families and the general public, especially pregnant women, must be
alerted to the danger. Alcoholic
beverages must be appropriately labelled, and those who serve them must be made
aware. Those in medicine, education,
social services and the justice system must be educated. And changes in public policy must be
implemented to support these efforts.
At the ninth minute, of the ninth
hour, of the ninth day, of the ninth month, people around the world pause to
remember those affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Here in __________ we are participating in an international bell concordance which
began ____ hours ago, where the day
begins, in New Zealand. The bells will
continue to ring in each time zone as the day moves westward.
9:04 Readings
No man is an island, entire of
itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy
friend’s or of thine own were. Any
man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore
never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. John
Donne
9:06 A Remembrance
Today, we remember those damaged by alcohol before they were born.
We remember those among them who are poor and neglected; the hungry and homeless, the destitute and the oppressed, and those who have none to care for them.
We remember those who are ill; the sick, the injured, and those broken in body, mind, or spirit.
We remember those who live with loneliness, fear, injustice and danger.
We remember those who are sad and overwhelmed with despair; the sorrowful and the bereaved.
We remember the many people with FASD who are in prison.
We remember those who bear the responsibility of caring for children affected by prenatal exposure to alcohol, in the hope that gatherings such as this will provide them with encouragement and support.
We remember the families -- birth, adoptive and foster families of those with FASD.
We remember those who love and care for affected adults, especially families, friends and spouses.
We remember social workers, counsellors, doctors and teachers, who work, often unknowingly, with children and adults affected by FASD.
We remember the police, youth justice workers, lawyers and judges, in the hope that they might be knowledgeable and considerate in their dealings with those affected by FASD.
We remember jailers, guards and prison administrators, in the hope that they might exercise compassion in their work, and be open to learning more about this disorder.
We remember with gratitude, the efforts of those who work in the area of FASD, who have contributed so much to our understanding of the disorder, and in developing programs for those affected.
We remember those in government and all who influence public opinion; those who speak where many listen and write what many read, in the hope that they will use their influence to bring about improvement in public policy and services to those affected.
We remember all those around the world who join with us today, taking heart from our collective will to reduce and prevent this disorder, support those affected, and educate our communities.
We remember especially
those individuals touched by this disorder, whom we name now, aloud, or
silently to ourselves. Pause
And finally, we commit ourselves, in the hope that in gathering together here, and ringing this bell today, we are moving forward in our efforts to achieve these ends.
9:09 Tintinnabulation
The bell will be rung for one minute.
9:10 Thanks and Closing
(Times noted are
approximate; please adjust so as to arrive at 9:09 for the ringing of the bell.)
Submitted
by Rae Ryan, Ottawa, Canada
--------------------------------------------------------------------------