IMPORTANT UPDATE

Press release Jan 2013

10th Worldcongress for People who Stutter held in the Netherlands

After successful congresses worldwide, this year the 10th edition of the triennial Worldcongress for People who Stutter will be held in the Netherlands. This four-day conference will take place in Lunteren (Veluwe) from June 10 to June 13 and is organized by Dutch Stuttering Association Demosthenes. Next to stutterers also family members, therapists and students are welcome to visit the congress. It is a special and unique opportunity to learn more about this communication problem, a problem with which also Dutch celebrities Herman Finkers and Sanne Hans (Miss Montreal) have struggled.

The Dutch Stuttering Association Demosthenes and its many volunteers have been committed to helping people who stutter in the Netherlands since 1966. Organizing the 10th edition of the World Stutter Congress will be an enormous highlight is the history of Demosthenes. Since 1986 these congresses have taken place in various countries worldwide and this spring it is the Dutch Veluwe that has the honor to welcome hundreds of people who stutter from dozens of countries all over the world.

Seven renowned speakers will attend the congress, including David Shapiro (USA) and David Mitchell (Ireland). The former will organize a seminar for therapists on Tuesday June 11th. The latter is the author of ‘Cloud Atlas’, an impressive book that has recently been adapted for the big screen. Next to these seven keynote speeches more than 50 other lectures and workshops will be held, all related to stuttering.

To a large extent stuttering is still a mystery and therefore definitive treatment beneficial for everybody is still not available.  We are looking for both the cause and the cure, but also for ways to deal with stuttering as long as there is no scientific explanation for the problem. Many people who stutter have really struggled with it at least one or more times in their lives. School, study(choice), friends, family, social contacts, job applications, finding work, relationships: everything can be an obstacle. In a society where communication is as quick as lightning, is there still room to take your time? Should you continue to pursue fluency your entire life, even if it might not be feasible? What can you do to deal with this problem yourself? Can we make sure that children don’t develop it anymore? How can we break the still prevailing taboo on stuttering? We hope to find the answer to all these questions during the four days of the congress.

In addition to the serious business, also a welcome reception, a social afternoon, a gala diner, open mic sessions, karaoke and closing drinks will be organized. During these moments, moments in an environment that can be rare for people who stutter, participants can establish contacts and perhaps even come to constructive solutions.

For more information and registration visit www.stuttering2013.com.

Alternative (budget) accomodation for youth

Friends from the Youth meetings of ELSA (European League of Stuttering Associations) are organising low budget accommodation in a holiday parc at close distance to the congress centre. If you'd like to join this bunch of young people in one of the chalets they are renting, please contact Koen Clevis for more information.

We are sorry to inform you all available places at this accomodation are now reserved by participants. Please check our list of "Accomodations" for budget locations.

Register with 25% discount before March 1st

December is a very expensive month for a lot of people. It's holiday season with Christmas and New-Year party's. We have received several requests for the possibility to register with the early-bird fee on a later moment then January 1st.

We have discussed this inside the organsation and agreed to move the period of the early-bird registration fee forward until March 1st 2013.

The date for submitting abstacts is not changed, abstracts should be submitted before January 1st.

So, as a Christmas-present we would like to offer the possibility to still register until March 1st for the lower price, which is a reduction of 25%.

Registration Fees: