In the afterglow of a convention it is always pleasant to recall its successes and to absorb the lessons that will drive the organization further with renewed vigor and dedication. This has been the case with our 9th World Congress, the results of which give us every confidence to look ahead to more years or meaningful work in favor or the disaster stricken and the acutely ill.

While our scientific forum, Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, has been providing the professional community with technical and humanitarian information, the more mundane but no less important news can be gleaned in the columns of Insight. Both belong to you, and I would make a plea to all members to use these valuable media more often and with pride in one's contribution to our young science. Contributors also likely to become members, and here I again invite all those who are a part of WADEM to recruit new members, for, having assured quality we can enhance it with quantity.

While not wishing to single out individuals, it is with some satisfaction that we welcome the Ministers of Health of two countries as new members.

It will be evident from these columns that the Association is very active in many parts of the world, in as many different ways; in training, research, information and action. Besides these achievements, I believe that WADEM is now sufficiently solid and justifiably capable to play an advocacy role in matters that pertain to disaster medicine and social concern. Indeed the Association has already spearheaded the translation of disaster medicine to humanitarian medicine and, in this context, the forthcoming issue to PDM will be publishing a significant paper on the effects of landmines on health. Here is a catastrophic mandate epidemic that the UN is vigorously condemning, WHO is calling for its abolition, and where WADEM proudly takes a strong stand.

The work of WADEM continues and the Association faces the disaster-stricken world resolutely in the confidence that, together with its members, WADEM brings its share to the alleviation of suffering and the mitigation of disasters.
S. William A. Gunn, M.D., President

From its very beginning, the European Center for Disaster Medicine (CEMEC) has held close ties with WADEM, both organizationally and academically. In its annual cycle of courses on such subjects as information in emergencies, disaster management, toxicological accidents, or refugee health and mass population dsiplacements, WADEM has provided members, including Dr. S. Costanzo, Dr. S.W. Gunn, Dr.S.Magalini, Dr.c.Manni, Dr.M.Masellis and others as faculty. Several of the associations's experts are contributing to many other meetings.

Laedal commitment, Laedal products and Laedal support are internationally recognized by all who are involved, directly or indirectly, in emergency care, disaster assistance and acute medicine research. The Laedal Foundation for Acute Medicine was instituted in 1980 to support development and research in resuscitology and acute medicine, and has since financed more than 400 different projects touching upon the various aspects of this science. WADEM has close histolical ties with the Laedal name and was again graciously received and generously assisted during the recent Congress in Stavanger, home of the Foundation. Thies lines are but a small tribute to the Laedal Foundation and to its energetic President, Tore Laedal.

The Japanese medical profession performed admirably in the devastating earthquake that hit Kobe in January of this year. Among them, many WADEM members including Dr. Takashi Ukai, Dr. Muneo Obta, Yasuhiro Yamamoto and others, responded rapidly in time of need. The experiences gained from the tragedy are already being analyzed scientifically. Several papers were present at our 9th Congress and other significant work is in preparation. Dr. Muneo Ohta was honored by the Emperor and received special mention for the services of his team. Dr.Ohta is a member of the WADEM Board of Directors, and is the organizing Chairman of the 11th World Congress that will be held in Osaka in 1999. We congratulate our Japanese colleagues and sympathize with them on this destructive disaster they have suffered.

Being engaged in disaster work does not exclude choosing pleasant places for a conference! The 3rd Asia-Pacific conference on Emergency and Disaster Medicine will by held on the romantic island of Bali, Indonesia in just one year's time, from October 15 - 19, 1996. WADEM has been active in the First and Second Asia-Pacific Conferences that were held in Osaka and Chiba, and the Third promises to be a great success, significantly promoting emergency and disaster management in that high-risk geographic region. WADEM's president is the Chairman of the Conference's International Board. For Further information write to: 3APCEDM Secretariat, Facto Convex, Hilton International Lagoon Tower, Jalan Gatot Subroto, P.O. Box 3515, Jakarta 100002, Indonesia. Fax: +6221.5705798.

The Nordic Society of Disaster Medicine is composed of the Danish, Finnish, Icelandic, Norwegian, and Swedish Disaster Medicine Societies. WADEM was the official guest at the Second Nordic Conference that took place in Stavanger, Norway in September. WADEM conducted a Round Table on "Evaluation of Disaster Relief Operations," which has developed into a full-blown study, and a joint task force has been set up to study the problem and propose international guidelines and measurable criteria. See elsewhere in this issue and in Prehospital and Disaster Medicine for further details.

No sooner are we out of our Jerusalem World Congress than plans are afoot for the forthcoming ones, right up to the end of the century! Argentina, Brazil, Holland and others have already submitted their elaborate bids for our 12th Congress, in 2001. The list is not closed and if your country wishes to apply, there is still time to write our Pittsburgh Office. Of course, the highlight will be the 10th World Congress, marking the 20th Anniversary of WADEM. Professor Wolfgang Dick is organizing a most imaginative scientific program and pleasant social pageantry for that occasion. Block the dates of September 24-27, 1997 for Mainz, Germany. More details will follow in future editions.

There are many countries where keen emergency specialists and disaster workers follow our activities, but unfortunately cannot join due to monetary restrictions, cost inequalities or currency inconvertibility. The Board of Directors considered this matter and it has been decided that a window should be provided for these persons to follow world trends. An "Aspiring Member" category has been introduced, whereby the applicant becomes an honorary WADEM member, without paying dues, and receives the WADEM Insight only, pending such time that he/she can attain full membership. To qualify for this free membership, the above-mentioned bona fide difficulties must apply. Those concerned may write to our Administrative Office in Pittsburgh, giving justification.

The 3rd International Conference on Burns and Fire Disasters took place in Italy last June, immediately after our World Congress, in collaboration with the American Burn Association, ITACCS, and WADEM. Considering the fast expanding scope and activities of the Club, and its advocacy of combining burns as a clinical, individual problem and fires as a societal, disaster management problem, the membership decided to change the name from Mediterranean Burns Club to Mediterranean Club for Burns and Fire Disasters. The MBC is the First Affiliated Society of WADEM, and publishes a quarterly Annals, provides ten scholarships each year and organizes frequent training programs. Its Secretary-General is Prof. M. Masellis, member of the WADEM Board of Directors.

During the General Assembly meeting in Jerusalem, the following panel was approved as the Association's Board of Directors for the next two years:
Officers:

L. Roshal, MD, PhD (Russia)
President: S.W.A. Gunn, MD
President-elect: S. Rottman, MD
Treasurer: E. Pretto Jr., MD, MPH
Secretary: Prof. W. Dick, MD
Editor: M. Birnbaum, MD, PhD

Many distinguished specialists in EMS and Disaster Medicine are members of WADEM and have contributed significantly to the basic and growing literature of these two interrelated disciplines. Besides numerous articles and other publications, and the solidly established Journal of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, several books have been written by our colleagues, a recent sampling of which is given below. We would appreciate being informed by our members of any books they have published or are planning to write. This listing of publications will appear in every edition of the Association's newsletter, so please forward your information to the Administrative office for publication.

• Landmines are now being laid and exploded in all parts of the world and the trauma caused by them currently constitutes a catastrophic, man-made epidemic. The World Health Organization prepared ann extensive Report on the Public Health Consequences of Landmines, which is being summarized for Journal of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, by authors F. Kakar, F. Bassini, C. Romar and S. W. Gunn. The reporter is Professor Faiz Kakar, Deputy Minister of Health of Afganistan, who has joined WADEM.
• Doctors Takashi Ukai, Yuji Takahashi and Makoto Aono are editing a book based on personal participation and experience in disasters, titled Disaster Medicine Learned from the Cases. This should give unique material on major emergencies actually lived by the authors, even with as recent experience as the Kobe earthquake. Hopefully it will be translated into other languages. Published by the Nankodo Publishing Co., Japan.
• Professors Shao Jiao Hong, Wang Yitang and Jiang Jian are finalizing an extensive book in Chinese: Moden Emergency Medicine. That vast country, subject to frequent natural disasters, will be much enriched by this book.
• Many readers will have found valuable scientific information on non-medical aspects of disasters in the academic quarterly Disaster Prevention and Management from the MCB Press. Tlis has now incorporated another valuable publication Disaster Management, thus becoming a larger and more frequent international journal, edited by WADEM friend A. Z. Keller. A special issue on "Learning from Kobe"is in press and includes health matters in earthquakes.
• The volume entitled The Management of Mass Burn Casualties and Fire Disasters, by M. Masellis and S.W. Gunn, has previously been reviewed in these columns. As a sequel to that book, the same authors are now finalizing further studies on the subject, entitled The Management of Burns and Fire Disasters: Perspectives 2000, a 580-page volume uniform with its predecessor. Published by Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, Boston, London.
• The video-cassette (in French) on Anesthetic Technique was mentioned in the last issue of Insight. This excellent training medium has now been produced in English, and is highly recommended. Its principal author, Dr. Jean-Marie Fonrouge and collaborators Sandrine Hatchadourian, Victor Fraile and Professor Paul Petit have now produced another excellent film, in French, titled Le geste qui sauve (The action that saves.) Available from Institut Electricite Sante, 151 Bld. Haussmann, 75008 Paris, France.

Our 9th World Congress in Jerusalem provided us with one of the first opportunities to discuss one of the greatest human-made tragedies in modern times. The panel entitled Civil Strife/Former Yugoslavia -sponsored by the Haemonetics Corporation of Braintree, Massachusetts -- included presentations on UN disaster relief, EMS, war crimes, disaster epidemiology, and an IMC field emergency care training program in that complex emergency. For one speaker, however, participation meant more than just getting on a plane. Dr. Mirza Begovic, a Bosnian 'transfusiologist' from the State Hospital of Sarajevo presented his experience on war casualties and blood transfusion requirements. In order to attend our Congress he had to leave the besieged city of Sarajevo by way of a narrow 1 Km makeshift underground tunnel which runs under the Sarajevo airport runway on foot, in the darkness of night. Climb steep Mt. Igman with his belongings strapped to his back under harsh conditions (heavy rain, cold, and mud) and cross military trenches close to enemy lines on the way to a rendezvous site outside enemy-occupied territory, where a bus would take him to Split, Croatia. After his brief stay in Jerusalem, Dr. Begovic undertook the same perilous journey back to Sarajevo to resume his duties at the State Hospital. We at WADEM give special recognition to Dr. Begovic for this act of bravery and for his contribution to the success of our Congress.