Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association Is One of the Founders of the European Spinal Cord Injury Federation (ESCIF)

Croatian Paraplegic and Tetraplegic Association (HUPT) has participated in the historical event for persons with spinal cord injuries, on March 31, 2006. In the Swiss Paraplegic Centre (SPZ), Nottwil near Lucerne, the European Spinal Cord Injury Federation (ESCIF) has been founded. On the inaugural Congress, beside Croatia, participants were Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Scotland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. HUPT sent Manda Knežević and Janko Ehrlich-Zdvořák as its delegation.

Croatian delegation on the Congress.

Tasks of the new Federation is closer cooperation between organisations of persons with spinal cord injuries, first in Europe and than in the whole world, promotion of the interest and integration of persons with spinal cord injuries and cooperation with research and medical institutions on treatment and rehabilitation questions. ESCIF has one clear political goal – better representation of persons with paraplegia and quadriplegia in front of European Union same as on the other European areas.

Delegates are deliberating on certain statue regulations.

Congress was held in a really constructive atmosphere, but suggested statue plan went trough a number of important amendments:

• The one, unique official name of the Federation in English language is accepted because, in that way, the essence of organization is pointed out the most.

• Delegate congress is the highest organ of the organization, and president is representing it in public trough administrative board and secretary.

• Mandate of elected departments is four years.

• The president and the most of the governmental board have to be persons with spinal injury.

• Every country has two delegates the most and one vote.

Dr. Daniel Joggi, president of Swiss Paraplegic Federation (SPV) and ESCIF.

On the place of the president Dr. Daniel Joggi (Switzerland) was elected, Jane Horsewell (Denmark) for the vice-president, Urs Styger (Switzerland) for the secretary, Adrian O’Donnell (Scotland) for the cashier. Pekka Hätinen (Finland) and Ester Peris (Spain) are also members of the executivel board.

The executive board will, at one of its first conferences, decide about place of the next congress. Organisation candidates are Germany and Croatia.

Group picture after finishing successful work.