World Suicide Prevention Day 2008 "Think Globally, Plan Nationally, Act Locally"
What is WSPD?
After a successful launch in 2003, World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) is now held every year on 10 September around the world. On this day, numerous events, conferences, campaigns and local activities call to public attention one of the world’s largest causes of premature and unnecessary death – suicide.
The International Association for Suicide Prevention, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation, calls upon governments, government agencies, NGOs, international and national associations, local communities, clinicians, researchers and volunteers to be involved in the organisation of WSPD activities. The aim of these activities is to promote increased awareness about the problem of suicide and the many ways in which we can work to reduce suicide rates and the incidence of suicidal behaviours.
International Theme for WSPD
The international theme for WSPD in 2008 is "Think Globally, Plan Nationally, Act Locally".
Please click here to be taken to the International Association for Suicide Prevention's WSPD website.
SPA Events
SPA will be holding two events in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day 2008. These will be the 2008 LIFE Awards and a Community Forum, both being held in Brisbane.
Two similar events were held as part of the 2007 WSPD activities in Melbourne. For a report on the 2007 WSPD activities, please click here.
The LIFE Awards
What are the LIFE Awards?
The LIFE Awards are a prestigious national annual event which acknowledges the vital work that is being undertaken in the prevention of suicide across Australia.
The LIFE Awards are held in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day, 10th September. The theme for this year is “Think Globally, Plan Nationally, Act Locally”.
This year the LIFE Awards are going to be held at The Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane.
Previously the awards have been held at Federation Square, Melbourne and Government House, Sydney and have attracted guests from all areas of industry, media, business, government, youth and medicine.
The previous LIFE Awards have been a great success and benchmark for SPA’s other events and projects.
Previous awards have been attended by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Ageing, The Honourable Brett Mason, the Governor of NSW, Professor Marie Bashir AC, and the former Premier of Western Australia, Mr Geoff Gallop. Masters of Ceremonies have included Mr Paul Barry, Mr James Valentine and Ms Natasha Mitchell.
The ‘LIFE’ AWARDS acknowledges great contribution to suicide prevention. Awards are in nine categories:
- Business
- Youth
- Community
- Indigenous
- Public Sector
- Media (print)
- Media (non-print)
- Research – Lifetime
- Research – Emerging
Please click here for more information including a description of each award category and access to the online nomination form.
The Community Forum
The Community Forum is an annual event which attracts at least 300 people.
This Forum is to be held at the Brisbane City Hall on the evening of September 10th.
The desired outcomes of the Forum are:
- To provide both public and industry information and tools that are currently being used and that can be implemented to address the issue of suicide prevention within the workplace
- To create linkages between different services
- To advise people on how to respond to someone with suicidal ideation
- To de stigmatise the issue of suicide and encourage the community to talk about the issue
- To make the community aware of the early signs of someone at risk of suicide
- To provide the public with information on where to go for help and what services are available to them if they are contemplating suicide or have been bereaved by suicide.
The Community Forum is to be held in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day and is open to the public to attend.
The main public health message of the 2008 Community Forum is “Suicide Prevention in the Workplace”. The Forum will however, also reflect the WSPD international theme, “Think Globally, Plan Nationally, Act Locally”.
This is the second Community Forum Suicide Prevention Australia has presented on World Suicide Prevention Day. The Forum is being modelled on last year’s successful forum held at the Melbourne Town Hall, as well as previously presented forums by Community Action for the Prevention of Suicide (Brisbane 2006) and Orygen Youth Health (Melbourne 2004).
Last year the Forum facilitator was television and radio personality, Julie McCrossin. This year we are aiming to have someone of similar calibre. Guest speakers include Magistrate Michael Barnes, State Coroner of Queensland. Presentations will be delivered by people affected in a variety of ways by suicide. These include:
- Organisations that currently have a suicide prevention program in place
- People bereaved through suicide
- People who deal with suicide on a professional level (eg, psychiatrists, police, coroners, researchers, media)
- People who have had suicide ideation or whose life story includes near-fatal experience, and how they handled the experience
Various exhibitions and displays on how and where to seek help will also be on offer.
The 2008 World Suicide Prevention Day Reference Group
As part of the planning for World Suicide Prevention Day, SPA has set up a local Queensland-based reference group. The group is made up of a range of individuals representing organisations involved in suicide prevention. The members of the group are:
- Jean Claude Boulenaz – Safety and Training Officer, Gympie Hospital
- Carla Pearce – CEO of Community Action for the Prevention of Suicide (CAPS)
- Luke Chippendale – Coordinator, Standby Response Service, Lifeline Brisbane
- Matthew Benstock – Director of Head High, Najidah
- Dulcie Bird – Director of The Edward Koch Foundation
- Jill Fisher – National Coordinator, Standby Response Service
- Elizabeth Benson-Stott – CEO of Better Life Directions
- Jacinta Hawgood – Lecturer at the Australian Institute of Suicide Research and Prevention (AISRAP)
- Karolina Krysinska – Centre for Suicide Prevention Studies in Young People, University of QLD
- Rachael O’Connell – Principal Policy Officer, QLD Government Suicide Prevention Strategy