Letter from the Chair
The new board wishes to extend its greetings to you and expresses its confidence in continuing to meet the aims of RiEN, as its predecessors have done so far very well.
Your new board is composed of both experienced and new enthusiastic members and in conjunction with the assistance and energetic contribution of all our members, we are optimistic that the next two years will be exceptional ones for RiEN.
RiEN’s initial role ever since it began 20 years ago was to serve as a communication network among its members to exchange information, ideas and experiences in order for every member to evolve in their own country and altogether in Europe. Over the years, RiEN came upon new challenges and never turned its back to them, on the contrary, RiEN took positive initiatives and organized working groups for research, for education, and by appointing a representative in EFCAM which is pursuing recognition and regulation for Reflexology and Reflexologists also in Europe.
For all that has been done the new board congratulates and extends their gratitude to all the previous board members and participants in the working groups. Unfortunately, it has come to our attention also, that many members of RiEN do not feel the same.
With this in mind, our initial goal is to ensure and progress in exactly the initial goal of RiEN, that of networking and communication among our members. For this we need your help! please see below
- Spiros Dimitrakoulas
NEWSLETTER
We recommend and wish that you pass on to all the members of your association the RiEN newsletter the most appropriate way you believe. In order to make the newsletter even more convenient we are seeking volunteer translators in the following languages to have it translated, - English, Spanish, French, German, Scandinavian, Italian and Greek- and suggest the volunteers NOT be representatives of RiEN, nor board members of your association, but rather “members” of your associations. It is also imperative that you contribute with articles from your members, news or any progress in your country related to Reflexology. This information will also be shared on our newly launched facebook page:
click to visit and possibly "like"!http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Reflexology-in-Europe-Network/606151556063434
EUROPEAN REFLEXOLOGY DAY
Please note that we have also created a European
Reflexology Day facebook page:
Please inform your members about their existence and encourage them to participate-contribute, “likes” are also welcome. AGM AND CONFERENCE 2014
In 2014 we will be celebrating the 20th Year of RiEN and it has been decided that the AGM and conference will be in Madeira. The AGM will be on Thursday 8th May, followed by the Conference on the 9th – 11th. Inspired by the European Brain Council pledging to make 2014 the European Year of the Brain, we thought our conference topic be ‘From the top of your head to the tip of your toe’ which can include both physical and emotional wellbeing.
Call for Abstracts
If you would like to present at the conference please submit a 500 word abstract outlining what you would plan to talk about to sec.rien@googlemail.com before the 15th September.
EDUCATIONAL WORKING GROUP
Regarding the Educational Working Group we have decided to develop a simplified educational module for the blind, this module could then be shared with all of Europe. Besides giving the opportunity for professional employment and strengthening Reflexology in the eyes of the European Parliament we believe this simplified educational module will be the first step towards an accepted, by all members’, preliminary educational module and Reflexology map. Another thought that is being examined is producing a RiEN reflexology manual with all European countries contributing. This could either be published to help generate income for RiEN or could be free to share.
FINAL THOUGHTS
We are certainly living through transitional times, it is not only about the European economic crisis, the crisis is in many aspects of our lives, and what we took for granted is being put to the test. Hippocrates uses the word crisis as meaning the time to decide, to choose. During these difficult moments we too have to decide, to choose, shall we protect all that we have gained united, and progress, or shall we go the other way?
Your membership fee will always be a necessity for RiEN, as is your member’s fee for the needs of your association, but now, RiEN needs something of greater importance. This is the active participation and cooperation of each and every European Reflexologist! Reflexologists are like the cells, a group of them creates an organ, like an association, and many organs create an organism like RiEN. RiEN is just the element that brings us together that represents us as a whole, without the associations, the Reflexologists, RiEN is without purpose.
One could think that there is nothing we can do to affect the changes, that one would not be a Reflexologist.
On behalf of the RiEN board,
Spiros Dimitrakoulas
Articles for the newsletterIf you have any articles or information that you’d like to share with RiEN members,
please email chair.rien@gmail.com.
