IBE Topic Focused Global Teams
– an Introduction
IBE’s Strategic Plan recognises the importance of engaging people with epilepsy and their care providers in all our decision making. Involving these stakeholders in all our activities is vital if they are to become the motivators of tomorrow. The objective is to see an expanded IBE board emerge over the next decade whose membership consists of people with a wide range of knowledge, experience, expertise and skills.
As a first step, a new series of working ‘Teams’ is being created, each one focusing on a specific issue related to epilepsy and we would like you to consider membership.
– A Global Academy Team will work on an important new initiative to train people with epilepsy to become international advocates and spokespersons. They will need to develop the necessary knowledge to be confident in interacting with public institutions, the scientific community and industry. Members of the Team will provide:
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- input of people affected by epilepsy on module content;
- support with translation as necessary;
- promotion of the academy at local, national and international levels.
– A Global Action Team will work on encouraging the implementation of the World Health Assembly Resolution on Epilepsy at national and regional levels around the world allowing them to develop local initiatives.
Implementation of the resolution will help to:
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- reduce stigma and improve inclusion;
- increase awareness of epilepsy;
- educate people about epilepsy;
- bring epilepsy into public and political focus.
– A Global Research Team will know about scientific, medical and psychosocial research occurring in all regions and areas of IBE activity. The goal is:
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- for our members to take an active role in developing research programmes;
- to promote opportunities to participate in research and learn to be part of the leadership team;
- to promote opportunities to participate in research and help bring research advances back to
the community.
– A Global Youth Team will recruit young people from around the world interested in being involved in a range of epilepsy initiatives and, potentially, training them to be the next leaders of IBE. The aim is to:
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- increase participation of young people affected by epilepsy in decision-making processes within IBE;
- seek out advocacy opportunities so that young people can be actively involved in our global remit;
- support capacity building in young people to help them make a difference in society.
– A Global Congress Team will develop the potential, and harness the significant opportunities, that virtual
congresses can bring for people with epilepsy and their care providers. The Team will assist in:
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- creating IBE-centred programmes for virtual regional and international congresses;
- encouraging the active participation of IBE chapters and their members in virtual congresses;
- identifying other opportunities to increase the visibility of IBE members at virtual congresses.
Open House Meetings
To help you decide if you would like to be involved in a Team, we are organising a series of Open House online meetings to tell you more about these new Teams and to allow those interested in applying for membership to meet other potential members.
If you are interested, please let us know, no later than Monday 21st September. We will also need to know the city and country in which you live so that we can match you with the appropriate time slot. Only those responding will be provided with a link to join an Open House webinar, so be sure to send us your response before the deadline.
After the Open House webinars, if you are still interested in getting involved, you will be able to formally apply to join a Team.
