This issue, the final one of 2016, is dedicated to the physical, emotional and relational health of infants, families and communities around the world.
Kai von Klitzing, in his meaningful President’s Column, poses a provactive question when he asks, “What has Infant Mental Health Got to do With Donald Trump?” Kai is courageous in his observations about the current political climate and struggles for survival around the globe. He reminds us, “ In the long run, if we want to protect our social environments from destabilization and from populist ideas taking over our hearts and those of our fellow citizens, we must advocate for an improvement in the living conditions and relational experiences that the societies of the world offer to their youngest members.”
The President’s Column is followed by an immigrant family’s story, submitted by Ombretta Zanon, Marco Ius and Paola Milani, in which the authors discuss the complexity of needs of one family, displaced in a new country, requiring collaboration across multiple systems to effectively and empathically respond.
Eloquent spokeswomen, Maree Foley and Miri Keren, both WAIMH Board Members and strong advocates of Infants’ Rights, represented WAIMH at a meeting about children’s rights in Switzerland this summer. They report their experiences in this issue of Perspectives.
The World in WAIMH challenges us to think deeply about the babies as we face continuing crises around the world. First featured in Perspectives in the summer of 2014, we offer again, “What to do about the babies? Ten Questions to ask Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King” by Joshua Sparrow.
Final features include attention to growth and development in the field of infant mental health as new associations are forming around the world; a window into the activities of one US affiliate the Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health; an introduction to reflective group practice from an emerging scholar, Jennifer Champagne; Special Issues of relevance published in the Infant Mental Health Journal; and updates from the WAIMH Central Office in Tampere.
As always, we invite comments and responses to what is published in WAIMH Perspectives in Infant Mental Health. We are thankful to those authors who worked throughout the year to bring attention to the complex needs of babies, parents, families and communities through scientific studies, advocacy efforts, programs and clinical case reports. We continue to search and welcome submissions that challenge the way we currently think about infancy and early relationship development, and offer fresh perspectives on parenting and early childhood. We end the year with hopes for greater understanding and a more peaceful coexistence in communities across the world.
Vol. 24 No.4 Winter 2016 – From the Editors
Authors
Weatherston, Deborah J., Editor,
Michigan, USA,
dweatherston@mi-aimh.org
Foley, Maree, Associate Editor,
Switzerland/New Zealand,
maree.foley@xtra.co.nz
Fitzgerald, Hiram E., Associate Editor,
Michigan, USA,
fitzger9@msu.edu
