The Benefits of an LLLI Conference
Mary Hurt
LLLI Public Relations Associate
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 39 No. 2, April-May 2003, p. 32.
Have you registered
for the 2003 International Conference in San Francisco, California,
USA? If you’re still deciding whether or not to attend, make your
decision quickly—the Conference is almost upon us! While weighing
the pros and cons, keep the following in mind about LLLI Conferences.
Be Prepared
for a Warm Welcome and an Inspiring Experience
The Alumnae
Association holds special "get-acquainted" sessions to help
navigate Conference sessions. It also hosts an information table near
registration where attendees can go to get all of their questions answered.
Whether networking
with someone from a different country or listening to any of the world-renowned
speakers, you will discover new horizons. Inspiration comes in many
forms at the LLLI Conference, whether it is seen in the kind actions
of families or in a motivating presentation.
Many Leaders
find that seeing the LLLI Founders up close and personal is the highlight
of their Conference experience. When you register, be sure to sign up
for the Afternoon Tea—in addition to a light supper, you will find
out who has most influenced the Founders. If you are newly accredited
since the 2001 Conference, you will have the chance sign up to sit at
a table with one of the Founders at a luncheon. (This is on a "first-come,
first-served" basis.)
Expand Your
Knowledge with Sessions
As a Leader
who is dedicated to helping mothers breastfeed, it is vital to keep
up-to-date with the new research. At the Conference, cutting-edge information
will be presented by experts in their fields. For example, Anna Coutsoudis,
Phd, will present a session titled "Breastfeeding in the Context
of HIV and AIDS: Facts vs. Assumptions." Thomas Hale, RPh, PhD,
author of Medications and Mother’s Milk and esteemed clinical pharmacologist,
will address the latest information on breastfeeding and medications.
Kerstin uvnas Moberg, PhD, a physiologist at the Karolinska Institute
in Stockholm and "the world’s foremost expert on oxytocin,"
will present "Oxytocin’s Role in Human Physiology." For
a complete listing of speakers, visit LLLI’s Web site at www.lalecheleague.org/
Your work as
a Leader can be enhanced and enriched at the Conference. Whether or
not you officially need Continuing Education credits, you will have
the opportunity to hear the latest on the breastfeeding dyad and learn
the most effective techniques to help mothers breastfeed their babies.
You’ll also enjoy the experience of being immersed in a community
committed to breastfeeding and the diverse ways that advocates reach
out to help breastfeeding mothers and babies. Other topics to be addressed
include "Helping Mothers Breastfeeding in a Baby-Friendly Hospital
in Asuncion, Paraguay," "Promoting Breastfeeding to Diverse
Populations: a hospital based program for low income and minority women,"
"The Importance of Fathers," and "Problems of an African
Breastfeeding Mother."
No where else
in the world but at an LLLI Conference can you explore such an extensive
vision of one breastfeeding world.
Rejuvenate
Your Spirit
The opportunity
to tone your body and soothe your soul will be available at the Conference
through special rejuvenation sessions, sponsored by the Alumnae Association,
that focus on such topics as massage, yoga, and personal transformation.
(For more information, see page 33.)
You will also
be able to discover the satisfaction in taking immediate action on global
breastfeeding issues. Consider choosing one of the global breastfeeding
sessions, where action will take place before you even leave the session
room.
At the Conference,
you can also get a glimpse of other cultures at the World’s Faire—a
bizarre with participants from around the globe, family entertainment,
and a "passport" for you and your children to get stamped.
Attend the
Conference for the Benefit of Your Family and for Your Group
Get ready to
feel support in your parenting choices. Whether you attend a session
that helps you with the moral development of your child or with the
subject of bullying, you will be encouraged to continue to parent with
loving guidance.
If you can’t
or don’t want to leave your family to attend the Conference, why
not make it an enjoyable vacation for all? You will be able to experience
the adventure of San Francisco, one of the most beautiful cities in
the world. To preview what San Francisco has to offer and for city guides
and discount offers, visit San Francisco’s Convention and Visitor’s
Bureau at www.sfvisitor.org or call at 415-391-2000.
Save money now
and register for the LLLI Conference before May 30, 2003. After May
30, a late fee will be charged. US Leaders and others should check with
their tax professional to see if their unreimbursed Conference expenses
are tax-deductible as volunteer charitable donations.
Attend the Conference to help yourself, your family, your Group and
La Leche League. Attend the Conference to create one breastfeeding world.
Come to learn, to laugh, and to network with others from around the
globe. You will develop new relationships and renew old ones. Remember,
there are no strangers at LLLI Conferences, only breastfeeding advocates
you haven’t met yet.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:26 UTC 2007.
