How it all started…
Once upon a time, a group of wise old men and women, who dreamt of a world where everyone got good healthcare and lived in harmony with the entire planet, decided to meet and do something about how people understood and used modern medicine.
What they really wanted to do was to unpack the subject, to make it easy for everyone to understand and improve the use of medicine. Given the complexity of the task though, where could they possibly begin?
“ Let us find out what people really know or think about medicine. When in doubt go back to the people ” said one of the women.
Another woman said, “Great idea! We will find out how they live, what their problems are and what they want. And when we have understood all this, we can perhaps improve the way we have been trying to improve the use of medicines”.
A wise man listening to them said “Yes, we will walk together with the people, to recover and make visible the wisdom and hidden energy they have. We will recognize that health with dignity and freedom is only possible when people are empowered and participate in it.”
All the others in the group cheered loudly and agreed readily to these splendid ideas. And together they then plotted and plotted and plotted to bring as many people as possible to one place to meet, share ideas, experiences, insights and yes – even stories about how to change the way the world uses medicine.
It was a long and difficult journey. The funds were not enough, the logistics were daunting, prioritizing themes and sub-themes took a lot of discussion but, in the end, they finally made it. And that is how the International Society for Improving the Use of Medicines or ISIUM’s Bangkok Conference was born.
To be continued…
