International Workgroup on Death, Dying and Bereavement
In June 2007, international experts from the fields of hospice, public health and community development, the sociology of dying and death, spiritual aspects of end of life care, pain management, education, and even the economics and politics of care of dying persons, came together in Brazil for study and collegiality. The members of the International Work Group on Death, Dying and Bereavement (www.iwgddb.com) are leaders in the field--those who give keynote presentations and contribute scholarly work. Ken Doka, who has been a member for close to 20 years, notes that “IWG meetings allow us to recharge our batteries. While there are some presentations by scholars from the host city, the real strength of IWG is coming together in the study and work groups. Even with the increased technological abilities to communicate internationally via email, the value of working in person cannot be underestimated.”
Over the years, the IWG has developed Principles and Assumptions to set standards for care. Many of the documents have been published and are available on the 'public' section of the IWG web site. Another set of documents will be added soon, covering a wide range of topics, from care of dying persons to ethical issues at the end of life.
William Lamers, one of the founding IWG members and a long-term board member, concurs. “The heart of the meetings is the work group experience. The other part is the friendships and trust developed over many years among people from many countries…The IWG is truly a work group."
While the group began with members principally from the US, England, and Canada, IWG now has active members from Australia, China, Japan, South America, about ten European countries and some former Eastern European countries, as well as several members from South Africa and New Zealand. Some members serve or have served as experts to the World Health Organization and the United Nations. Lamers notes that, “It is this tremendous mix of people from different cultures, with rich personal and professional experiences that makes the organization so alive, so vital and so exciting. We practice what we preach.” One upcoming project that Lamers will be focusing on will be developing funding so IWG can underwrite the expenses of persons from under-developed parts of the world to receive training and preparation for comparable work in their home countries.
Myra McPherson, journalist, author, and board member of HFA, shared her perspective: “I have consistently found the IWG on DDB one of the most stimulating and compassionate collection of international minds. This year seemed a stellar one, with an infusion of new people. In my work group of about 24, we had nine countries represented as we explored "Complicated Grief." The case studies from around the world pointed up similarities and dissimilarities in the complexities of grief. Papers on such topics as rumination and anxiety held a great deal of meaning for me, and I am sure, all of us.”
