The EFHPA Annual meeting took place in Stuttgart on the 20th of October. During the meeting, members from France, Holland, Switzerland, Belgium, Iceland, the UK, Germany (both German Associations), as well as the Catalan Association ratified Similia Pais Vasco and Similia Nafarroa-Navarra. as full members of EFHPA. Similia Pais Vasco sent a delegation of three, who joined us for both the EFHPA meeting as well as the celebration of Hahnemannias 150th Jubilee.
Image from the EFHPA Annual Meeting
During the EFHPA meeting members discussed the success of homeopathy, clearly visible in the rapidly rising membership numbers, despite the attempts of cynics. The Swiss association were pleased to report that a negative newspaper report on homeopathy actually led directly to a rise in membership despite the coverage being biased against homeopathy!
Many associations took the opportunity to network with other European colleagues, learning from the many challenges and successes that have been experienced at both national and international levels in the past year.
Following the EFHPA General Assembly, we were honoured to take part in the 150th Anniversary celebrations of Hahnemannia, one of our German Associations based in Stuttgart. The celebrations, held in the Kursaal, started with a champagne reception, which was extremely well attended.
President Enid Segall together with Erik Buelens (representing Belgium) and Ólafur Rafn Jónsson (representing Iceland), champagne and a homeopathic remedy in hand, schampus C30, kindly provided by Gudjons.
Mario Hopp and Fabienne Gigandet at the Hahnemannia Jubilee celebrations
The indomitable Mario Hopp, President of Hahnemannia gave a speech which was simultaneously translated on screen, opening the evening in a delightful manner. This was followed by a short speech from Enid Segall, president of EFHPA, and a speech by Fabienne Gigandet, vice-President of EFHPA and co-President of Homeopathie Suisse, our Swiss Association.
After this a talk on the history of Hahnemannia and Homeopathy was given by Prof. Dr. phil. Martin Dinges, the Archivar des Instituts für Geschichte der Medizin der Robert Bosch Stiftung in Stuttgart.
This was followed by a short theatre piece on Hahnemann, exquisitely performed and accompanied by a talented solo violinist.