FROM THE PRESIDENT

Wearecelebratingthe50thyearofWONCA`s existence at a moment of increased global uncertainty, in the wake of a pandemic that has slammed into all sectors of society, of horrific natural catastrophes, of devastating armed conflicts, some spotlighted, others overlooked

Itwouldseemsensibletopromiseourselves we’ll stop and reconsider our basic values andaims Notnow,butjustassoonasthings calmdown Givenoururgencytoact,wemay brand it foolhardy, self-indulgent, even downright dangerous, to prioritize reflection now,inthemidstofupheaval my 2021 Inauguration as WONCA President

However:Imaginediscovering,inthemiddle ofalife-and-deathjourney,thatyou’vebeen navigating according to an outdated map There’s no way you’d simply keep on going You’dcryoutforanupdate,shockedthatyou hadn’trealizedtheproblemearlier.

At the same time and pace, WONCA has grown from a small sort of ‘club’ into an internationalprofessionalorganization–the only global network for Family Doctors. The organization’scomplexityhasalsoincreased astherealitiesofthedifferentlocalcontexts are integrated into its structure Helping to bridge this diversity of contexts is that hallmark of Primary Care in general, and of FamilyMedicineinparticular:

Theimplementationofthebasicprinciplesof our specialty is dependent on local context. Consequently, any process to conceptualize relevant definitions will require dynamic interaction We ourselves, the Family Doctors, must be involved in the fundamental thinking, in discussing what course-adjustments to make, and, crucially, in pinpointing and addressing those inequitiesinthedefinitionanduseofpower thathaveemergedwithinourhighlycomplex internationalcommunity.

We’ll celebrate WONCA’s 50th Anniversary this October, in Sydney, Australia, where WONCAwasfoundedbackin1972 Thisisan opportunity to take stock – once again! – to update our map of the aims and values Family Doctors share globally, to acknowledge the impressive and inspiring diversityofthecontextsweliveandworkin. We can do this now, not despite the world’s ongoing upheavals but precisely because of them

A Bit Of Background

During the last not-so-calm half-century, Family Medicine has emerged as a widely recognized clinical specialty, complete with its own curriculum and research base The historic breakthrough in that journey began in high-income, Western countries, with the development of the field as an academic disciplinebeingledbypeopleinthosesame countries Impressively soon, Family Medicine expanded and our specialty has been recognized in a steadily increasing number of countries within each of our regions,althoughnotyetinallofthem

Allthishasbeenmadepossibleinlargepart thanks to the contributions of our WONCA predecessors. They invested time and substantial effort in reflecting on how to define our specialty and describe our role Their insights underpin much of the development of relevant curricula for undergraduate and postgraduate training, andofresearchagendas Notleast,theyhave helpedFamilyDoctorstoseethecontoursof ourownworkingmodelandmethods,andto recognizehowthesedifferfromotherclinical specialties,thosethataredefinedintermsof organsystems Thatinturnhelpsusdevelop ways to explain such differences to coworkers and stakeholders, within and outsidehealthcare

Societal changes and trends reshape healthcare. The effects of demographics, nature, religion, and general values within societiesalsoimpactthewayhealthsystems evolve structurally Economics plays a huge role,asdoespolitics Aschangecomes,ithits

Primary Care first; we are the doorway, people’spoint-of-entryintohealthcare

A bit more of my Presidential Inauguration Speechseemsappropriatetorepeathere:

"Let’s consider how to improve the dialogues between the parts of our community – vertically, between the global, regional and local level organizations, and – horizontally, among WPs and SIGs I’m especially looking forward to including young doctors in these dialogues

But, remember: understanding our field is not something we do once and then we ’ ve got it It’s an ongoing process Life-long

A strong sense of identity requires us to know both who we are and what we share, what unites us Our values are our guiding principles

At the same time, practices and standards vary in different contexts, particularly when it comes to local needs and what the public demands We can recognize our differences better when we ’ re aware of our common ground, and be better prepared to meet the challenges we face"

IN CONCLUSION – OR RATHER: TO BEGIN AGAIN

The project to start A Global Brainstorming Process on the Core Values of Family Medicine is launched. At the WONCA World conferenceinSydneywewilldiscussinmore detail.

I invite you to begin now to prepare for this collaborativeprocess:

Myhopeisthatwe–together–canconducta broad choir of professional voices I need your input Share your thoughts and products,wehaveaninboxdesignated.Write to:CoreValues@wonca.net

Yourvoicematters.