Healing our Spirit Worldwide
What is Healing our Spirit Worldwide
The Healing our Spirit Worldwide (HOSW) movement began with a Canadian First Nation woman’s vision to create an international forum and movement focused on alcohol and drug abuse issues and treatment programs in Indigenous communities throughout the global community. Maggie Hodgson's lobbying efforts resulted in the first international gathering, focused on healing, in 1991.
At the Fourth Gathering in 2002, a Convenant was formulated to provide guidance and direction for Indigenous peoples in developing models of healing, self-determination and wholeness. It stated that "We, the Indigenous Peoples of the world have come to the HOSW Gathering to affirm our rights to live our lives in the traditional ways of our ancestors through respect, integrity, and honor, and to prepare our nations for the next Seven Generations."
For more history and background on the HOSW movement, go to the CRCAH Healing our Spirit Worldwide page.
The Seventh Gathering (2013)
Healing Our Spirit Worldwide -- The Seventh Gathering will be held in Alice Springs, Australia sometime in 2013. Stay tuned for details...
The Sixth Gathering (2010)
The Gathering in Hawaii was hosted by Hawaiian Indigenous health organisation Papa Ola Lokahi on 3-10 September 2010 and focused on successes, best practices and common issues in health, healing and addictions within Indigenous populations.
More information about the event for Australian delegates can be found at the Australian portal for Healing Our Spirit Worldwide.
For further event information on the program. media and other news, go to the international Healing Our Spirit Worldwide website.
The Lowitja Institute and HoSW
Our predecessor the Cooperative Research Centre for Aboriginal Health has been a proud supporter of and committed participant in the Healing Our Spirit Worldwide (HOSW) movement. The Lowitja Institute continues to support the movement.
In April 2010 the Lowitja Institute called for applications for funding to attend the Sixth Gathering in September 2010. Applications were considered in a selection process. Those who had an involvement in our research and had been accepted to present at the Gathering were given priority. We supported 13 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants to attend from Australia, including an Australian Youth Representative to attend and take part in the youth activities of the Gathering. We are pleased to assist with these participants' professional development and provide an opportunity to discuss their research results within a large international setting.
Participants who were supported by the Lowitja Institute to attend the Sixth Gathering were asked to send us feedback. Reflections on their experiences are included in the December 2010 edition of our Wangka Pulka newsletter (pp 13-14).