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One Magic Minute Is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome just another "Disease of the Week?" |
INTERNATIONAL FAS DAY IN ONE MAGIC MINUTE, WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD: 9/9 9:09 International FAS Day, Saturday, September 9th will begin at 9:09 a.m. in New Zealand, just west of the international dateline, and move west to Australia, across Asia and Russia, into Africa and Western Europe, across the Caribbean and Newfoundland, finally wending its way across Canada’s mainland and the United States. Our goal is that in each time zone, at 9:09, a.m., people stop for a Minute of Reflection about the invisible plague called Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We would like school children, parents at home, people at work, and radio and TV stations to take one minute to remember that there during the nine months of pregnancy, and while breastfeeding or planning to conceive, a woman should not consume alcohol. In this minute, we want the world to remember that approximately 60 million are living with brains that were damaged by alcohol, before they were born. In this minute, we resolve to do everything we can, to reduce the number of infants born with this terrible disorder -- and to help those who are currently struggling with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Effects. International FAS Day and its Minute of Reflection presents numerous opportunities for other events at around this time: generating international media, educating the public, lobbying governments, and fund-raising from the general public and the corporate world. If all of us who care about FAS work together for just one day, we can truly change the world. WHAT DO WE WANT FROM OUR GOVERNMENTS? We are not asking for money -- at least not right now. We are asking for something far more important: formal, visible, and permanent recognition of this tragic hidden plague. We are asking our governments to say to those of us who are exhausted from this endless battle: "We will help you take on FAS – and win." Supporters of the International FAS Day initiative include:
Outside of Canada, organizations committed to International FAS Day include:
To learn more about FAS Day, check out our websites here and at
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