Good evening.

Welcome to the 27^th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics - the worldwide association of scientists and professionals dedicated to communication and disorders of speech-language pathology, voice, hearing and swallowing disorders.

The organization was founded in 1924 by Emil Froeschels to foster collaboration of professionals interested in speech and voice disorder throughout the world.  Emil Froeschels was a giant in the profession of speech pathology both in Europe and America. He coined the term logopaedics. When Dr. Froeschels was forced to abandon his beloved country because of the increasing turmoil the late 1930s he served as a crucial bridge between European and American Speech Pathology, in the 1940s. 

And now some 84 years since its founding, the IALP is the bridge connecting scientists and professionals not just between Europe and America, but also between Europe, and South America, and Asia, and Australia, and Africa, and the 55 affiliated societies from around the world.  

We have come from countries on five continents from Argentina and Brazil, from Australia and New Zealand, from Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and Korea, from Iceland and Ireland, from Egypt and South Africa, from Portugal and Poland, from Canada and the United States of American, from Russia, Scandinavia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and, of course from Denmark, to Wonderful Wonderful Copenhagen.  

We have come together because we share a common interest in improving the quality of life of people with communication disorders in developed as well as developing nations around the world. 

We have come to learn from our colleagues and share our work with international scientists and professionals and to strengthen the bonds that bind us to our disciplines like no other organization can do.

We have come because we know that no one of us alone can do what all of us working together
can do. 

And so, we have come to Wonderful Copenhagen.

On behalf of the board of the IALP I declare this 27^th World Congress of the International Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics officially opened.

* * * * *

This 27^th Congress has been 6 years in the making.  It would not have been possible without the work of hundreds of dedicated persons in the Danish Association of Logopedics and Phoniatrics in cooperation with the Danish Speech Language Hearing Association and the forty and more volunteers on the Scientific Committee who have worked tirelessly to bring us to this place.  Without their constant work over the past 6 years, we would not be here. 

The Local Organizing Committee for a congress of this magnitude has countless responsibilities from making sure that there is economical transportation from all corners of the globe, to seeing that the call for papers is issued and that papers are received, to arranging for the media equipment in the presentation rooms, to preparing the wonderful display of flags from participating countries, to ordering lunch and coffee…the list goes on and on - to make your visit to Copenhagen and this congress pleasant and memorable.

There are persons behind the scenes who have made this congress possible.  When you see them around and about over the next few days, remember to thank them for working on our behalf.  We can not thank them enough for all their work.  They are the super-heroes of this congress. 

Speaking on behalf of the Local Organizing Committee, I would like you to meet the committee chair, Svend Prytz.

Thank you Svend and thank you to all of your workers, especially Stine Thorsen who is just plain exceptional - there are no other words to explain what she has done for the congress.  

And now for some very special presentations.

The Manuel Garcia Prize is awarded to one person for the outstanding paper or papers published in Folia Phoniatrica et Logopedica in the last three years since the last Congress.  To present the 2007 award, allow me to introduce Dr. Harm Schutte, Editor of the Folia Phoniatrica et Logopedica. 

The 2007 Garcia Prize is awarded to Dr. Felix de Jong for his articles and research related to voice complaints, voice problems and risk factors related to teachers. As he is not able to attend the congress, a member of his voice team, Dr. Piet Kooijman, will receive the award on his behalf.

Thank you, Dr. Schutte,  not only for presenting the award, but also for the exceptional work you and your scientific publications committee has done in preparing a first rate professional journal for the scientific community and practitioners around the world.  If you haven’t seen the current issue, I invite you to stop at the IALP booth in the exhibit area to see the most recent issue on the Cerebellum and Language prepared by our aphasia committee led by Philippe Paquier from Belgium.  This is truly a remarkable issue, and one that should be included in your professional library.

For the next presentation, we have the second award for student research in logopedics and phoniatrics. This award was conceived by our Pubic Relations Committee headed by Margaret Leahy from Ireland. The first award was presented in Brisbane.  I will now introduce Lilly Cheng, from Taiwan and the USA, chair of our Logopedics Education Committee who will present the award.

And so we begin our journey bridging the continents with our research, our science and our coming to know the ways of the world. Over the next four days we will study, and learn and also get to know you. I urge you to take the opportunity to connect with your colleagues. Share names, addresses, emails; the world really has become very flat. Connections that we make here can support us as we go to all parts of the world. 

While in this beautiful city by the bay, please take some time to see all the wonderful sites that have made this a top tourist attraction in the world. See the little Mermaid and the Royal Palace and contribute to the local economy as you shop and shop and shop.  Take home some Royal Copenhagen along with your memories of this place. Join us for the Gala Dinner at the exquisite Opera House and the reception at the historic Town Hall tomorrow evening sponsored by the City of Copenhagen.

And now, without further ado, I will close this opening ceremony so we can adjourn to the opening reception.

Let the congress begin.

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