Doctor speaks on healing in the wake of tragedy

Physician and activist Juan Almendares will speak about how communities heal in the wake of tragedy as part of a talk Wednesday, Sept. 26, at UW–Madison.

Almendares plans to offer words of wisdom, support and reflections on how we can heal our community and ourselves during in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks. His lecture, “”Healing Our Community and World In the Aftermath of Tragedy,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. in 2650 Mosse Humanities Building, 455 N. Park St.

Almendares, appearing on campus as the 2001 Barbara Chester Award recipient, is an internationally known Honduran medical doctor, human rights activist, environmental leader and alternative medicine practitioner.

He is widely recognized for his work in combating alcoholism, drug abuse, malnutrition, ecological damage, and pesticide poisoning in Honduras. Almendares has received recognition for his outstanding and courageous work with victims of torture in Honduras.

He received the prestigious Barbara Chester Award for his groundbreaking work with prisoners, victims of torture, the poor, and indigenous populations. He has also publicly addressed the impact and effects of mining on the environment and devoted considerable effort to reducing the prevalence of violence against women. A torture survivor himself, Almendares has been targeted by death squads in the past.

Almendares, the former dean of the Medical School and rector of the University of Honduras, was a < ahref=”http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/laisp/inttinkprof.html”>Tinker Visiting Professor at UW–Madison in 1997, teaching a course entitled “Alternative Health and Human Rights in Latin America.”

In the last two years, Almendares also has written poems, short stories, and ecological and scientific articles. In addition, he has published books: “Tobacco and Health” and “Land, Life and Hope,” about alternative medicine.

Almendares’ lecture is sponsored by the Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program and held in conjunction with the Division of Continuing Studies, the School of Nursing, Medical School, Complementary Medicine Clinic of Meriter Hospital, Global Studies Program and the Havens Center.

For information about Almendares’ appearance, contact William Ney, (608) 262-0616.