East New York - World Federation of Therapeutic Communities ...

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DEAR COLLEAGUES:
“O THIS IS EDEN!”, EXULTED THE DUTCH POET JACOB STEENDAM UPON HIS ARRIVAL
HERE IN 1634. “A TERRESTRIAL CANAAN”, ECHOED THE ENGLISH ESSAYIST DANIEL
DENTON THE SAME YEAR, “WHERE THE LAND FLOWETH WITH MILK AND HONEY!”
IT DOES NOT COME EASY ON THE SCREEN OF ONE’S IMAGINATION TO ACCEPT THAT BOTH WERE REGISTERING
INITIAL REACTIONS TO THEIR ARRIVAL IN NEW YORK CITY (MANHATTAN TODAY), THEN CALLED: “NEW
AMSTERDAM.” BETTER DESCRIBED: “TERRESTRIAL CONFUSION-VILLE WITH BUSTLING YELLOW TAXIS, HUGE LOR-
RIES AND ENDLESS RIVERS OF RUSHING TOYOTAS, MERCEDES AND FORD MUSTANGS. HORNS BLOWING – PEDES-
TRIANS DASHING AT CROSS STREETS AND, AT TIMES, A GOODYEAR BLIMP (DIRIGIBLE) AND SKY HELICOPTER TRAF-
FIC OVERHEAD. YET, THERE ARE QUIET CHURCHES, UNIVERSITIES, LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS AND PARKS THAT RESCUE
ALL OF US ‘FROM THE CRUSH’. WELCOME TO THE BIG APPLE!
AND THE VERY CENTER OF OUR UNIVERSE THIS WEEK – THE NEW YORK SHERATON HOTEL AND THE WORLD
FEDERATION’S 23RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE! THE WORLD FAMILY HAS ARRIVED AND OUR SERIOUS WORK
IS UNDERWAY. HOW BEST TO APPLY THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY TECHNIQUES TO THE CHANGING SCENE? TOO
HARSH- TOO SOFT CRITICISMS? STAFF TRAINING! MANAGEMENT! RELATING TO GOVERNMENT AND SOCIETAL
NEEDS! THESE AND A HOST OF OTHER ISSUES ON YOUR MIND WILL BE ADDRESSED BY CONFERENCE PLANNERS
INTO THE CONFERENCE THEME: “CONTINUING THE JOURNEY”. IT’S “SHARING TIME” FOR COLLEAGUES FROM
ATHENS TO JAKARTA, FROM RIO TO ROME! WE ARE FAMILY, BENT ON HELPING EACH OTHER!
CORDIALLY,
WILLIAM B. O’BRIEN, PRESIDENT
WORLD FEDERATION OF THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITIES, INC.