67th LMHI

Liga Medicorum Homeopathica Internationalis Congress "2012 Nara Declaration"

Over these last four days, September 14th to 17th, 2012, we have had 318 participants (Other countries: 122, Japan: 196) from 32 countries in the world join us, to share their advances in interesting and useful approaches to homeopathic solutions, in this, the 67th Congress of the LMHI. I would just like to thank you, the participants and contributors, for helping to achieve the successful conclusion of the Congress, from the bottom of my heart. Furthermore, I am honored to have been asked to present the Declaration of the 67th Congress. The Japanese Physicians Society for Homeopathy (JPSH) became a member of the LMHI in 2002. We proposed holding an international congress of homeopathy in East Asia in 2004, and finally, it was realized in 2012. It has become one step in the history of homeopathy not only in Japan but in the world.
Recently the environment surrounding homeopathy in Japan has become very grave. In particular, since a serious incident involving practitioners of homeopathy here who were not qualified medical professionals two years ago, homeopathy is having trouble being recognized as a legitimate school of medicine. Also it resulted in the negative treatment of homeopathy in the mass media.
So, it is in such a context, that the culmination of eight years' planning for this, the first East-Asian homeopathic congress by doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and veterinarians, has two meanings.
Number one is that the scientific and clinical presentations by the members of LMHI from 70 affiliated nations can be disseminated throughout the medical community in Japan, and not only just to the members of medical homeopathic societies in Japan but also to the general population of non-homeopathic doctors too. Number two is that the Japanese, originating in Eastern culture, have had the opportunity to introduce to homeopathic doctors from other countries, especially western ones, the eastern ideas of harmony and harmonisation and how they are the perfect complements to western medicine-based ideas of integrated medicine found in homeopathy. Through this congress, we have become more convinced that homeopathy should cause a paradigm shift in modern medicine based on Western medicine providing an overview of integrated, harmonized issues. Also it should be a paradigm shift in culture and society, not only in medicine, as this school of medicine contributes to human beings' happiness in general.
And while sharing those meanings and their importance between members, for the purpose of sending out to the world, the "2012 Nara Declaration" was unanimously adopted at the closing ceremony of the 67th LMHI Congress, and the signatures from the representatives of each participating country were received. The JPSH would like to concentrate further efforts on the spread and development of homeopathy in Japan correctly. Would you please help us to in our efforts to give further guidance? We would like to conclude with thanks again for the 67th LMHI Congress and its report.
September 17th
Ronko Itamura, MD, Ph.D.
Senior Director of the JPSH, NVP of Japan.