News from the DSI

The Down Syndrome South Africa were recently awarded the right to host the World Congress on Down Syndrome in 2012 by the international body, Down Syndrome International . The National Director of Down Syndrome South Africa, Mrs Vanessa dos Santos presented the submission for the bid at the board meeting in Vancouver in March this year.

Down Syndrome International hosts a World Congress every 3 years with the last one being held in Vancouver, Canada in 2006 and the next one will be in Dublin, Ireland in 2009.

Down Syndrome Education USA is a new nonprofit organization established in the USA to create new opportunities for young people with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Education USA is associated with and works closely with Down Syndrome Education International. Together, are working to develop and evaluate education programs, offer conferences for families, teachers and other professionals and support scientific research.

Please look out for further information appearing on Down Syndrome Education USA's web site over the coming weeks.

The Down Syndrome Educational Trust is now Down Syndrome Education International. We have adopted a new name that better reflects the wide reach of our work. The charity now reaches many thousands of frequent web site readers in over 170 countries, customers in over 60 countries and donors in nearly 40. Our new Open Access publishing initiative will bring all of our books, teaching materials and films online by the end of 2009.The UK is still Down Syndrome Education International's home. We continue to operate our research and publishing from The Sarah Duffen Centre.

It is with great sorrow that DSI reports the death of Josephine Mills. Jo died peacefully at her home in Vancouver, Canada on May 18th, 2008. Jo has had a long battle with cancer but soldiered on as President of DSI until March this year.

We dreamt about this since our beloved son Dulguun was born in 1994!

Four Mongolian families became the initiators for the very first Down Syndrome Association in Mongolia.

DSI announces the launch of its new site. We will provide a wider range of information and services. Stay tuned for more information!

Down Syndrome International has officially earmarked 21 March as World Down Syndrome Day. The date was chosen to signify the uniqueness of Down syndrome in the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome. For more information visit the World Down Syndrome Day website.