Living in the current times makes it very hard to hit the headlights unless our business activities relate to trade, politics or top art performance. Different humanitarian organizations, just like other non-governmental organizations, hold a side position, not being paid too much attention. The everyday fast pace of living does not leave too much space for humanitarian activities up till the moment when out of a blue someone is struck by a personal tragedy. Even then, many people try to escape the truth, to solve the problems on their own, in the best possible way, keeping it to themselves, not sharing their anguish with anybody. Others, quite on the contrary, realize they are not the only ones undergoing rough times, facing the problem that befell them; they welcome every conversation.    

There first Associations of the parents of the children with malignant diseases was founded in 1991 in Serbia and Montenegro. These were the times when the war broke out on the grounds of ex-Yugoslavia, consequentially resulting in many other troublesome problems, with almost no possibility to be solved.

In 1995. we became an ICCCPO member and tried to participate and follow annual meetings, but it was of short duration. Daily life activities became too hard and there were few that had the possibilities, strength and energy to involve actively in the issues of the children with cancer and their families.

Since 2002, we have reinitiated our meetings and with great efforts succeeded in attending the annual meetings of SIOP and ICCCPO.  The referred meetings had beneficial effects, a kind of vitamin injection, following many years of isolation.  We were amazed at the latest achievements and the things that parents managed to do for their children so as to help them win their rights; ICCCPO has grown into a really large and powerful organization. Recollecting individually organized parents groups that were just at the beginning of their activities in 1994-1995, we were very surprised at their latest achievements and successful outcomes.  The fact is that many of the referred organizations come from developed countries but, still, there is a large number of the organizations coming from poor and undeveloped countries!

The said fact gave us the strength and belief that with the support of ICCCPO we can achieve our targets as well. It was just like that; little by little, at a rather slow pace compared to our wishes that we still managed in a two-year period to accomplish more than it was achieved in a previous 10-year period. Permanent internet communication, available information and, first of all, personal contact contributed towards the possibility of constantly updated information, helped us to learn to define priorities, to know where to start and how to finish, how to communicate with the media, how  to communicate well and positively with medical staff, to establish the cooperation with governmental authorities etc.

Regardless of the fact that everything was achieved through persistence, hard work and great enthusiasm, it is of material significance that we were greatly supported by ICCCPO members. It makes a difference when we call for support and represent ourselves as the members of one international organization. It means we are not alone, there is somebody working on our behalf and for the perspective - we are persistently pursuing; this is the perspective shared by the parents all over the world; it means we are a part of a large international organization with clearly defined and set targets and plans.

The thing that greatly supports our credibility is that ICCCPO has established a close cooperation with SIOP; it seems to me it is the joker that works best of all in the situation when we are faced with unconcern in some medical circles. Our last action, photo project titled "Through My Eyes" enjoyed great success thanks to, among other things, the fact that it makes a joint project of SIOP and ICCCPO so that we were given a complete freedom to create project.   

      The Minister of Health of the Republic of Serbia was pleasantly surprised by the fact that there is a world team work coordinated by and between physicians and the parents of ill children as well as that the referred cooperation is of a high level. He read carefully both the last issue of the Newsletter and "10th Anniversary of ICCCPO" and gave a public recognition and praise to us- acting in the position of home parents' association and our physicians rated highly our jointly planned actions and international activity.

All  the above mentioned and many other things proof once more that material support and help are not the only things that matter:  moral support is of much greater importance as well as the support of the whole world in general since ICCCPO is really THE WHOLE WORLD!

Irina Ban, March, 2005

Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro