Message from Jerome Stone
On 20 years of ADI
London 1984. The year in which Orwell predicted that machines would take the place of man.
Washington 1984. A small band of pioneers with stars in their eyes were looking forward to a 'World Without Alzheimer's Disease'. This couldn't come about with machines. It took vision and daring, a feeling for humanity and most of all a blessed heart and compassion not only for their loved ones - but for future generations.
Thus, October 21, 1984. A small group met in Washington DC. The pioneers of the meeting consisted of Alzheimer associations from just four countries, USA, UK, Canada and Australia. Observers came from Belgium, France and Germany, as well as Presidents of Alzheimer's Boards, heads of medical advisory boards, scientists from the National Institute of Health, representatives of the World Health Organization, adjunct scientists and neurologists.
As hosting organiser and president of the US Alzheimer's Association, it was my privilege to chair the meeting. I stated that although some of us had latched onto the statement 'World Without Alzheimer's', there was no world organisation to fulfil the promise.
We met again in January 1985, in Chicago, to formally adopt by-laws, vote for official officers and formalise a budget and dues structure. While this meeting took five hours to consummate our business, it achieved leap years in success in forming a dynamic and vibrant organisation. Just think of it, four countries to begin with and 66 now.
With dynamic leadership we have accomplished such momentous achievements as collaboration with WHO, publication of thousands of educational booklets, surveys in member countries, World Alzheimer's Day, the Alzheimer University, the 10/66 Dementia Research Group, co-hosting the World Alzheimer Congress in 2000.
Now it is no longer the handiwork of a devoted and selfless few but the magnificent spirit of an entire association, indomitable, joining hands and linking itself together in a dynamic, vital movement of monumental achievement.
As we look back to 1984 Orwell was not "all well" in his prediction. The progress we made was not a mechanistic movement, it was a result of scores of people working together to dream of a better world for our loved ones, our children and their children. It was Tennyson who wrote "Dreams are true while they last, but do we not live in dreams?"
Jerome Stone, Founder and Honorary Vice President of ADI
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