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What Infant Massage Organization Supports This Work? |
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The International Association of Infant Massage, as founded and supported by Vimala McClure and as an international body with global affiliates is headquartered in Sweden. Vimala worked in Mother Theresa's Shishu Bhavan (Baby Hospital) in Calcutta, India. It was her experience working in the orphanages and hospital in Calcutta that she realized her vision. She had a need to "do something for others, to realize one's greatest potential and to contribute to the welfare of humanity".
This is the first world-wide organization of it's kind.
It’s theory, curriculum and focus are unique and have been carefully developed and refined through research and practical experience since first introduced in 1976. Vimala trained the first Infant Massage Instructor in 1978, the same year she wrote the first handbook for parents - her first book.
Thanks to the efforts of Audrey Downes, the Association earned 501(c)3 status, as a non-profit tax exempt organization in the United States of America in 1986. The United States held the International Office until 1992. In 1992, and by consensus of the International Association's World Community, the office was moved to Alvsbyn, Sweden where it is directed by Instructor-Trainer Mia Elmsater.
The Association is constantly expanding. The Association's first Certified Infant Massage Instructor came to be in 1978. To date, there are thousands of Instructors in more than 40 countries world wide. With its international based status, the Association works with individual Chapters, Affiliates and Representatives around the world. We are proud to report that more Chapters join the International Association of Infant Massage World Community every year.
In the United States, the Association underwent a significant change. In November of 2004, the Board of Directors of the US Chapter in Ventura, California made the decision to 'disassociate' from the Association's International Board. When this happened, there became a distinct seperation from the support and recognition of our Founders Vimala McClure and Audrey Downes, and Instructor-Trainers all over the world. For this reason, all but one USA Trainer left the group in Ventura, California that now refers to themselves as IAIM, Inc.
We choose Vimala and the Association we have always known. For that reason, Infant Massage USA (IMUSA) was "born" in the United States, is a non-profit organization and unlike the previous USA group, IMUSA is member led like every other International Association of Infant Massage-Sweden World Chapter and Affiliate. IMUSA is the ONLY USA branch of the Association's International World Community headquartered in Alvsbyn, Sweden and supported by our founders Vimala McClure and Audrey Downes and by every Chapter, Affiliate and Instructor-Trainer in the world that respects the vision that Vimala began so many years ago.
We invite you to help us continue realizing this mission and help foster the vision of nurturing and compassionate touch as cultural communication. It is our hope that, with your help, all families may benefit from the positive and powerful impact nurturing touch can effectuate throughout life at any time. Anyone who takes our 4-Day Training automatically earns place in the International Circle.
For more information about the Association's International Circle, as recognized and supported by founders Vimala McClure and Audrey Downes, please visit:
http://www.iaim.net
For more information about the Infant Massage USA, please visit:
http://www.infantmassageusa.org
Please note that any mention of the International Association of Infant Massage refers ONLY to that of the International Circle of Infant Massage headquartered in Alvsbyn, Sweden. Further reference of our world association will post as the 'Association'.
Thank You.
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