Inauguration of Dr. Humberto Villavicencio as Secretary General of the CAU
Mr. President of the Organizing Committee of the XXXI Congress of the CAU, Mr. President of the SIUP, Mr. Honorary President of the CAU and President of the SCU, Mr. Secretary General of the CAU, fellow urologists, ladies and gentlemen, all friends,
Cartagena welcomes us these days to celebrate the thirty-first (XXXI) Congress of the CAU and I can not feel for it more than a great satisfaction and joy. This city and in particular, the Colombian people, demonstrate nothing more than treading on the Colombian land that are magnificent hosts, giving us their attitude, their culture, their landscape, their gastronomy and of course, their joy of living that transmit and spread to all , and they immediately make us feel like one of their own and that for a few days we will feel like we are in our own home, for all of which it is an honor for me to address all of you, precisely today, on my appointment as Secretary General.
The American Confederation of Urology was established in 1935 in Brazil, and from the beginning was a Confederation, not only scientific but also cultural, which grouped from its inception all the societies and urological associations of the American Countries and the Iberian Peninsula , with Spain and Portugal. This is how our old masters conceived it, and that is how we have to maintain and magnify it.
For some years certainly, the CAU has gone through certain ups and downs, but the Congress of the American Confederation of Urology that was held in Barcelona in 2008, was a point and separate in the trajectory of the CAU. We all understood that the CAU was not synonymous with chaos and that it was not a political society either, and all with humility, we made a stoppage and a reflection to know as a scientific society that we were, where we wanted to go.
Since 2008, actions have been taken to transform the CAU in an unstoppable way, first with a SWOT study on where urology was headed and the CAU as a scientific society, then reforming obsolete Statutes and Regulations, which prevented the taking of decisions, thus causing their stagnation. The current Statutes and Regulations are modern, in a dynamic and changing society, typical of the 21st century, and now is the time, here at the Cartagena Congress, to start implementing some of the projects that mark the Statutes, as is the unique headquarters of the CAU, which will allow us a better identification to make it more competitive and with the international prestige that we all deserve.
The central office of Buenos Aires, was elected at the General Assembly of the CAU during the Congress of the AUA in Atlanta, thus fulfilling the guidelines of the Statutes of the CAU to share headquarters, expenses and management with a society belonging to the CAU , in this case, the Argentine Society of Urology was chosen, whose validity will be ten years. We are all sure that our associates will have as a link and reference this unique headquarters of Buenos Aires.
Lima, Peru will be the next congress of 2013, in which by Statutes we also take an important step in terms of changes in Congresses, from being biannual to annual. This will allow us to have continuity of the CAU and greater participation and integration of the societies / associations that make up the CAU.
We are aware that our mission is to improve urological care through quality education, based on scientific evidence and collaboration among the scientific societies of the CAU. We do not want to suffocate anyone but empower everyone. The CAU wants continuity and dynamism and also wants to empower all the societies of the countries that make up the CAU, creating bridges that facilitate the intellectual and cultural exchange of its professionals.
We are important because there are 24 scientific societies that make up the CAU, with more than 8,000 members. This must always be said with a clear and very high voice and the intellectual potential is already beginning to be noticed, with the numerous publications of Confederation partners in impact journals, such as Actas Españolas de Urología, the official organ of the American Confederation. of Urology, and from here I call everyone to continue contributing their best articles to Minutes, so that everyone knows who the CAU is and also strengthen our international relations with friendly societies.
Another important breakthrough, as you know, is the CAU website that is online since May 10, 2012, working perfectly with a modern and warm design portal. The quality of the videos that can be viewed is very high. The web looks perfect in all browsers, on iPad, iPhone and Android.
All this has been achieved thanks to the proactivity of the presidents since 2008, of Paul Escovar, Miguel Costa, Octavio Castillo, Paulo Palma and the entire governing body of the CAU, including the Executive Committee, the Coordinators of the Working Groups and Office Directors. I would also like to thank all the Presidents of the societies that make up the CAU, the effort they make to be up-to-date in their membership fees, some have made a truly extraordinary effort. We know that one of the societies is going through an extremely complicated situation at this moment, and we will try to find some solidary solution for them.
I would not like to end without thanking the Board of Directors of the Colombian Society of Urology, especially its President, Manuel Marrugo and the President of the Organizing Committee, Mauricio Plata for the great work they have done so that this congress is what we already know. You are watching, a great success.
Thanks Paulo for being an excellent General Secretary, great professional, excellent friend and co-worker, your example of honesty will be a guide for us.
And finally, a few words about myself: although I have the Spanish mentality, to much honor, my greatest merit has been to be born in Latin American land, as is Bolivia. I studied medicine in Zaragoza, I went as a resident of the specialty of urology at the institution of international prestige, such as the Fundació Puigvert de Barcelona. Immediately I continued as a member of the staff of the Fundació Puigvert, first as an assistant, later as Clinical Chief, Assistant Director and since 2002 I am the Director of the Service, the same position he held at the time, my teacher and founder, Professor Puigvert. I am currently the President of the Spanish Association of Urology, and from this moment, General Secretary of the American Confederation of Urology, to serve all of you and for all of us to do quality training in urology, let us make more use of Latin American research and let’s help everyone to be up-to-date on high technology, for a better service and safety of our patients. All this, of course, with the altruistic contribution of the Executive Committee of the CAU and its Governing Body.
Thank you very much.
Dr. H. Villavicencio, Secretary General CAU
