To mark its 20th anniversary: Connecting Trust to host a 3 day international conference

Speaking about the complex nature of suicide and the need for deeper societal connection at a press conference, Co-managing Trustee Sandy Andrade explained how distress builds long before a crisis becomes visible, “There is no one specific reason for suicide, the thoughts start much earlier. What we often see, like family issues or exam stress, is only the tipping point.” She said that support systems are essential as they help people build resilience.

The first day of the conference will open with a pre-conference workshop on Connection & Relational Safety by Sandy Andrade and Irina Ungureanu, followed by a panel discussion featuring Dr Dalbir Singh, Vandana Chavan, Siddharth Shirole, Anish Gawande, Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, and Dr Sukriti Chauhan.

On the second day ,Raj Mariwala will deliver the keynote address, leading into a plenary with Soumitra Pathare, Irina Ungureanu, Alok Sarin, and Shekhar Seshadri on dialectics in suicide prevention.

The final day will feature a keynote by Dr Aruna Jha, plenary panels on sharing of lived experiences and listening to youth, strengthening community : a dialogue on suicide prevention as well as sessions on conflict as a context for suicidality, suicide and LGBTQIA+, and bridging the gap between practice and research.