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The first WFOT Congress in Africa: History in the making

As a founding member of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), the Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa is honoured to be co-hosting the 17th WFOT Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, from 21–25 May 2018. It marks an historic moment, as the first WFOT Congress to be held on the African continent. The congress theme, Connected in diversity: positioned for impact, will address key international areas, including social and occupational injustice and health and well-being. The theme acknowledges the multiple interpretations and inter-connectedness of occupational therapy in relation to human relationships and human occupation. As occupational therapy perspectives continue to evolve internationally, and especially in the Global South, new directions for research and practice are emerging. Developments grounded in critical perspectives are increasingly creating spaces for reflexivity and dialogue. The WFOT 2018 Congress provides an international platform to further theorise about human occupation and investigate the ways in which it ‘has translated into research, practice and curricula reform’ (Ramugondo et al., 2015: 1). The WFOT 2018 team acknowledges the financial constraints, and also the consequences of language barriers that exist in accessing and attending the congress. With this in mind we are exploring having keynote addresses available via podcast. And, recognising that congress participation may in itself be viewed as a collective occupation (Ramugondo and Kronenberg, 2015), the WFOT 2018 team aspires to further promote access to the congress through presentations reflecting issues relevant to diverse contexts. The Congress programme affords opportunities for delegates to discuss research and practice issues relating to human occupation in context and the roles of occupational therapy and its partners in shaping participation in societies. Together with exploring the impact of practice and research and processes of engagement, it provides the opportunity to examine and celebrate the profession’s positions in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary education, research and practice. While occupational therapy in South Africa, and in many African countries, has Eurocentric origins, the profession is increasingly being repositioned through contextually relevant research and