ÂŤThere are no great people in this world, only great challenges which ordinary people rise to meet. Âť William Frederick Halsey, Jr.
Dear Friends,
Porto, Portugal |August 23, 2013
It is with great honour that I am submitting my candidature to the position of IFMSA Publications Support Division Director for the term 2013-14. Over recent years I have known few projects which were similar to IFMSA. Discussing its problems in a dynamic and multicultural forum, being part of working groups formed to seek better strategies and solutions and spreading the name of our Organisation and its great potential in Portugal and abroad has not just been a privilege but a labour of passion. The latest General Assembly, 62nd August Meeting 2013 in Chile was the pinnacle of this experience when I submitted my candidature to the Executive Board. It proved to be a stage in my personal growth and in my bond to the project which I still believe in and wish to commit to: «A world in which all medical students unite for global health and are equipped with the knowledge, skills and values to take on health leadership roles locally and globally.» IFMSA Mission & Vision IFMSA is going through a time of historic change. A process to strengthen our structure, leadership models and the efficiency of our working methods. If we wish to improve the service of our member Organisations, rethinking the latter and other aspects is not only inevitable but necessary! As a candidate to the position of IFMSA Publications Support Division Director, I aim to maximise the current resources of our Federation and to seek out new tools which will enable us to make the work we undertake recognisable in the eyes of the NMOs and global society. The rational and careful management of our publications as an expression of what IFMSA does best will be the way ahead to make our message sound and effective, both internally and externally. To make this process possible, I am bringing broad working experience in teams and in publications, in particular as the Vice-President for External Affairs of PorMSIC-Portugal. At present I am the main party responsible for communicating our activity via online platforms (official website and social networks) with various documents (reports, fundraising booklets, our NMO booklets, sponsorship booklets, inter alia) as well as through the publication of articles which we submit to the main IFMSA publications (MSI magazine and e-newsletters). These and other learning experiences have stressed the priority of a holistic vision of the activity of an Organisation of this size, in particular as regards the way in which we transmit our identity. At the same time, working in this field for a year now have deepened my knowledge and skills in multiple publishing and design software as Microsoft Publisher, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, CorelDRAW and others. With my enthusiasm and total availability I finally feel ready to take on the challenge of serving our Federation better and I am relying on your cooperation from the outset. Should any query or suggestion arise, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me. Yours,
Diogo Martins Candidate for the position of Publications Support Division Director 2013-14
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