Pune: Marking its 20th anniversary, city-based NGO Connecting Trust will host a three-day international conference titled ‘Fresh Perspectives in Suicide Prevention & Mental Health’ from November 28 to 30 at Tarawade Clarks Inn, Pune. The conference aims to facilitate open dialogue, shared insights, and collaborative action in the field of suicide prevention.
The event will bring together mental health professionals, researchers, volunteers, social workers, students, and NGOs working in allied sectors. Organisers said the conference will attempt to address critical questions around rising suicide rates and highlight approaches that are proving effective on the ground.
The conference will feature keynote addresses, plenary sessions, and skill-based workshops led by prominent national and international experts representing mental health, suicide prevention, youth work, education, community initiatives, and lived experience advocacy. Organisers said the intent is to explore what is working, identify gaps, and envision new pathways for collective action.
The three-day programme is designed to offer space for reflection, deep listening, and practical learning. Sessions will include conversations rooted in lived experience, intersectionality, and social context, bringing diverse voices - from professionals to survivors and community workers - into a shared dialogue space.
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A pre-conference workshop will be held on November 28.
On Day 1 (November 29), the focus will be on foundational themes in suicide prevention. Raj Mariwala, Director of the Mariwala Health Initiative, will deliver the day’s keynote address. The first day will also include panel discussions, skill-building workshops, and reflective listening circles.
Day 2 (November 30) will centre on actionable frameworks and interventions. Dr Aruna Jha, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin and a veteran in suicide prevention for over three decades, will deliver the keynote address. Future-oriented presentations, evidence-based sessions, and continued skills training will form the core of the second day.
