An international conference on the theme “Challenges
to Naturism” concluded that individual naturists,
national federations and the INF-FNI need to do
more to spread positive messages about naturism.
Some 40 people took part in the conference, which took
place in Bonn alongside the annual meeting of EuNat,
the European arm of the INF-FNI, during the weekend
of 11th -12th March. A number of others joined by
videoconference.
Sönke Reise, chair of the organisation GetNakedGermany,
made the keynote presentation, identifying no less than
13 principal challenges, including cultural and social
attitudes, body shaming, false perceptions of an
overlap between nudity and sex. During discussion,
participants especially abhorred the practice of some
pornographic websites and swingers’ establishments
to misuse the word “naturist”.
Social media presented other problems, including the
discriminatory approach towards the female nipple.
In its conclusions, the conference stressed the importance of naturists, clubs, federations and the INF-FNI
speaking prominently to press, politicians and the
public to explain naturism and its benefits. Better
marketing, and a more coherent message by the
federations and the INF-FNI was important, as was
reaching beyond the established naturist community to
demonstrate naturism in its diverse forms – including
the “wow” factor of unusual naturist events.
And the INF-FNI itself should be more proactive in
it´s public communications and grasp obvious
opportunities for positive messages.
The meeting in Bonn took place at the invitation of the
Deutscher Verband für Freikörperkultur (DfK), the
German naturist federation, and its president, the EuNat
Secretary, Wilfried Blaschke. The conference is a series
of events of this kind to be held every two years.
You can read more about this, including the Conference
conclusions, on our website: www.inf-fni.org,
then click “News”.