Monday, September 15, 2008

IPHU Course "The Struggle for Health" Porto Alegre, Brazil

A two week short course 'The Struggle for Health' for health activists is being conducted at Porto Alegre, Brazil by International Peoples Health University and People's Health Movement in association with the School of Public Health of Rio Grande do Sul from 8-19 September, 2008. 54 people’s health activists from different countries are participating in this course.
The objectives of this IPHU short course are to enable younger health activists to make new connections, share experiences and study together. They aim at strengthening the global network of people’s health activists.

Curriculum
The curriculum includes:
- the struggle for health: achievements, strategies and new directions;
- working with communities and with grass roots health organizations;
- comprehensive primary health care: achievements, lessons and new directions;
- the political economy of health: globalization, the WTO, the IMF and the WB; local issues and global pressures;
- the right to health: principles, achievements and new directions;
- people’s health and the environmental struggle;
- research: part of the problem and part of the solution;
- social determinants of health (poverty, oppression and hierarchy; alienation and exclusion; racism and sexism; materialism) and the struggle for health.
In addition the participants will be encouraged to stay on for a one day international workshop on Primary Health Care (Saturday 20th September) being organised by the People’s Health Movement in association with the International Epidemiology Association Conference (21-24 September) also in Porto Alegre.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

A Call for all PHM networks to participate in Launching the Global Health Watch 2

The Global Secretariat of the People's Health Movement (PHM) jointly with the Secretariat of the Global Health Watch 2 (GHW2) call upon all PHM country circles and networks to participate in the launching of the GHW2.
The Global Health Watch:
Global Health Watch is a collaboration of leading popular movements and nongovernmental organizations comprising civil society activists, community groups, health workers and academics. It has compiled the second edition of its alternative world health report 'a hard-hitting, evidence-based analysis of the political economy of health and health care' as a challenge to major global bodies that influence health. Its monitoring of institutions including the World Bank, the World Health Organization and UNICEF reveals that while some important initiatives are being taken, much more needs to be done to have any hope of meeting the UN's health related Millennium Development Goals.
The GHW2's content includes:
Introduction
A: Alternative Paradigm for Development
B: Health Care Sector
1. Health systems advocacy 2. Mental Health: Culture, Language and Power 3. Access to healthcare for migrants and asylum seekers 4. Prisoners 5. Medicines
C: Beyond health care
1. Carbon Trading and Climate Change 2. Terror, war and health 3. Reflections on Globalization, Trade, Food and Health 4. Urbanisation 5. The Sanitation and Water Crisis 6. Oil Extraction and Health in the Niger Delta 7. Humanitarian Aid 8. Education - update
D: Watching
1. Global Health Governance 2. Government Aid 3. TNC's
E: Pockets of Resistance
The launching:
The PHM Global Secretariat is urging all PHM country circles to use the opportunity of launching the GHW2 for further mobilization around the PHM principles and activism on country level. This would entail organizing a wide range of pre-launching activities, linking the launching to big planned events, organizing the launch, if stands alone, to discuss and promote the content of the GHW2 rather than just launching it. The launching activities will start during the second half of October till the end of the year 2008. Each PHM country circle or group would decide upon a launching date, may be in linkage to other planned national activity.
Steps:
Please have a look on the below suggested guidelines.
1. Consult with PHM colleagues in your country to draw-up a launching plan for the GHW2.
2. Contact the PHM global secretariat (secretariat@phmovement.org) or GHW2 secretariat (bridget@hst.org.za) to indicate:
  • The possibility/willingness to organize the launching of the GHW2.
  • Your country-specific launching plan and dates, you may focus on: How to use the launching activities for initiating/strengthening PHM circle on the country level; How to promote the use of the GHW2 as an advocacy tool; How to use the launching event in ensuring better mobilization around the development of GHW-3.; How to encourage the presence of media and ensure good coverage
  • List of potential collaborates in the launching. List of PHM publications you may need, indicating the needed number and preferred language of each (please refer to the section on launching package below) and the address the global secretariate/GHW2 secretariate should post the package to.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

A Call to Endorse The People's Charter for Health

Among several development in the PHM website, The Global Secretariat of People's Health Movement (PHM) have created an Online Endorsement Form for the People's Charter for Health. It collects the endorsements in addition to suggestions and concerns to be addressed during the 3rd People's Health Assembly (Africa, 2010).

Thousands of people have earlier endorsed the Charter, but still PHM would like to document all possible previous (and new) endorsements. Please take a moment to fill in the Online Endorsement Form availavle at www.phmovement.org .

Please make a reference to the endorsement form to your friends and partners. For more information please contact: secretariat@phmovement.org

PPEHRC March: Money for Housing and Health Care, Not for War!!

POOR PEOPLE’S ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES:
Money for Housing and Health Care, Not for War!!
DURING THE U.S. ELECTIONS

As the U.S. Elections approach, the Poor of the United States will March to insist that:

ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE!!
ANOTHER UNITED STATES IS NECESSARY!!.

On September 2nd, 2008, the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) will hold a massive non-violent “MARCH FOR OUR LIVES” during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul , Minnesota in the U.S. to demand “MONEY FOR HOUSING AND HEALTH CARE, NOT FOR WAR!” The PPEHRC has led the largest marches of the poor during the last two U.S. presidential elections, at the Republican Conventions in Philadelphia in 2000 and New York City in 2004, in which George W. Bush was named as presidential candidate. The Republican National Convention (RNC) is where the Republican Party will name their party’s presidential candidate, as the people of the United States vote for George W. Bush’s successor for president of the U.S.

In the days preceding this year’s March for Our Lives in Minnesota , poor and homeless people will lead Poverty Reality Tours through Minneapolis and St. Paul . We will hold a National Truth Commission and a World Court of Women about poverty, war and human rights violations under the Bush Administration, both in the United States and in different parts of the world. Poor and homeless families from across the country who will be joining us will stay in a national “Bushville” tent city, an encampment that will demonstrate the conditions of poverty caused by Bush Administration policies, and serve as base of operations for our actions throughout the week.

A CALL FOR INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION AND SUPPORT

We call on the International Community, on movements, networks, campaigns and unions around the world to join us for this historic event at this crucial time in U.S. and world history.

The March for Our Lives and other activities at the RNC will be an important step in PPEHRC’s ongoing efforts to build a broad movement led by the poor for economic human rights in the United States . Inspite of the increasing dangers and repression we confront, we are committed to waking up this “sleeping giant” that is the people of the United States . For we are convinced that when the American people are organized to struggle for our own interests in unity with the peoples of the world, not in the interests of the U.S. government against the peoples of the world, that it is then that “Another World” truly will be “Possible.” As we approach this pivotal election, we are determined to ensure that the poor, the homeless and the uninsured of the U.S. , together with movements from around the world, have a voice to demand a new direction for our country and for the world. We need the presence and solidarity of the international community as we organize the poor and the most marginalized sectors of the U.S. population to march en masse to declare:

“Another World is Possible, Another U.S. is Necessary!”


WE ASK THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO ACCOMPANY US AT THIS TIME:

As a Human Rights Monitor: During the last two elections, in the time before and during our marches at the Republican Conventions, the PPEHRC has experienced a high level of government surveillance, infiltration, sabotage, harassment and threats of long-term imprisonment of leaders, and of children of marchers being taken by the government. We need international Human Rights Monitors to monitor, document and expose any human rights violations committed against participants in the March.

As a witness and participant in the National Truth Commission and the World Court of Women: Help us expose the reality of the U.S. economic model by highlighting the stories of families in the U.S. who are suffering and dying under this model. Testify to poverty and war caused by the Bush Administration around the world.

Join us for exchanges between movements, unions and organizations from across the United States and movements and networks from all over the world. Help cover the events in August and September for your organization’s, network’s, or movement’s website or press. Help us show the world the reality of the poverty and human rights violations in the US , the truth about the US electoral process, and to show the world that people of the U.S. are resisting our government and fighting for “Another U.S.” Come help us: We need interns and volunteers before and during our RNC events to help with translation, internet coverage, media, outreach and organizing among the poor, documentation of economic human rights violations in the U.S. , and preparation for the week’s events and for the U.S. and international delegations that will be coming.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO COME, HOLD A SOLIDARITY EVENT IN YOUR COUNTRY, TO EXPRESS THE UNITY BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND THE POOR OF THE UNITED STATES AND MOVEMENTS AROUND THE WORLD. Let us know what you are doing and we will include it on our website and news coverage.


Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign
**** 2008 Republican National Convention****

Aug. 1 - 30 Minnesota Poverty Bus Tour
We will make stops in communities throughout Minnesota to expose conditions created by “free trade agreements” and other neoliberal policies, to share experiences, exchange ideas, collect human rights documentation, and join local actions in the fight for economic human rights.

Aug. 29 World Court Of Women
PPEHRC will host a World Court of Women to expose poverty and war in the US and around the world caused by the Bush Administration, before a jury of human rights defenders and movement leaders from around the world.

Sept. 1 March to Stop the War!
On the first day of the convention, PPEHRC will join the ‘March to Stop the War!’, bringing together the issues of poverty and the war in Iraq . We will march to stop the wars – at home and abroad!

Sept. 1 National Truth Commission on human rights violations in the US .

After the march, we will gather to hear stories of resistance and struggle told by people from communities across the country who have suffered economic human rights violations here in the richest country in the world.

SEPT. 2 March for Our Lives:
Money for Health Care and Housing, Not for War!

We will march because as poverty, hunger, unemployment and homelessness grow throughout the United States and the world, political leaders from both major U.S. parties have abandoned us. We cannot afford to be silent. We cannot afford to be "disappeared" from the public eye and the political debates as our families suffer. We will bring together thousands of poor people, along with community organizations from across the country, students, social workers, union members, lawyers, religious leaders, international delegations and everyone who stands for social and economic human rights.

For more information please contact:
WWW.ECONOMICHUMANRIGHTS.ORG INFO@ECONOMICHUMANRIGHTS.ORG JEN@ECONOMICHUMANRIGHTS.ORG

Saturday, March 29, 2008

IPHU Cairo- The Struggle for Health

A group of concerned rights activists
gathered in the International Scouts
Center in Cairo from March 22, 2008 to April 2nd 2008 in order to strengthen the People’s Health Movement in the MENA region and contribute to achieving Health for All. The course focused on issues related to health policy and their implications within communities. (Link for Cairo course website for more information: www.phmovement.org/iphu/en/mena ).

The idea of developing a blog emerged in order to further the discussions among the participants after the course and include others interested.

We see this blog as a space for inviting people who are concerned with the right to health to share experience, information and develop networks.

This is your space to think out loud with people who share with you the dream where all people enjoy the gift of health.

Welcome…

Things to remember and add to the website:
Language issues
Other questions and topics

More questions for the blog:


When is the existing political system and situation an opportunity or a challenge for enhancing the PHM movement?


How can we ensure that research is capturing the social determinants of health? And what are alternative methodologies available for such research?

Saturday, March 15, 2008

IPHU Course on Equity and Health Rights, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India





The IPHU course on Equity and Health Rights for young health activists and professionals working on the issues oh Health, Gender, Human Rights and particularly involved in the activities JSA/People’s Health Movement was started yesterday with 36 participants (29 from India, 3 from Nepal, 1 from Bngladesh and 2 from Srilnka).

Participants of this course are with mixed backgrounds ranging from Medicine, public health, social work, anthropology and management. The course is being organized from 15th to 21st March 2008 by IPHU, PHM/JSA in collaboration with Prayas, Chittorgarh.

David Legge, Armando, Thelma Narayan, Tej Ram and Narendra with us as faculty members and Mira Shiva, Ravi Duggal, Vandana Prasad and Amit Sengupta will be joining us in coming days.

We are also going to organise a public lecture for larger audience on 'Equity and Health Rights in the Era of Globalisation' on 18th evening. The key speakers of this public lecture will be David Legge and Armando De Negri. Mr. Parmesh Chandra, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan will preside. Representatives of media will be also be invited to the public lecture.