PHA-Exchange> WHO-WHA (2) Claudio

[aviva]

Dear Ravi,

I respond to you from Chile where I am a few weeks on leave.
First a response to your letters of 26 and 28/2: No, I did not post the 
Advocating the Charter piece in pha-exchange, so if you have updated it 
please post it DIRECTLY not sending it to me first (direct to pha-
exchange at kabissa.org).

Then, a couple words about Unni`s email: I agree we need a vigorous 
media campaign and his help will be invaluable. He calls for Opinion 
Articles to be given to the press. Could not agree more. Suggest we 
send out a Call For Papers to our members based on the WHA agenda 
topics (which we should get from CSI soonest). In that way, PHM will 
have a position on the key controversial issues being discussed by 
ministers in May. Press conferences before, during and after WHA are a 
high priority

Now to your WHO-WHA Circle note:
I have no comments on the CSI-circulated piece. Reads OK.
The Principles governing relations between WHO anfd NGOs paper will 
require a group of us at the PHM to go thru in one day. I could start 
this, but not before April 11 when I return home.
Do you have any feedback how meetings of CSI went with WHO SEARO? That 
is my region so I am very interested.
As soon as you get clarification on the framework for our agenda May 
17th, pls post so we can give you more feedback.

About the technical briefing session that day:
I myself do not know yet if I will be able to make it to Gva.
Perhaps no more than 2-3 persons should summarize the Charter and one 
can do the process report. Should we show parts of the video of Savar? 
Timewise, during the session, leave good time for discussion!! We 
should focus more (and give more time) on what we plan to do next; that 
is the new thing people will like to hear. I am sure.
That is why the one day devoted to process discussions meeting (the 
battery charger) among ourselves has to be before the 17th.
We should start asking for space at the Ecumenical Center (WCC). It is 
near and convenient.
PHM members from the regions preparing reports to send to this meeting 
should post them in pha-exchange for all of us to read.
The one day of dialogue with NGOs present in Geneva is an excellent 
idea. Perhaps Eric Ram can help when he returns. Inviting UN agencies 
is a good idea too.
Visiting local highschools AND the University of Geneva will be very 
worthwhile. Perhaps Allison Katz can help with contacts in the 
University.
Allison also has an American journalist friend who is sympathetic to 
our position. Ask her to give you his email address and Unni should 
meet him.

Organizing a march to the Palais des Nations would probably be 
difficult with permits and the like.
The contact names you list in the Geneva area are all busy people, but 
we can still ask for a bit of their time to help with specific 
preparatory tasks. I have no more names to propose.
You say efforts are still under way to get a PHM statement into the WHA 
plenary, Commonwealth and Non-alligned Movement. Can you give more 
details?  We need to enlist persons who are members of these to ask 
them to help from now.
I think we will need to advertize the technical briefing session on the 
17th in all bulletin boards in the Palais, and also hand out flyers to 
people. We could work on a handful of catchy slogans that could be used 
for attracting people. I can work on some in April.  A big nice poster 
will also help.
I think we need to develop short one-pagers on the position of PHM 
regarding health and human rights, community-based health insurance/fee 
for service schemes, gender and health, pharmaceuticals, AIDS, tobacco, 
traditional medicine and others to hand out to people in the session 
and to give to the press. Some of it can be taken from the illustrated 
booklets you did in India (just key sentences).  I volunteer to edit 
them if our members contribute such one-pagers.
Can we think of a Charter-Plus series of brochures that takes the major 
Charter issues one-by-one and expands a little more on details? A 
circle could be formed.
We definitely will need some solidarity one-pagers to reflect our 
concerns about what is happening in hot spots around the world and 
particularly about the war on terrorism and how it affects people`s 
lives and health.

This is a bit my response to your request for feedback. I encourage 
others in pha-exchange to contribute!
Cordially,
Claudio