PHA-Exchange> Health NOW! Campaign Countdown to March 20

Mon Mar 8 21:24:28 PST 2004

We are less than two weeks from the March 20 launching of the Health NOW!
campaign under the slogan No war, No WTO; Fight for people’s health!. The
campaign will highlight the urgency of ensuring health for all while
exposing neoliberal globalization and wars of aggression as today’s two
major threats to global people’s health.

The preparations for the campaign’s launching are in full swing and your
participation will ensure the success of the launching and the further
campaign. Please allow me therefore to suggest you 10 things to add to your
“to-do” list:

  1.. Visit health-now.org
In the past few weeks we have worked hard to make www.health-now.org a
website that can serve as our central campaign instrument. The site has two
major sections: “news” and “Health & occupation watch.” The “news” section
compiles materials that substantiate our main campaign demands: No war; No
WTO and Healthcare, not warfare. “Health & occupation watch” monitors the
impact of war, occupation and militarization on health with special
attention for Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. Apart from these two
sections, the website also features the campaign’s signature campaign and
many campaign-related pages and resources. Currently, most pages are already
available in English but the most important campaign pages will be made
available in English, French and Spanish and articles in other languages
will be added. Please visit www.health-now.org and send us your feedback and
suggestions so we can improve the site’s design and content.  If you like
the site, don't forget to add a link to www.health-now.org on your
organization's website.

  2.. Sign the petition
The Health NOW! signature campaign is integrated in www.health-now.org and
can also be accessed at http://petition.health-now.org. Please add your name
already and encourage other people to sign so we already have a significant
number of signatures when the campaign goes public.

  3.. Subscribe to the mailing list
The website gives every visitor the opportunity to subscribe to the Health
NOW! mailing list. This list will be used for regular campaign updates after
March 20.

  4.. Submit articles and materials
A unique feature of www.health-now.org is that  everyone is invited to
contribute to the campaign website. Contributions can also include one
picture that will appear together with the text and other files (more
picture files, pdf, etc.). They can be submitted through the form at
http://www.health-now.org/site/publish.php? which is also accessible through
the site’s navigation menu.

We are especially interested in the following contributions:

  a.. Data and reports about the health impact of military occupation and
militarization for Health & Occupation Watch.
  b.. Reports of Health NOW! campaign activities of your local organization.
  c.. Data or reports that illustrate the urgency of the campaign’s major
demands: Stop the occupation of Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan. WTO out of
health. Health care, not warfare.

Please follow the 7 simple steps to upload your contribution. We are very
much interested to hear your experiences with this form: Any technical
hick-ups? Can we simplify the instructions? Other recommendations?

  5.. Prepare campaign materials
The campaign logos are available for download at the “resources” page of the
www.health-now.org (or follow this link:
http://www.health-now.org/site/resources.php) in jpg and pdf formats. We
also have a general campaign flier available in English, French, Spanish and
Dutch that can be adjusted to your own needs. More resources will be
uploaded as they come in. Please feel free to use the logos and text to
develop your own materials and send us a copy for upload to the site.

  6.. Plan a press conference to launch the campaign
The campaign will be launched with a series of press conferences in
different countries to symbolize the worldwide opposition to war and
globalization and the cry for health NOW! As of now, groups in the
Philippines and Belgium are already planning press conferences on March 17
and probably we will also be able to hold a press conference in Baghdad. It
would be great if your organization can also hold a press conference or
issue a media release to announce the campaign to the media on or around
March 17. Please inform us of place, date and time and don’t forget to post
a report (with pictures!) on www.health-now.org.

  7.. Submit March 20 plans
March 20 is also the global day of protest against war and occupation and
many of you will participate on that day in activities where the Health NOW!
campaign can be introduced. Please send us your organization’s March 20
plans so we can announce them on the website.

  8.. Refer volunteers
The Health NOW! campaign does not have any paid staff and relies on
volunteers and the contributions of the participating organizations. Many
volunteers are needed to translate (especially English, French and Spanish),
to help in the maintenance of the website, to develop  and design campaign
materials etc. If you know people who are willing to volunteer, please bring
them in touch with us.

  9.. Invite other organizations to join
As of today, the following networks and organizations have joined the
campaign:

  International networks: People’s Health Movement (PHM), International
People’s Health Council (IPHC), International League of People’s Struggle –
ad hoc health commission (ILPS), Women’s Global Network for Reproductive
Rights (WGNRR), Pesticide Action Network Asia-Pacific (PAN-AP)

  Initial list of local organizations:

  Belgium: intal/Medical Aid for the Third World, Artsen voor Vrede/IPPNW

  Iran: People’s Health Movement Iran

  Italia: Democrazia Popolare

  Korea: Korean Federation of Medical Groups for Health Right (KFHR)

  México: Colectivo Salud en Movimiento, Salud Comunitaria de La Huasteca
(Capás México)

  Palestine: Union of Health Work Committees (UHWC), Union of Palestinian
Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC)

  Philippines: People’s Health Movement Philippines, Health Action for Human
Rights (HAHR), Pesticide Action Network Philippines, Health Alliance for
Democracy (HEAD), Council for Health and Development (CHD)

  Syria: Yarmouk NGO

  US: The Hesperian Foundation, International Action Center, PUSO Seattle

Many more groups and organizations will be added to this list. Please ensure
that your organization also joins and  invite your network to sign up
formally as one of the participating organizations.

  10. Give us your recommendations and suggestions

Don't hesitate to send your suggestions and recommendations to
info at health-now.org .

Success with the preparations fro March 20!  Expect more updates soon.

In solidarity,

Wim

Health NOW! volunteer

---
No war, no WTO; Fight for people's health. Health NOW!
http://www.health-now.org
Wim's blog: http://pipolpower.blogspot.com

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