PHA-Exchange> REPORT ON PHA II PLANS

[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

 from María Hamlin Zúniga <maria at iphcglobal.org> -----
  
> ADVANCES IN THE PHA II PREPARATION PROCESS: ECUADOR 2005. 	
> 
> 1. CENTRAL AMERICA AND SPANISH SPEAKING CARIBBEAN
> 	The Regional Committee for the Promotion of Community Health (RCPCH)

> met in Guatemala July 21 to 23.
> The process for participation in the PHA II was discussed in the 
> Regional
Committee and in the National Seminar.  Decisions were made regarding the
participatory process to be followed in this region.
> 	Country meetings will be held during the remainder of 2004.  In
March 
> 2005 a Youth Encounter will be held in Nicaragua.  Delegates will be 
> selected in these meetings and the youth encounter to participate in a 
> Regional Encounter in El Salvador in the first trimester of 2005.  The 
> Regional Encounter will then select the delegates for the PHA II in
Ecuador.
> At least 20% of the delegates will be persons under 25 years of age.
> 	
Themes for the meetings and encounters:  The overriding theme is the
> Right to Health as a Fundamental Human Right.  Other aspects to be 
> debated include the effects of the Free Trade Agreements on the health of
people.
> This includes aspects of services as well as access to medicines.  
> There will also be a discussion and evaluation of the actual degree of 
> identification with and participation in the PHM and in the campaigns, 
> as well as suggestions for future activities and campaigns of PHM.
> 	A small commission was designated to search for funds within the 
> region to carry out the proposed activities and to insure the 
> participation of delegates to the PHAII.  Several donors have already 
> expressed their willingness to fund youth.
> 
> SOCIAL FORUM OF THE AMERICAS, QUITO, ECUADOR, JULY 25-30
> 	The PHM had a day long workshop entitled “Health, a Fundamental
Human 
> Right” on July 27th.  .  The workshop involved activists from many 
> different sectors - health workers, students, environmentalists, 
> indigenous peoples – and from many countries in the region, especially 
> from Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru.  The objective was to 
> provide a space for reflection and debate about the health conditions 
> in our countries, the causes, and the alternative proposals to the 
> neoliberal model.  The workshop sessions were standing room only.  
> During the afternoon the PHM and its
plans for PHA II were presented.  There were many questions
> and interest was expressed in ways to participate.  We emphasized the 
> criteria that the persons who attend the PHA II must be delegates of 
> organized groups and institutions.
> 	
> Social Watch and PNUD held a day long workshop on the Millennium
Development
> Goals – MDGs.  PHM was invited to attend this workshop.   Ana Quiros from 
CISAS in Nicaragua represented the PHM. A report will be forthcoming.  
> 
> OTHER MEETINGS IN QUITO, ECUADOR
> 	The PHM facilitator for South America and the Coordinator of PHA II 
> and Maria Hamlin had several important meetings in
Quito.
> 1.  Association of Faculties of Medical Sciences of Ecuador. (AFEME)  
> The Executive Director has agreed to be a member of the National 
> Organizing Committee of the PHA II.  He will have several
> functions:  promote the PHA II in the Association, facilitate official 
> transactions or procedures in Quito, and facilitate a program circle 
> dealing with Foreign Debt and the Brain Drain (or the hijacking of 
> medical personal to rich countries).
> 2.  Foreign Ministry.  PHM has begun to make arrangements for visas to 
> be extended to members of the International Organizing Committee – 
> IOC.  We also discussed the possibility of visas being granted to the 
> delegates of the PHAII upon entry in the country.  These issues have 
> to be dealt with at the ministerial level and will be facilitated by 
> the director of the Association of Faculties of Medical Sciences of 
> Ecuador - AFEME.  More information about visas will be provided early 
> next year.  If you want to know which countries need visas please see 
> the link http://www.vivecuador.com/html2/eng/visas.htm

> Remember, this is current information and may change before July 2005.

> 3.  Visit to the Central University, Office of the Chancellor 
> (rector).  The rector has agreed to be a member of the National 
> Committee of Honourable Persons who will support the PHA II.

> 4.  CEAS – the Centre for Investigation and Consultation in Health has
agreed to be part of   the National Organizing
> Committee.  They will begin to work more closely with the Global 
> Health Watch, in particular with respect to the Latin American 
> perspective on the issues being studied by the GHW.  The analysis 
> being done by GHW will be part of the analytical framework on the PHA II.
> 
> CUENCA, ECUADOR – SITE OF PHA II
> 	Concern has been expressed about the choice of Cuenca as the site of

> the PHA II rather than Quito, the capital.  Cuenca is the third 
> largest city in Ecuador with a population of 300,000 inhabitants.  It 
> is  in the southern
Andes Mountains.  You can look at
http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/cuenca.html for more information.
> 	The University of Cuenca, in particular, the Faculty of Medical 
> Sciences, has offered to host the PHAII and has made considerable
> contributions by providing the infrastructure for the event.
Other
> faculties of the University are also offering their facilities.  
> 	The Municipal Government of Cuenca, the Court of Justice, the
Central 
> Bank and other institutions have offered substantial support and 
> collaboration with the University in order to attend to the delegates 
> to the PHA II.
> 	There will be provision of transport of delegates from other 
> countries from the cities of Guayaquil and Quito.  This can be by air 
> or by land.  The land trip from Guayaquil is fantastic, climbing up 
> over the Andes and down into the valley of Cuenca.  It takes approximately
four hours.
> 
> MEETINGS AND WORKSHOP WITH THE LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE For several 
> days PHM members visited the University and local authorities, 
> facilities for meetings, seminars, and workshops on the campus and in 
> the city, and held meetings with the local secretariat team and the 
> local organizing committee.  We held a workshop to discuss logistics, 
> programming, communication strategies, and plans for children and youth.
> 	In summary:
> Logistics:  Since this is a major concern of many people this is being 
> explained in greater detail.
> 	The University venue for the PHA II has a considerable number of 
> auditoriums, meeting rooms and classrooms available for plenary 
> sessions, panel sessions, workshops, etc.  There are several computer 
> centers that will be available with internet connections.  There is a 
> large coliseum for mass events.  The auditorium of the Central Bank, 
> the auditorium of the Municipal Government, and the auditorium and 
> theatre of the Court of Justice will also be available.
> 	The logistics team has personally inspected over 85% if the hotels, 
> hostels, and other accommodations.  There will be more than 3000 beds 
> available, ranging in prices from $3.00 per day to $85.00 per day.  
> This includes breakfast.  The average is around $10.00 - $14.00 per 
> day in hostels, which are actually restored colonial homes that have 
> been conditioned as small hotels.  Very nice!  So, handling the PHA II 
> delegates will not be a problem.  When we begin the process of 
> registration people will be able to request the type of accommodation 
> and the range of prices that they wish to pay.
> 	The logistics team is also working on alternatives for meals at noon

> and in the evening which will include choices that are vegetarian and 
> non-vegetarian meals.  There will also be arrangements for 
> refreshments and for tea and coffee breaks.  There will be NO 
> contracting of transnational companies or soft drink companies at the 
> event.  The venue will be a territory liberated of Ronald McDonald, Coca
Cola, tobacco, etc!
> 
> Programming
> 	Main themes have been identified and several circles are being set
up 
> to work on aspects of programming.  Presently these a basically 
> Spanish speaking circles, but will be expanded to included others,
particularly
> after the joint   Organizing Committee Meeting in September.  Themes that
> are being developed are Militarization, Occupation and Health; Debt and
the
> Hijacking of Medical Personnel and Health;   Popular Health, Traditional
> Medicines, Indigenous practices, Natural Medicines, etc;   Environment and
> Health.  A public tribunal of the World Trade Organization, especially 
> concerning food and medicines has been proposed, as well as a Forum on 
> Water, Privatization and Collective Rights.  Other suggestions include 
> side activities such as an agricultural biodiversity fair with seeds 
> and a march for the defence of the environment.
> 
> Communications
> The interdisciplinary communications team, including personnel from a 
> national environmental group,  is developing a broad communications 
> strategy taking into account suggestions received from Unni.  Contacts 
> were made at the Social Forum of the Americas with alternative media 
> groups who will be involved in the PHA II. The strategy involves 
> making use of many alternatives for communication prior to and during 
> the PHAII.  After translation, this strategy will be shared.
> 
> Involvement of children and youth.
> There are many creative ideas given that Cuenca is known for the 
> activism of children and youth in defence of the right to a healthy 
> community. There will be many pre-assembly activities with rural and
> urban schools.   Suggestions made by this commission   include the
> presence of at least one child less than 12 years of age from each 
> continent so that they may take part in a Global Children’s Forum with 
> Ecuadorean children.  Plans are also being developed for an 
> International Youth Encounter.  Other activities include the painting 
> of huge murals at the city stadium with themes about health and 
> environment, a march for health, tree planting, forum on local food 
> production and consumption and ways of consuming them, etc.  Also proposed
are exhibitions of photography, videos,
> music,   theatre arts activities, etc.
> Just to remind everyone, there is a goal 20% of the delegates are 
> persons less than 25 years of age, there keep this in mind in your plans.
> 
>  Please share this and send us your comments and suggestions before 
> September 15th.

PHA II Organizing Committee




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