PHM-Exch> PHA3 brochure

[Claudio Schuftan]

*The People’s Health Movement - PHM*

The People’s Health Movement (PHM) is a global network bringing together
grassroots health activists, civil society organisations and academic
institutions from around the world, particularly from low and middle income
countries.

PHM currently has a presence in around 70 countries.

PHM works towards the revitalisation of Comprehensive Primary Health Care
(CPHC), as described in the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 as well as to
address the social determinants of health, in particular, the growing
inequity within and between nations mostly due to the unfair economic
structures which lock so many people into poverty and poor health.

Equity, ecologically‐sustainable development and peace are at the heart of
our vision of a better world ‐ a world in which a healthy life for all is a
reality; a world that respects, appreciates and celebrates all life and
diversity; a world that enables the flowering of people's talents and
abilities to enrich each other; a world in which people's voices guide the
decisions that shape our lives.

*PHM vision*

*Third People’s Health Assembly (PHA-3)

*The People’s Health Assembly (PHA) draws in civil society organisations
and networks, social movements,
academia and other stakeholders from around the globe. It provides a unique
space for strengthening solidarity,
sharing experiences, mutual learning and joint strategizing for future
actions. The first PHA was held in Savar,
Bangladesh in 2000 and attended by more than 1500 people. The People’s
Charter for Health the PHM’s founding document, was developed and endorsed
at this Assembly. The second PHA was held in Cuenca, Ecuador in 2005 and
attended by 1492 people. The Cuenca Declaration was developed to provide a
strategic vision for the PHM.

The Third Peoples Health Assembly (PHA3) is to be held in Cape Town, South
Africa (6-11 July 2012) at the
University of the Western Cape. The Assembly will be preceded by:

1. A 10 day training course ‘Struggle for Health’ (24 June – 4 July 2011),
organised within the framework of the
PHM's International People's Health University (IPHU) and will accommodate
around 50 young health activists
from across the global with a majority drawn from Sub-Saharan Africa.

2. A South African National Health Assembly (5-6 July 2012) will focus on
national issues and in particular the
proposed national health insurance for South Africa. International
participants will be invited to participate.
The objectives of the Assembly and associated activities include:
- To create a vibrant platform for constructive dialogue, planning and
mobilisation around health and the broader
social determinants of health, involving a broad range of stakeholders;
- To strengthen solidarity, facilitate sharing, learning and joint
strategizing between health activists globally for
planning activities towards Health for All;
- To create sustainable structures and dynamics, both within and outside
the health sector, which will continue to
drive coordinated action on the social determinants of health and to secure
universal and equitable access to
health and health care, in particular comprehensive primary health care;
- To increase the capacity of civil society and health activists to engage
with and intervene in the policy making
process, to monitor and drive policy implementation, to ensure
accountability in the functioning of health
systems and to build a productive dialogue on governance in health care;
- To further strengthen the PHM by reflecting on activities and progress
and planning and consolidating
programmes and activities of PHM ensuring these are reflective of needs;
- To reaffirm our identity and to inspire health activists to continue the
struggle for better and more equitable
health for all;
- To celebrate the strengths and accomplishments of health activists around
the globe;
Around 1250 participants from across the globe are expected to attend the
Assembly, particularly from low and
middle income countries. Participants will include health activists and
representatives of civil society organisations
/networks (including non-governmental organisations, community-based
organisations, trade unions, professional associations, etc.); health
workers, governments, intergovernmental bodies, academic institutions, etc.

Participants will be mobilised through country and regional mobilisation
processes leading up to the Assembly. These mobilisation processes aim to
engage active civil society especially at the grassroots level. The PHM
global
structures aim to raise resources to support around 30% of participants
especially from Sub-Saharan Africa. This
financial sponsorship will facilitate the representation of grassroots and
community based organisations,
indigenous populations and other marginalised groups.

*The main thematic axes of PHA-3 are:*

1. The Global Political and Economic context of health

2. Social and Physical Environments that destroy or promote health

3. Universal coverage and equity in comprehensive and integrated health
systems

4. Beyond the Crisis: Mobilizing for Health for All

The organisation of the PHA-3 aims at providing the largest possible space
for sharing experiences, mutual learning and strategizing for future
action. The PHA3 aims to celebrate health activism across the world while
planning for the future. Participants are encouraged to assist in defining
the spirit of the event by contributing to the cultural events, music,
afternoon sessions, etc.

*The program for PHA-3 will include:*

- Opening ceremony (6th July 2012), as an interactive African cultural
event.
- Plenary sessions: a daily plenary session (7-10 July) focusing on the
major themes of the Assembly. Each plenary  will include: testimonies,
key-note speeches and space for open discussion. A plenary on the last day
(11 July) will debate and finalize the Assembly's call to action.
- Sub-plenary sessions: each plenary will be followed by 4-6 concurrent
sub-plenary sessions to further deepen
discussions on each of the thematic axes.
- Self-organised events: space will be provided for civil society
organisations/networks and other stakeholders to
organise workshops or sessions on topics related to their own priorities,
within the framework of the Assembly
themes. The self-organised events will provide opportunities to partners to
build alliances from the large
number of participants. We expect to have around 10-15 concurrent self
organised events every day,
- Cultural events and a film festival that will reflect the diversity of
cultural traditions with a special focus on
Africa.
- Display space: will provide an opportunity for participant organisations
to promote their publications and
products.
- Closing event that will translate the deliberations in the Assembly into
concrete actions for decisive change.

The whole Assembly, culminating in the Cape Town Call to Action, will
provide guidance and direction to the PHM,
civil society and health activists around the globe. For PHM future
activities will include the global Right to Health
Campaign (RTHC), policy dialogues and interventions to strengthen health
systems, activities that address the social determinants of health, the
global initiative on ‘democratising governance for health’ and other
campaigns and activities defined at the Assembly.

*Pre Assembly Mobilisation*

This will be a working assembly, with country and regional processes and
events leading up to the main assembly.

Pre-assembly mobilisation activities can be used to organise around common
issues; and to present and gather
stories and experiences using these as base for learning and joint action.
The main objectives of pre-assembly
mobilisation are to strengthen collaboration and encourage inspiring
exchange amongst PHM activists; and
increase participation and grassroots voices at the main assembly. Pre
assembly activities should be bottom up and horizontal processes, organised
and developed by the organisations interested, involved and willing to take
it on.

*Some questions to be addressed in pre assembly mobilisation can be*

- What issues and challenges unite us as a country and region; or across
regions?
- What strategies can be developed to address these?
- Who are the stakeholders that should be involved and how?
- Are there networks beyond the health sector that we need to work closer
with?

*Some activities that can be carried out as pre assembly activities include
*
- Gathering testimonies and case studies to reflect grassroots realities
within specific themes
- Holding public hearings and planning action around the Right to Health
- Developing action plans and campaigns towards a shared agenda
- Preparing discussion papers
- Identifying issues that should be included in the Call for Action

National and regional assemblies or mobilisation activities can be linked
to other events and social forums.
Regional Organising committees can be formed to drive mobilisation
activities and assist with regional fundraising.
In general, pre assembly mobilisation activities should focus on
strengthening local movement building, exchange
and action towards Health for All.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20120221/d05ef80d/attachment.html>