From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Sarah Shannon</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sarahs@hesperian.org">sarahs@hesperian.org</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div class="gmail_quote">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">PHM US newsletter: September 20, 2011</span></u></b></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">Contents: </span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">1. First PHM US National In-person Meeting a Success</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">2. Save the date: <span>Third People’s Health Assembly, July 2012, </span><span><span style="font-family:Calibri">Cape Town</span></span><span><span style="font-family:Calibri">, South Africa</span></span><span><span style="font-family:Calibri"></span></span></span></p>
<pre><span><span style="font-family:Calibri;color:black;font-size:12pt">3. </span></span><span style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:12pt">Next US IPHU: Petro Metro (Houston/Galveston area), spring 2012</span></pre>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">4. </span><span style="font-size:12pt">PHM US website updated</span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">5. <span>Caring Across Generations conference</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">6. <span>Advancing the Right to Health on a Sick Planet: Security, Militarism and a Changing Climate</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal;margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">7. </span><span style="color:black;font-size:12pt">PHM related publications</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">First PHM US National In-person Meeting a Success</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">By Laura Turiano</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">28 People’s Health Movement activists participated in the 1st PHM US National Meeting held July 28th and 29th in Los Angeles. We discussed what PHM is and what it means to endorse the <i>People’s Charter for Health</i> and to be a part of the movement. Drawing upon the results of the membership survey conducted before the meeting, and attendees’ current political work, we developed four issue areas in which PHM US will focus its domestic movement building activities. <br>
<br></span><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt"> Within the issue areas identified at the meeting, the overall strategy of PHM US is not to do the work that existing organizations are already doing, but to share the analysis of the PHM to support activists to use health arguments and human rights strategies effectively, to link organizations across issues, and to take advantage of international solidarity relationships. Because the knowledge and experience underpinning the <i>Charter</i> integrates various fields including public health, political economy, and human rights, most new PHM activists need some training to fully utilize the framework. This activist training is provided in PHM through International People’s Health University short courses, and two are planned in the next two years.<br>
<br>Over the next 2-3 years PHM US will focus our outreach to the following issue communities. If you would like to participate in workgroups, use the email addresses provided to contact them.<br>
<br>Environmental Justice: EJ activists and IPHU New York participants from Houston and Galveston will organize a “PetroMetro,” IPHU with an EJ theme in spring 2012. Among the goals of the IPHU are to strengthen EJ communities by making the connection to health, and incorporating it into advocacy efforts. Contact: <u><span style="color:#0000fe"><a href="http://lexibambas-at-hotmail.com/" target="_blank">lexibambas-at-hotmail.com</a> <br>
</span></u><br>Health systems and US Health Care reform: “Health for All” doesn’t just mean getting insurance companies out of medicine in the US, although that is a necessary step. This work group will be reaching out to key organizations and individuals working on health care reform and related issues to discuss how using a health systems and human rights approach can broaden the movement for real reform. Contact: <u><a href="http://jopuvvula-at-hotmail.com/" target="_blank">jopuvvula-at-hotmail.com</a> <br>
</u><br>Militarism: The US military impacts health in the US and globally through multiple mechanisms. Work group members will be sharing the PHM framework with the organizations they are already working with on various related issues, including anti-war, the military budget, nuclear weapons and energy, environmental impacts and military bases, to support them in using health analyses against militarism, to help build international solidarity networks, and to bring together groups working on the myriad aspects of this topic. Contact: <a href="http://phm-at-hesperian.org/" target="_blank">phm-at-hesperian.org</a><br>
<br>Economy/worker health and safety: A small group within PHM will identify key groups in the areas of domestic workers rights, living wage, worker safety, poverty, race and inequality, to support them to include health impacts in their analyses and campaigns. Contact: <u><span style="color:blue"><a href="http://dorothy-at-hesperian.org/" target="_blank">dorothy-at-hesperian.org</a><br>
</span></u><br>There are a few other issue areas not addressed at the meeting that we know are important to PHM USA members. These include trade and health, food sovereignty, and essential medicines. The coordination group will be reaching out to people who were unable to attend the meeting who we think can take these areas forward.<br>
<br>Other discussion at the meeting included launching the <i>Global Health Watch 3,</i> mobilization towards the 3rd People’s Health Assembly, and how we should organize with PHM global to address the US power and its effects on health worldwide.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">*****<span> </span><br>Third People’s Health Assembly, July 2012, </span></b><span><b><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:Calibri;color:black;font-size:14pt">Cape Town, South Africa</span></b></span><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt"><br>
</span></b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">The People’s Health Assembly is a global event bringing together health activists from across the world to share experiences, analyze the global health situation, and develop civil society responses that promote Health for All. It is an opportunity to network, reassess, redirect and re-inspire ourselves. Please note that there will be criteria for attendance for the PHA3 and delegation limits for the US and Europe.<br>
</span><span style="color:black">Join the PHA3 Facebook group <</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/PeoplesCharter?ap=1#%21/groups/PHA3.global?ap=1" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/PeoplesCharter?ap=1#%21/groups/PHA3.global?ap=1</a><span style="color:black">></span><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">*****<span> </span></span></p><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt"><span> </span></span>
<p style="margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:14pt">PHM US website updated</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">Following the national planning meeting in August, we updated the PHM US website (</span><a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/usa" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">http://www.phmovement.org/en/usa</span></a><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">) to feature the newly created interest groups, on topics such as Environmental Justice and Health Systems Reform. As these interest groups gain momentum, each one will have its own sub-page where coordinators can post resources and calls to action. In the meantime, if you have any news, announcements, or information you’d like to see on the site, please email </span><a href="mailto:dorothy@hesperian.org" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">dorothy-at-hesperian.org</span></a><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">***** </span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">Caring Across Generations conference</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">By Dorothy Tegeler</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">On August 20, members of PHM US joined over 500 domestic workers, seniors, people with disabilities, family members, political leaders, and activists at Mission High School in San Francisco for the regional launch (video link: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EInOUjlCdIQ" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=EInOUjlCdIQ</span></a><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">) of the Caring Across Generations Campaign. Caring Across Generations (</span><a href="http://caringacrossgenerations.org/" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">http://caringacrossgenerations.org</span></a><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">) aims to transform the system of long-term care in the US, so that it meets the needs of both care recipients and care givers. <br>
</span></p><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">*****<span> </span></span></b>
<p style="margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">Report from the Doctors for Global Health General Assembly</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">by Linda Sharp (edited for space by Todd Jailer)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">The 16<sup>th</sup> Annual Doctors for Global Health General Assembly was held July 29<sup>th</sup> to 31<sup>st</sup>, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA.<span> </span>Over 130 participants from all over the United States, as well as representatives from DGH partner communities in Mexico and El Salvador spent the weekend exploring various parts of the conference’s theme “Community Action for Health and Social Justice: Health Begins Where we Work, Live and Play.”<span> </span> For more information, and for details of each part of the conference, visit </span><a href="http://www.dghonline.org/category/story-type/blog-entry" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">http://www.dghonline.org/category/story-type/blog-entry</span></a><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">.<span> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">Currently in Los Angeles, DGH-LA is working with groups in the US and El Salvador to support and give voice to community organizers in Cabañas, El Salvador, in their struggle against the Pacific Rim Mining Company.<span> </span><span> </span>DGH-LA<span> </span>is also working with undocumented students in LA and around the country to support passage of the DREAM Act and to protest Secure Communities and other policies that violate the human rights of migrant communities. If you are interested in joining the DGH Human Rights and Advocacy Committee, please send an email to </span><a href="mailto:inquiries@dghonline.org" target="_blank"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">inquiries@dghonline.org</span></a><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">.<span> </span></span></p>
*****<span> </span>
<p style="margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">Advancing the Right to Health on a Sick Planet: Redefining Security & the Role of Militarism in a Changing Climate<i><br>
</i></span></b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">By Maureen McCue (edited for space by Todd Jailer)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom:0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">Long story, short: The </span><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">September 9 – 11 <span><span style="font-family:Calibri">Nebraska City</span></span><span><span style="font-family:Calibri">, Iowa</span></span><span><span style="font-family:Calibri"> </span></span><span>conference was a great success! For an overview of the program, the resources,<span> </span>faculty , please visit the web site: <a href="http://www.psriowa.org/msp/msp-home.html" target="_blank"><http://www.psriowa.org/msp/msp-home.html></a><span> </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">We had about 50 participants from a 16-year-old to an academic couple in their late 70s. Everyone shared and everyone learned from one another. All had ideas and experiences to share on the intersections of health and human rights threats stemming from our rapidly changing climate, our degraded environment and the role of militarism in exacerbating these deadly processes.</span></p>
<b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">****<span> </span></span></b>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:14pt">PHM related publications: </span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">The current issue of <i>Social Medicine</i></span></b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">, Vol 6, No 1 2011 <</span><a href="http://www.socialmedicine.info/index.php/socialmedicine/issue/view/54/showToc" target="_blank"><span><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:Calibri;font-size:12pt">http://www.socialmedicine.info/index.php/socialmedicine/issue/view/54/showToc</span></span></a><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">> features an editorial by Hani Serag from the PHM Global Secretariat, <i>Issues for consideration at the WHO Executive Board. </i>Abstract: WHO is moving to create an additional governing structure “that will bring together Member States, global health funds, development banks, partnerships, nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, and the private sector to address issues critical to global health.” The private sector (which in practical terms means agribusiness, big pharma, and the interests of the medical-industrial complex) already has vast influence over health policy and it is entirely unclear why they need yet one more forum.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">After the Earthquake</span></i></b><b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">, by Paul Farmer,</span></b><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt"> describes the incredible suffering--and resilience--that he encountered in <span><span style="font-family:Calibri">Haiti</span></span>. Having worked in the country for nearly thirty years, he skillfully explores the social issues that made Haiti so vulnerable to the earthquake--the very issues that make it an “unnatural disaster.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt">Bryan Parras,</span></b><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt"> environmental justice activist from Houston (AKA the “Petro-Metro”) and IPHU NY alumnus is a regular contributor to <b>Bridge the Gulf</b><b>,</b> a citizen journalism and new-media initiative designed to help Gulf Coast communities convey their stories and their vision for a just, healthy and sustainable future. available at <u><span style="color:blue"><a href="http://bridgethegulfproject.org/node/420" target="_blank">http://bridgethegulfproject.org/node/420</a></span></u>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;color:black;font-size:12pt">***end Sept. 20, 2011 PHM US newsletter***</span><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:12pt"></span></p>
</div></div>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Todd Jailer</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:todd@hesperian.org" target="_blank">todd@hesperian.org</a>></span><br></div><br>