<div dir="ltr">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">PHM Global Secretariat</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:globalsecretariat@phmovement.org">globalsecretariat@phmovement.org</a>></span><br><div class="gmail_quote">
<br><br>PHM health activists have gathered in Thessaloniki, Greece, for the
International Health Peoples University - The Struggle for Health.<div dir="ltr"><div>
<p>The course participants have traveled from over 20 countries, as far
reaching as Brazil, Nepal and Uganda. The first day was an
opportunity to meet the other participants and form an idea of what the
PHM and IPHU means for each person. Tasnim, a physician and public
health specialist working for the World Health Organisation in
Palestine, left Ramalah on Thursday to reach Greece for Saturday. She
hopes the course will provide "a new approach to making real sustainable
change". Others see the PHM as a way to "move and work outside the
traditional networks of academic or institutional forms" and a way to
"bring the Alma Ata Declaration to life". </p><p><img alt="Inline image 2" src="cid:ii_14298dd398ce8f42" height="119" width="200"><img alt="Inline image 3" src="cid:ii_14298ddd9c02228f" height="131" width="200"><img alt="Inline image 1" src="cid:ii_14298dbef59bfc00" height="119" width="200"></p>
<p>The decision to come to Greece was not accidental- Greece is bearing
the brunt of the global economic crisis. Since 2007 the Greek GDP has
fallen year on year with devastating impacts on health. 30% of the Greek
population is without health insurance and austerity has massive
implications on the health system and the social determinants of health.
</p>
<p>As the week goes on, participants will be experiencing the Greek struggle and
see ways that the PHM in Greece is mounting solidarity and resistance. </p>
<p>The take-home message for today has been one from Amit Semgupta's
presentation about the <a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/resources/charters/peopleshealth" target="_blank">Peoples Health Charter</a>,
where
he outlined the process through which PHM aims to achieve its outcomes: </p>
<p><img alt="Inline image 4" src="cid:ii_14298de3f63291a7" height="149" width="200"></p><p>EDUCATE! more people about health issues;<br>
MOBILISE! people under different organisations, banners and slogans;<br>
ORGANISE! Work as a body of people and as a community of believers in...<br>
CHANGE! and make our voices heard. </p>
<p><font size="4"><b>Participants are posting daily interviews and reflection on their IPHU - </b></font><a href="http://www.phmovement.org/en/IPHU-Thessaloniki" target="_blank"><font size="4"><b>BLOG</b></font></a><font size="4"><b> , you can follow their activities on the</b></font><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peoples-Health-Movement/228820500472434" target="_blank"><font size="4"><b> Facebook page </b></font></a><font size="4"><b>and via #phmovement.</b></font></p>
</div><div><br></div><div><br clear="all"></div><div>--<br>Global Secretariat<br>People's Health Movement (PHM)<br>Email: <a href="mailto:globalsecretariat@phmovement.org" target="_blank">globalsecretariat@phmovement.org</a><br>
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