Doctors for Global Health General Assembly

by: lindarella

Mon Jul 05, 2010 at 11:27:15 AM PDT

Join Doctors for Global Health for their 15th Annual General Assembly

                                            August 6th-8th

                                           Atlanta, Georgia

 Seeds of Change:  Health and Justice in the Global Recession 

Keynote speakers:

Alice Lovelace- Atlanta poet and organizer for social change

Jim Withers- Founder of Street Medicine Institute and Operation Safety Net

Opening address by Dr. Elizabeth Kiss, President of Agnes Scott College

Register now at www.dghonline.org

The General Assembly is a great opportunity to hear reports from the field directly from our overseas partners and volunteers.  Other topics to be discussed include the impact of the economic recession on minority communities; the effects of mining on health; water rights; and health care reform.

Registration is on a sliding scale fee basis.  There are scholarships available for students and others.  Thank you!  We are looking forward to seeing people interested in health and human rights this summer in Atlanta!

Who we are:  Doctors for Global Health has been working for 15 years and counting to improve the health and well-being of poor, marginalized commuities around the world by increasing access to quality health care; developing educational opportunities and avenues for artistic expression; and raising awareness of health and other human rights.  Learn more at http://www.dghonline.org

Doctors for Global Health Statement Denouncing Israel Bombing of Gaza

by: los anjalis

Sat Jan 17, 2009 at 19:40:07 PM PST

Doctors for Global Health Statement Denouncing Israel Bombing of Gaza

Doctors for Global Health adds its voice with those around the world in denouncing the air strikes on Gaza conducted by Israel in recent days that continue to this day.  

While it is clear that rocket fire by Hamas militants against civilians should be ended because it does not help end the occupation and is also illegal under international law, Israel's response represents collective punishment on the entire Gaza population, clearly in violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Israel's disproportionately violent military attack, targeting of civilians and total blockade of the Gaza strip further violate these Conventions.  Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHR) and the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) in Ramallah state that the health system in Gaza, in a state of near-collapse due to the blockade imposed for the last one and a half years, is overwhelmed by the current crisis and cannot provide adequate care for the hundreds of wounded and dying. The bombing of the major medicines and medical supplies store has destroyed critically needed pharmaceuticals and materials. PHR and PMRS estimate that one million dollars is needed to restock these lost supplies. Closing of all border crossings has made it impossible to transfer the severely wounded outside of Gaza to get the care they need and for necessary medical supplies to be brought in.

As US and World citizens, we appeal to our elected representatives to push publicly for the immediate cessation of bombing and reinstatement of the cease-fire pending resumption of fairly moderated peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians.

As an organization, we have signed the Open Letter sent to President-Elect Obama drafted by the "US Campaign to End the Occupation" and signed by many peace, religious and grassroots' organizations.  At this time of crisis, we are in solidarity with those in Palestine and Israel who are fighting for their survival and the respect of their basic human rights.  

In solidarity for human rights for all,

Board of Directors, Doctors for Global Health

Submitted 1 January 2009

Live blogging from El Salvador!

by: los anjalis

Mon Oct 29, 2007 at 18:00:00 PM PDT

We are American physicians and international volunteers, El Salvadorean doctors and health promoters (promotoras) and community organizers, and people of similar persuasions from other Central American countries.

We are gathered in El Salvador for the 12th annual general assembly of Doctors for Global Health, an organization that was founded in 1995 by Lanny Smith, a mentor and inspiring physician in the US who spent 6 years in El Salvador working with others to empower communities around health.  This gathering in El Salvador is the first general assembly outside of the US, and my friends and I are pretty lucky to experience it.

The setup: Pre-conference day trip to a town called Santa Marta.  This town is full of progressive community organizers who have shown sustainable improvements in community health through various programs.

Next -- 3 days of an inspiring conference, breakout sessions, and cultural entertainment at a beautiful and quaint retreat center in San Salvador.

Lastly -- a two-day trip to Morazon, in north-east El Salvador -- to listen to the community there discuss their successes, strategies, and struggles around health empowerment.

What a revolutionary ride it is -- to experience El Salvador, the energy here, and a health conference so broadly inclusive of the social determinants of health (poverty, housing, gender, food, etc).  More to follow...

And lastly, some info on Doctors for Global Health from their website:

Though many of us are health professionals, our solutions extend far beyond the medical. We volunteer our time and expertise in communities that invite us to join them. We fund and support local projects that build on the energy, creativity and passion of local leaders. We educate and advocate for domestic and foreign policies that promote justice and peace. We accompany communities in fulfilling health and other human rights...

Every community we accompany has unique strengths and needs, but they all share a common thread: The health inequities they face are symptoms of larger social, economic and political injustices. Malnutrition, poverty, preventable death and violence all violate basic human rights. As global citizens, we must name and challenge these injustices.