PEOPLE’S HEALTH ASSEMBLY 2
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, II Rsamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos i
PEOPLE’S HEALTH ASSEMBLY 2
r-‘O’
MUND!AL POR
- ■ ■
PEOPLE'S HEALTH MOVEMENT
NUMERO 1
Pijuano
16-17 DE JULID/JULY/2005
www.phmovement.org/pha2www.iphcglobal.org
Cuenca-Ecuador
iPiensa, sum resists!
jPIENSA, SUENA, RESISTE!
ARTURO QUIZHPE
FRENTE NACIONAL POR LA SALUD
DE LOS PUEBLOS DEL ECUADOR
El Frente Nacional es anfitrion de laAsamblea Mundial de
la Salud de los Pueblos en Cuenca. Esperamos que las experiencias de los delegados proveniences de diferentes rincones
enriquezcan nuestro movimiento por un mundo mas justo.
Las luchas locales inspiran a la gente alrededor del mundo y
con esto se lograra tambien fortalecer la resistencia local.
El Frente, fue formalmente creado hace un ano. El proceso y las discusiones en manos de activistas de la salud, profesionales en el campo de la medicina y gente relacionada con
los movimientos de resistencia ha sido una larga batalla. Muchos movimientos han brindado su solidaridad.Algunos de los
miembros clave incluyen trabajadores de la salud, indigenas y
Mps miembros de la comunidad que estan luchando por su
^recho a la salud.
Es muy importance indicar que cuando nos referimos a "sa
lud", no Io hacemos en un sentido limitado. Nuestra lucha por
los derechos a la salud es una extension de los desafios que
presentamos a las relaciones de clase y poder entre las dife
rentes clases. Es una lucha por la redistribution de la tierra y
de la riqueza. El fruto social debe ser compartido a sectores
mas amplios de la poblacion.
Estamos en contra de los tratados de fibre comercio que
favoi 'cen unicamente a los ricos y a las transnacionales. Necesitamos tratados de comercio equitativos; pero aim en este con^xto, neces:h.mos acuerdos entre grupos que se encuentren en condiciones socio-economicas similares. Solo
podemos considerar negociaciones con el norte cuando las
alianzas entre los pafses del sur logren firmeza y estabilidad.
El intento del Frente Nacional consiste en unir fuerzas con
otros movimientos Latinoamericanos. En este lugar se denota la presencia de fuertes movimientos politicos-sociales de
i^uierda. Se esta luchando en contra de las Hamadas fuerzas
^Kiales "democraticas", en contra de la intervention militar
de los Estados Unidos y otras fuerzas corruptas involucradas.
Se requieren cambios radicales. Participacion activa. Una vida
con dignidad.
No nos referimos a cambios superficiales como diferentes
candidates dentro del mismo sistema politico. Estamos cansados de votar "unicamente" por candidates que prometen. Pe
ro de hecho, no estamos dispuestos a transigir, Io evidencia el
numero de presidentes que hemos destituido. Buscamos cam
bios mas profundos, un paradigma diferente. Creemos que
el...2
THINK, DREAM, RESIST
ARTURO QUIZPHE
NATIONAL FRONT FOR PEOPLE'S HEALTH
The National Front is hosting the Peoples’ Health Assembly
here in Cuenca. We hope that the experiences of delegates
from all over the world will enrich our movement for a just
world. Local struggles inspire people from across the world
and this, we believe, further strengthens local resistance.
The Front, as it is popularly known, was formally launched
about a year ago. But the process and the discussions invol
ving health activists, medical professionals and people linked
to various resistance movements has been a long drawn battle.Various movements extended their solidarity. Some of the
key constituents include health workers, indigenous people
and others from the community who are struggling for their
right to health.
It is important to recognize that when we mention 'health’,
we don’t mean it in a narrow sense at all. Our struggle for
health rights is a mere extension of the challenges we pose to
class relations and to the power equations between the diffe
rent classes. It is a struggle for the redistribution of land and
wealth.The social produce has to be shared by wider sections
of the people.
We are against free trade agreements which only favour
the rich and transnational corporations. We need fair trade
agreements - but even within this, we need agreements bet
ween people in similar socio-economic conditions. Once
south-south alliances are firm and in place, we can consider
negotiating with the north.The scenario as it exists now is li
ke a boxing match between a 200 pound, 2 m heavyweight
and a one month old child. It is not only unjust but perverse.
National Front’s attempt then is to join forces with other
Latin American movements. There are strong political-social
left movements here. People are struggling against the so ca
lled social ‘democratic’ forces, against US militarization and
other corrupt forces within. People want change - radical
change. Real participation. A life of dignity.
We are not talking about minor changes like different can
didates within the same political system. We are tired of vo
ting for’just' candidates who promise the earth and more. But
the fact that we are not willing to compromise is evident by
the number of presidents we have ousted.We are looking for
deeper change, a paradigm shift. We believe that the health
movement has an important role and responsibility to make
this happen,...2
Think, dream, resist!
CEREMONIA DE LOS PUEBLOS ORIGINARIOS DEL MUNDO ESTE DOMINGO 17 DE JULIO
En esta ceremonia universal e intercultural, los Pueblos Originarios del Mundo a traves de su car
ta declaratoria de compromise y unidad hacen un llamado a restaurar la armonla, la paz y la salud
en el planeta, desde el espacio andino milenario de Pumapungo, sitio sagrado Kanari-lnka de la antigua ciudad deTumipampa.
En la declaratoria exigen al mundo a reconocer su cultura, sus conocimientos y su ciencia como
aportes al desarrollo global, del mismo modo se expresa un llamado a construir un mundo nuevo,
en el que la salud de los pueblos sea la expresion de sea la expresion de su alegria, solidaridad y
armonla.
La ceremonia conjunta es un acto simbolico de sanacion de la Madre Tierra, la Pachamama, y de
sanacion de mentes, cuerpos y esplritus de todos sus hijos, para recibir las bendiciones de los ancestros por medio del agua, del fuego, del aire y de la tierra, y as! gestar el dialogo de saberes y practicas de las diferentes culturas y modelos alternatives de vida y salud. Se realizan danzas, se elevan
cantos y sonidos ancestrales, ofrendas de alimentos y bebidas sagradas para conectarse con la naturaleza.
Dr. Andres Abad
Director Areas Culturales Banco Central
LAS VOCES DE LA TIERRA NOS CONVOCAN
THE VOICES FROM AROUND THE EARTH ARE CALLING US
EL TIEMPO HA LLEGADO, LAS VOCES
DE LA TIERRA NOS CONVOCAN
RESISTIR, AVANZAR
Y GANAR
Ravi Narayan, Maria Hamlin Zuniga
Dr. Andras Abad
Director Areas Culturales Banco Central
Desde los Andes milenarios, en el sitio sagrado de Pumapungo, centra ceremonial de la antigua ciudad canari-inka deTumipamba , en Cuenca, Ecuador, sanadores de los cinco continentes, y de las cuatro direcciones del mundo -que asisten a la II
Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos- efectuaran una
ceremonia conjunta de sanacion de la Madre Tierra, la Pachama
ma , y de sanacion de mentes, cuerpos y espiritus de todos sus
hijos, para recibir las bendiciones de los ancestros por medio
del agua, del fuego, del aire y de la tierra.
Esta ceremonia universal e intercultural de los pueblos originarios del mundo, sera un acto simbolico para conectarse con
el padre Sol y la madre Tierra, y asi gestar el dialogo de saberes
y practicas de las diferentes culturas y modelos alternatives de
vida y salud.
Los Pueblos Originarios del Mundo como un llamado a restaurar la armonia, la paz y la salud en el planeta, desde este espacio andino milenario, presentaran su carta declaratoria de
compromise y unidad.
El Movimiento por la Salud para los Pueblos (MSP) es hoy un
movimiento global de activistas de la paz y la salud, gente indigena, trabajadores de la salud, profesores, estudiantes, sindicatos
y varios otros movimientos progresistas, gente con diferentes
intereses que trabajan constante e incansablemente en diferen
tes partes del mundo para la realization del sueno de "salud pa
ra todos".
La necesidad, sin embargo, en estos tiempos en los que vivimos.es avanzar de un movimiento global, al desarrollo, fortalecimiento y reconocimiento de las expresiones del MSP. Creemos que esta posibilidad se abre al llevar a cabo, la II Asamblea
Mundial de la Salud para los Pueblos (II AMSP), aqui en Cuen
ca.
Los momentos entre la I Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los
Pueblos (I AMSP) en Bangladesh, en Diciembre 2000,y la presen
te AMSP-2 en Ecuador han sido muy significativos.
I AMSP fue dirigida por Gonoshasthaya Kendra que fue pionera en las soluciones alternativas de la salud para los pueblos.
II AMSP esta siendo dirigida por el Frente Nacional para la Sa
lud de los Pueblos del Ecuador, un movimiento conocido por
su espiritu de lucha.
Ecuador y toda Latinoamerica en general, representa una historia de movimientos revolucionarios fuertes que han sacudido
a un mundo de resistencia.
La resistencia popular es una medida importance que los desafios historicos Haman a la AMSP a abarcar hoy.
Tiempo de ascender.
La necesidad de desafiar las imagenes distorsionadas de la
ayuda ficticia brindada por las instituciones financieras, exige un
esfuerzo adicional en Africa.
El cinismo y el egoismo que conducen a la demora de justicia
para Africa durante la reciente reunion de la G8, enfatiza la ne
cesidad de una campana activa de presion para los paises ricos.
La AMSP tiene una responsabilidad historica en Africa.
II AMSP le desea un tiempo emocionante y energizante du
rante el desarrollo de esta Asamblea.
PEOPLE'S HEALTH
MOVEMENT: MOVING ON
PAGE
Ravi Narayan, Maria Hamlin Zuniga
Peoples Health Movement is today a global
movement of health and peace activists, indige
nous people, health workers, academicians, stu
dents, trade unions and several other progres
sive movements- people from various walks of
life working constantly and tirelessly in different
parts of the world towards realising the dream
of health for all. But the need of the times we
live in is to move forward, from a global move
ment to developing, strengthening and recog
nising localised expressions of the PHM. We
believe that the Peoples Health Assembly-2 tak
ing place here in Cuenca presents the possibil
PAGINA
ity of that movement.
The period in between PHA-i in Bangladesh
(Dec 2000) to the present PHA-2 in Ecuador is
not without significance. PHA I was hosted by
Gonoshasthaya Kendra that pioneered people
based alternative health solutions. PHA-2 is
being hosted by the National Front for Peoples
Health - a movement known for its spirit of
struggle.
Ecuador specifically and Latin America in
general represents a history of strong revolu
tionary movements that galvanises a world of resistance.
Popular resistance is the important dimension that historic
challenges in the world call the PHM to embrace today.Time to
shift gears.
The need to challenge the distorted images of aid relief con
cocted by the international financial institutions calls for an
extra effort in Africa.The distortions and thus the delay of jus
tice for Africa during the recently held G8 emphasises the need
for active campaigning and lobbying on rich countries. PHM has
a historic responsibility in Africa.
»
PHM wishes you an exciting and energetic time during V J
assembly.
(from page I)
We have charted for ourselves, at the National Front, both
immediate and long term goals. Our immediate demands inclu
de no privatization of the health sector, fair medicine prices,
greater access to medicines and health care for everyone, in
creased state’s role in the health sector, no privatization of
health education and representation in the universities for poor
communities. In the longer term, we dream of a free society.We
are committed to making this dream a reality. PHA 2 is a step
towards this dream.
To fight and achieve these goals, we need to build alliances
with similar classes. Many people suggest that the National
Front movement should be organized according to race. But we
believe that class and not race should be the indicatorWe want
to work with working class indigenous people not rich indige
nous people. Race is introduced only to confuse and divide the
working class further.Already, the working class are confronted
with several challenges.The repressive neo-liberal laws like con
tract labour are designed to pit one section of the working class
against another. We need to be aware of these games.
Neo-liberalist globalization has helped build individualism to
an extent where the communities don’t care any longer about
unity. Human beings are naturally social. We need to counter
this attack and forge alliances. We need to work towards unity.
Only then will there be hope for 70% of the people in Ecuador
who are poor. Isolation is one of the main fallouts of this war
waged by the neo-liberalist ideology. We need to confront this
and build alliances not only within communities, but also inter
nationally.
It is our belief that the Peoples Health Movement will sup
port us as we build the resistance movement here in Latin Ame
rica.This is a two-way communication - the National Front for
People’s Health hopes to demonstrate to front line activists and
others what resistance can achieve. It is possible to continue the
struggle for utopia, to keep dreaming.
As told to Sanjana
(Viene de la portada)
Movimiento por la Salud tiene un roi importante y responsa
bilidad para hacerlo realidad.
En el Frente Nacional nos hemos planteado metas inmediatas y a largo plazo.
Nuestros requerimientos inmediatos incluyen la no privatizaci6n del sector de la salud,acceso ampliado a la salud y a las medicinas a precios justos, aumento de la participation del estado,
la no privatization de la educacion en el area de la salud y repre
sentation de las comunidades pobres en las universidades.
En un largo plazo, sonamos con una sociedad libre. Estamos
comprometidos a hacer de este sueno una realidad. La Asam
blea por la Salud de los Pueblos es un paso adelante para alcanzar este sueno.
Para luchar y cumplir con estas metas, necesitamos construir
alianzas con clases similares. Mucha gente sugiere que el movi
miento deberia ser organizado de acuerdo a la raza. Pero creemos que la clase y no la raza debe ser el indicador. Queremos
trabajar con grupos de indigenas de clase obrera. La raza se utiliza para confundir y dividir aun mas a la clase obrera. Desde an
tes, la clase obrera afronta varios desafios. Las leyes neo-libera-
les represivas como los contratos de trabajo estan disenadas de
forma que enfrentan a un grupo de trabajadores frente a otro.
Necesitamos estar atentos a estos juegos.
La globahzacion neo-liberal incentiva el individualismo y los
seres humanos somos por naturaleza comunitarios.
Necesitamos contrarrestar esta tendencia y forjar alianzas
Necesitamos construir la unidad. Solo asi habra esperanza para
el 70% de la poblacion ecuatoriana que vive bajo niveles de pobreza. El aislamiento es una de las principals secuelas de esta
guerra fraguada por la ideologia neoliberal. Necesitamos afrontarlas y construir alianzas, no solo dentro de las comunidades,
sino tambien a nivel internacional.
Creemos que el Movimiento por la Salud de los Pueblos nos
apoyara en la construction de un movimiento de resistencia en
Latinoamdrica. Esto es un dialogo. El Frente espera demostrar a
los activistas de primera linea y a otros Io que la resistencia puede lograr. Es posible continuar la lucha por la utopia sesuir sonando.
’ 6
entrevista a Sanjana
G8: EIGHT BLIND MEN TRYING TO MISLEAD THE WORLD
Satya Sivaraman
The G8 Summit in Scotland last week has
failed miserably to deliver on its pre-summit
promises of either pulling African nations out
of poverty or saving the global environment
by striking a deal to reduce global warming.
While making pious statements of concern
about Africa’s plight the world's most power
ful nations have typically refused to forgive
debt or increase aid in a way that would real
ly make a substantial difference.
"For most of the 50 million children who
will die of poverty over the next five years,
the G8 leaders have offered too little, too la
te. By 2010, we will still see the awful inequity
whereby a child dies every 3.5 seconds, just
because they are poor" said a statement from
the Make Poverty History campaign.
"While there are some nuggets on debt and
hints of progress towards cutting strings on
aid, the G8 have failed to deliver on trade" said
Steve Tibbett, Head of Policy, Action Aid, UK.
According to anti-poverty activists the G8's
promise of US$48 billion boost to aid in five
years is mostly made up of money already
pledged say anti-poverty activists. The Make
Poverty History campaigners for example calculate that of the
aid announced at Glenagles only around US$20 billion is new
money. Some of this money is also likely to be raised through bo
rrowing from future aid budgets, rather than new contributions.
Also, of the aid that is given to Africa, a large proportion will
go to Western consultants, not to the poor. A new report from
Action Aid says that 61 percent of aid flows were "phantom."
Sometimes as much as 90 percent of aid goes on to "overpriced
technical assistance from international consultants," according
to the report.
^^/hen "phantom" aid is taken out of the calculations, Britain,
the US, Germany, Italy, France, Canada and Japan spend only 0.07
percent of national income on aid. Action Aid suggests that 86
cents in the dollar of US aid is "phantom" aid because it is tied
to the purchase of US goods and services.
On debt relief, the Gleneagles meeting confirmed that there
will be 100 percent debt relief for Heavily Indebted Poor Coun
tries to the IMF and other international financial institutions.
However a large number of very poor countries have been left
out of this initiative.
" Only 18 countries have had their debt cancelled, leaving 40
more waiting. After the G8 leave Gleneagles, many poor coun
tries will still be left spending more on debt repayments than
they do on healthcare and education. For these countries this is
a major disappointment" said Caroline Sande Mukulira of Action
Aid’s Southern Africa programme.
The debt relief on offer is also dependent on the countries
meeting certain conditions. They will be expected to privatise
services such as water and will have to open their markets to fo
reign goods. Gleneagles offered Africa no concessions on trade.
This means that while they have to open their markets to get
debt relief, they will not have access to protected Western mar
kets.
On the question of HIV-AIDS, the G8 Summit has made an
explicit promise to ensure access to treatment for everyone
that needs it by 2010 but in reality, there is neither the political
will nor the means to make good on this promise.
Campaigners estimate that US$18 billion is needed in the
next three years to combat AIDS. Even if that money were avai
lable, most African countries lack the medical facilities to imple
ment a widespread treatment programme. Families affected by
AIDS seldom have access to the clean water and power supply
that are necessary to maintain hygiene or the nutritious diet
that sufferers need. A serious anti-AIDS programme would re
quire a concerted attempt to combat poverty and improve the
entire social infrastructure in Africa.
" We need fair trade rules that allow countries to buy and
produce cheaper drugs. Without these changes the G8’s target
is meaningless" said Simon Wright, head of ActionAid UK's HIV
and Aids campaign.
UNIVERS1DAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA SALUD DE LOS
PUEBLOS
ENCUENTRO MUNDIAL DE INVESTIGADORES DE LA
SALUD
En la semana del I I al 15 de julio participaron 60 estudiantes
de los cinco continences, en el primer curso de la 1PHU, donde
se abordaron diferentes temas en torno al tratamiento de la
salud como un derecho humano fundamental, explorando
desde el punto de vista de la economia de la salud, las imphcaciones e impacto de la orientacion neoliberal de los sistemas de
salud.
El 14 y 15 de julio re reunieron en Cuenca 100 investigadores
de los 5 continences del area de la Salud. Fue un espacio multi
cultural construido con la finalidad de lograr la transformacion
de la salud social a nivel mundial, por medio de nuevas alternativas y la participacion de los investigadores.
QUE HEMOS VISTO DE LA II AMSP
FESTIVAL DE CINE INFANTIL
Del 4 al 8 de julio se desarrollo con exito el Festival de Cine
Infantil, mismo que capto la atencion no solo de los nihos y
ninas de nuestra ciudad, sino tambien del publico adulto. Las
peliculas que se proyectaron cautivaron a los espectadores que
acudieron al Teatro Sucre, y apreciaron 28 historias llenas de
color y sensaciones, proyectando suefios y vivencias de nihos y
nihas de todo el mundo.
Fabiola Zavala Sanchez
WHAT WE HAVE SEEN AT THE PHA-2
CHILDREN’S FILM FESTIVAL
The Children’s Film Festival was held in Cuenca from the 4th
to the 8th of July. This event was a success because it didn't just
get the children's attention but also adults were captivated by it.
The movies that were played mesmerized all the people that
attended "Teatro Sucre".They were able to be part of 28 different
tales full of color and sensations that showed the dreams children
have worldwide.
PEOPLE’S HEALTH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
During the week of the I I th to the 15th of July, 60 students
from all five continents participated in the first course given by
the IPHU. Here they treated different topics regarding Health as
a basic human right. They explored the topic from the economy
point of view and the implications and impacts caused by the neo
liberal orientation health systems have nowadays.
WORLD'S ASSEMBLY OF HEALTH INVESTIGATORS
The 14th and 15th of July, a hundred investigators in the med
ical field from the 5 continents gathered together in Cuenca. It
was a multicultural space built with the purpose of achieving the
transformation of health in the world through new alternatives
and participation of the investigators.
Fabiola Zavala Sanchez
LA VOLUNTAD HECHA CARNE...
Gloria
Tatiana Siavichay, Diana Guerrero, Maria Jose Marquez,
Lorena Barreto, Andrea Prado, Ruth Espinoza, Carolina
Montenegro, Pamela Cartucho, son nifias de 14 y 15 anos, que
viven en Cuenca, Ecuador, y nos cuentan como se involucraron
el el Festival de la II Asamblea:
Piotr Zalamea, Director del Grupo de Teatro Experimental
"Barojo", nos invito a participar como Zannis en el Festival de
Cine Infantil.
Los Zannis son personajes de la comedia del arte italiana que
utilizan mascaras y Io enredan todo.
Empezamos hace un mes invitando a nin@s de las escuelas
para vieran las peliculas, ayudando a los abuelitos a preparar sus
trajes y proponiendoles temas de conversation con l@s nin@s.
Se logro que nifias y ninos sean una parte importance en las
actividades culturales de la Asamblea.
A traves de la Asamblea tod@s vamos a aprender Io que en
otros paises estan haciendo por la salud.
Desde el Festival de Cine, nos hemos quedado trabajando
como voluntarias en otras actividades. Ahora mismo en la
Asamblea se siente un espiritu de trabajo, colaboracion y alegria.
PROTEGIENDO A LA MADRE TIERRA
Pat Anderson y Stephanie Bell
II AMSP es un espacio donde esperamos escuchar a los pue
blos indigenas de Latinoamerica.
La interaction entre los pueblos indigenas, sin ninguna interferencia exterior, es la que reforzara la lucha. El mundo necesita reconocer que la gente indigena de todo el mundo ha estado viviendo las ideas que hoy estan siendo discutidas.
Compartimos una vision del mundo en la que seres inanimados como animados son uno. La Tierra es la madre, la Tierra no
nos pertenece, pero nosotros si a eila. Somos meros custodios.
Y frecuentemente nos metemos en problemas por esta cosmologia.
Cuando vives y duermes en Australia, te das cuenta que la podriamos comparar con una dama anciana que necesita especial
atencion y cuidado.
Los aborigenes caminaban libremente. No teniamos ningun
manuscritos, tampoco construiamos enormes estructuras. La Ilegada de barcos a nuestras tierras represento la primera invasion.
La decision de dispersar a los aborigenes en campos de con
PHA2 Media Team
Gloria
It was Piotr Zalamea (director of the Experimental Theatre
Group, Barojo), who invited us to participate in the role of
Zannis in the Children's Film Festival.The Zannis are person
ages of the Italian art comedy who use masks and entangle
everything. We had to deliver invitations to schools in Cuenca,
so that children do not lose the opportunity to watch the films.
We helped the grandpas to prepare their suits and we prepare
subjects for them to talk with the children. We began to work
a month ago.
Through the Assembly, the people of Cuenca are going to
learn what people in other countries are doing regarding health.
Children are happy to be important part in the cultural activi
ties of the Assembly; and that the people become aware of the
importance of physical health as well as the spiritual, emotional
and psychological well being.
As a result of the Film Festival, we are working as volunteers
in other activities. Right now, in the Assembly, there is a feeling
of work, collaboration and joy.
Tatiana Siavichay, Diana Guerrero, Maria Jose Marquez,
Lorena Barreto, Andrea Prado, Ruth Espinoza, Carolina
Montenegro, Pamela Cartucho from Cuenca (all aged between
|4 and 15 years).They have been supporting the assembly and
related events tirelessly.
brazos.
Si bien la discriminacion ha disminuido, continua hasta la fecha. La reciente introduction de
PAGE
4
PAGINA
Acuerdos de Responsabilidad Compartida es
una desgracia. ;Por que debe el estado compensarnos por cuidar a nuestros ninos?
Fuimos parte de un proyecto en Alma Ata en
l978.Talvez nosotros seamos la unica comunidad indigena en implementar la Declaracion de
la Alianza Aborigen de Servicios Medicos. Es la
ultima federation indigena en Australia. Estamos
en medio de la Campana para preservarla. Nos
negamos a permitir que el estado la desmantele de la misma manera en que hizo otros servi
cios aborigenes. No quedaria nada. Necesitamos luchar.
nr- n
INTERNATIONAL PEOPLE'S HEALTH
UNIVERSITY TO CREATE 'HEALTH
BRIGADES'
MEET OUR VOLUNTEERS...
centration en Australia fue la segunda. Las atrocidades representaron anos y anos de ataque
brutal. Necesitabamos permiso para contraer
matrimonio, para hablar nuestro propio idioma,
nuestros ninos fueron arrancados de nuestros
The struggle for‘Health for All’ received a boost through the
launch of the International People’s Health University (IPHU).
IPHU was launched on I I July in Cuenca, Ecaudor as a pre-run
to the second People’s Health Assembly.
The IPHU is a project of the International People's Health
Council and part of the global People's Health Movement.
61 students from 25 countries and from various walks of life
as well as public health and medical experts from 10 other
countries are participating in the course.
"University will be the backbone for the evidence based
approach to people’s health" said Prof. David Legge, an archi
tect of the university. "The aim is to create cadres of skilled
people who can take the struggle of health for all forward" said
Prof. Legge a well-known public health expert from Australia.
Over 1500 people from all continents (Asia, Africa, Australia,
Europe and Americas) will be coming together for the second
People’s Health Assembly (PHA- 2) in the historic mountain city
of Cuenca from 17-23 July, 2005.
The presence of students from developed countries is seen
as a signal of soul searching amongst the public health con
stituency there.
The presence of indigenous people from Ecuador, Australia,
Guatemala and other places is a highlight of this unique course.
In a world that increasing realizes that health is not just about
fighting viruses, the course is seen as a historic move.The politi
cal and social context of health like causes of poverty, inequalities,
new diseases, casualties from wars, conflicts and disasters and
unfair trade agreements are the recurring themes of the course.
The dynamic and interactive nature of the course offers an
opportunity to learn about initiatives, experiences and ongoing
struggles to defend the health rights in various parts of the
world.
The International People's Health University aims to con
tribute to the ‘health for all’ campaign by strengthening peoples
health movements around the globe, by organising and resourc
ing opportunities to learn, share and plan for health activists,
particularly from Third World countries.
visit: www.iphcglobal.org
LA UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE
LA SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS HACIA LA
CREACION DE "BRIGADAS DE SALUD"
Equipo de comunicacion de IIASMP
La lucha por "la Salud para todos y todas" se ha dinamiz^ki
con el lanzamiento de la Universidad Internacional de la SafR?
de los Pueblos, que tuvo lugar en Cuenca, Ecuador del I I al 15
de julio, constituyendo un evento previo a la II Asamblea para la
Salud de los Pueblos. Este es un proyecto del Consejo
Internacional para la Salud de los Pueblos, el cual forma parte
del Movimiento Mundial para la Salud de los Pueblos.
Participaron 61 estudiantes proveniences de 25 paises con
varios perfiles, y tambien expertos medicos y de salud publica
de otros 10 paises mas. La presencia de estudiantes prove
niences de paises en desarrollo se percibe como la serial para
una investigacion profundamente enraizada por parte de los
representatives de Salud Publica que estuvieron presences. La
representation de personas indigenas de Ecuador, Australia,
Guatemala y otras partes ilustra este proposito unico.
David Legge famoso experto en Salud Publica de Australia, y
mentor de la Universidad dijo: "El enfoque central de la
Universidad esta basado en la practica para la Salud de los
Pueblos , ademas acoto que "El objetivo es capacitar a activistas que puedan llevar la lucha para todos adelante".
Ahora que vemos a la salud mas alia de la lucha contra epidemias y enfermedades, este primer curso esta considerado
como un movimiento historico, ya que nos permite visibilizar el
contexto politico y social de la salud, como las causas de la
pobreza, desigualdades, nuevas enfermedades, victimas de guerras, conflictos y desastres y acuerdos comerciales injustos
fuero unos de los temas recurrentes del curso.
La naturaleza dinamica e interactive del curso ofrece una
oportunidad para conocer iniciativas, experiencias y luchas
actuales para la defensa de los derechos en salud en varias
partes del mundo.
La Universidad Internacional de la Salud de los Pueblos tiene
como objetivo contribuir a la campana: "Salud para todos y
todas". reforzando los movimientos para la salud de los pueblos
del mundo, organizando y proponiendo oportunidades para
aprender, compartir y plantear para los activistas de la salud,
particularmente los que vienen de paises en vias de desarrollo.
www.iphcglobal.org
PAGE
Piiuano
PAGINA
. i AM
I fisamblea Mundjal de
a Salud tie los Pueblos
’eopte's He
ECUADORIAN AMAZON: OIL AND TEARS
Miguel San Sebastian
Ecuador lives off its oil production. But its environment is
dying of it, in the Amazon basin.
Oil has been Ecuador’s chief economic driver since the 1970s
accounting for 40 per cent of its export earnings. Much of it
comes
from its northeastern parts, where the national and foreign
companies
have together extracted over two billion barrels of crude oil.
In the process they spewed billions of gallons of untreated
wastes,
gas and crude oil too. From 1972 to 1993, the waterways and
land in the Amazon region went under 30 billion gallons (I 14 bi
llion litres) of toxic wastes and crude oil. Compare that with the
10.8 million gallons (40.9 million litres) spilled in the 1989 Ex
xon Valdez tanker disaster in Alaska, one of the largest sea oil
spills ever.
Local peasants and indigenous people report that the rich
fish wealth in their streams and rivers have now been nearly wi
ped out.Their cattle are dying from drinking contaminated wa
ter, and they get skin rashes if they bathe in their rivers particu
larly when the rainwater brings more wastes in, from the near
by pits.
A 1997 collaborative research process covering these vulne
rable communities reported higher rates of skin mycosis, tired
ness, itchynose, sore throat, headache, red eyes, ear pain diahorrea and gastritis. Women there had more spontaneous abor
tions and further studies noted higher cancer rates in adults and
children in counties that had oil exploitation for over 20 years.
The Ecuadorian Government still has no effective strategy in
place to counter these threats. The oil industry swears by its
economy building role, but is silent about its flip side.
Other oil producers in Latin America, Bolivia, Columbia and
Peru, Share a similar plight. Further unregulated oil exploitation
can only compound the problem in Latin America.The only way
out is aligning trade policies towards environmental sustainabi
lity and social justice.
WALKING LIGHTLY ON
PLANET EARTH
Pat Anderson and Stephanie Bell
PHA-2 is a space where we hope to listen
to indigenous peoples from Latin America.
The interactions between indigenous peo
ples - without any interference from outsi
ders - are what will strengthen the struggle.
The world needs to recognize that indige
nous people everywhere have been living the
ideas that are being discussed today.
We share a worldview that the inanimate
and the animate are one. The Earth is the
Mother. We don’t own land, She owns us. We
are mere custodians. And often we get into
trouble because of this cosmology.
When you live and sleep on Australia, you
will realize she is a very old lady who needs
extra care and attention. Aboriginals walk
lightly - we didn’t have any written manus
cripts, neither did we build huge structures.
The arrival of the ships on our lands was the
first invasion.Their decision to disperse abo
riginals into concentration camps across Aus
tralia the second.The atrocities — we needed
permits to marry, to speak our language, our
children were removed from us - it has been
years and years of brutal onslaught.
Though the discrimination is more subtle, it continues till da
te.The recent introduction of the Shared Responsibility Agree
ments is a disgrace. Why should the state compensate us for ta
king care of our children?
We were part of the drafting process at Alma Ata in 1978. We
are perhaps the only indigenous community to actually imple
ment the Declaration through the Aboriginal Medical Services
Alliance. It is the last independent indigenous federation in Austafa.We are in the middle of a campaign to preserve this. We
rSRe to allow the state to dismantle it the way it did the ot
"Connections for the Middle East to the rest of the world-
WHY AM I HERE?
PHA 2 is the place to be. The PHM has achieved so much and
the PHA 2 provides a platform for sharing experiences arid to
'To be part of a family that has come together from all parts
of the world to survive."
NASIM MANOUCHEHRABADI, IRAN
"La asamblea es una nueva experiencia donde yo puedo conocer a nuevas personas. Tambien, puedo conocer como esta la
salud de los pueblos e intercambiar ideas."
LINDA ROJAS, ESTUDIANTE, HOSPITAL ‘VICENTE CO
RRAL MOSCOSO’, CUENCA, ECUADOR
develop more concrete actions to promote health for all.
HANI SERAG, EGYPT
"Through the PHA 2, we hope to strengthen the capacities of
our global and regional structures and ensure optimum func
tions of these structures."
DAVID SANDERS, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC HEALTH,
SOUTH AFRICA
"I am here to support and strengthen the alternative forces
"I would like to learn from popular movements of other
countries and develop my awareness, analysis and response to
the lack of health in my own country. I believe it is important
to learn how to develop international solidarity, especially for
those of us from imperialist nations."
MARTHA ROBERTS, BUS RIDERS UNION, VANCOUVER,
CANADA
"The PHA 2 is a space to show solidarity for the struggle for
health and learn about the struggles for health in different coun
tries. I look forward to meeting the future health warriors of
the world. PHA 2 needs to take up terrorism and how the im
perialist nations are breeding terrorism in the name of contro
lling terrorism. This process has to end to ensure the security
of the people worldwide."
ZAFRULLAH CHOWDHURY, GONOSHASTHYA KEN
DRA, BANGLADESH
"I am here because my parents are here. While they are at
tending workshops for adults, I hope to attend the children's fo
rum."
CELIA REID JAILER SHANNON (AGE 9), USA
"It gives a break to the stress and frustration I often face in
my work in rural areas."
RAKHAL GAITONDE, INDIA
working for health care."
HARI JOHN. MALAYSIA
“I have been watching the Movement from PHA I onwards.
I would like to know what is new and who is new ."
A JOURNALIST
"I am here to acquaint myself with people who have the sa
me belief of social justice. Working together and solidarity are
needed to reduce health inequities to the disadvantaged."
NOLUTHANDO FORD-NGOMANA, SOUTH AFRICA
"For me, it is a satisfaction to represent the indigenous peo
ple of Ecuador and to exchange the challenges and solutions in
different communities."
MARTINA PUCULPALA, FEDERATION OF INDIGENOUS
WOMEN AND AGRICULTURAL WORKERS, ECUADOR
“For international solidarity and to demand the imperialist
governments to get out of Iraq, Palestine and to tell them that
the world should be a safer, healthier and better place without
occupying forces."
BANGLADESH TEAM
“Trying to figure out!"
A DELEGATE
COMPILED BY SOWBHAGYA
her aboriginal services. There would be nothing else left. We
need to fight.
BLESSED THROUGH WATER, FIRE, AND EARTH
Dr. Andres Abad
Director, Cultural Areas in the Central Bank
In this intercultural and universal ceremony, native people from all over the world gathered in the
millenary Andean space Pumapungo, old city Tumipampa’s sacred Place.Through the "Commitment
and Unity Letter", the natives call people to restore harmony, peace and health in the earth.
In this letter they demand the world to recognize their culture, knowledge and their science as
Ml NCI ON de
ALEGREMIA
Del Amor venimos
Y al Amor nos vamos
De la nada a todo, somos unidad.
Si ries yo rio, si cantas yo canto
Ya no estas mas solo
Conmigo estaras.
Aire que respiro
Y yo no te veo
Como un remolino,
Por mi cuerpo vas,
Queremos trabajo
Para nuestra gente,
Sin humos daninos,
Sin contaminar.
Agua en mi cuerpo
Agua en la Tierra,
Es agua es tesoro
De la humanidad.
Si el Agua es pura
Seremos pureza,
Cuidando del Agua
Me han de encontrar.
La Epidemia de Alegremia
Contagiandonos esta
Con la A de la Esperanza
No hace falta vacunar.
jAlimento bueno!
Que nace en la Tierra
Placer en mi boca
Y vida me da.
Primero la siembra,
Despues la cosecha,
Si Io hacen tus manos,
Mas rico sera!
Abrigo en mi pueblo
La casa en que vivo
Tambien es la manta
Que me da calor...
Pero hay algo amigo
Que me quita el frio,
Es tu abrazo tibio
Que me trae el Sol.
Es Arte divino la Naturaleza
Y yo formo parte
De esa creation,
Y sueno colores, bailes y poemas
Que cantan la Vida
Desde esta Cancion
La Epidemia de Alegremia
Contagiandonos esta
Con la A de la Esperanza
No hace falta vacunar.
Letra: Creacion colectiva en talleres con
ninas y nines de 10 a 18 anos
Musica: Melisa Dayami Skarp Bina
y Gustavo Adolfo Almir6n
Proyecto Rural "Descubrirse al paso ,
Cruce Viejo, Puerto Tirol,
Chaco, Argentina.
Contacto: Maria Lila Bina,
Lilabina7@yahoo.com.ar
contributions for the global development.They also cal individuals to build a new world, in which
people's health would express their happiness, solidarity and harmony.
They ceremony is a symbolic act of healing the Mother Land, the Pachamama, as well as its chil
dren’s mind, body and spirit. By doing this they are ready to receive the blessings from the ances
tors through water, fire, air and earth. That way, they can start an exchange of ideas in the knowl
edge and practices of the different cultures and alternative ways of life and health. They carry out
dances, sing songs, and ancestral sound. They offer holy beverages and food to get in contact with
nature.
CREALO O NO?
SABIA USTED QUE...
MENSAJE DE HIPOCRATES,
AVICENNA Y VAGBHATA
BELIEVE IT OR NOT ?
DID YOU KNOW THAT ....
Los Pueblos Indigenes enfrentan dificiles retos en cuanto a
salud
Indigenous people face tough health challenges:
• El porcentaje de pueblos indigenas que viven por debajo de la
linea de la pobreza en Mexico es del 80.6% en comparacion
al 17.9% de pueblos no-indigenas.
• Percentage of indigenous people living below the poverty line
in Mexico is 80.6% as compared to 17.9% of non-indigenous
• Las principales causas de las alias rasas de indice de mortalidad en ninos indigenas pueden ser prevenidas y controladas,
en el caso de enfermedades parasitarias o transmitidas por
mosquitos.
• The leading causes of high mortality and morbidity rates of
indigenous children are preventable communicable, vectorborne or parasitic diseases.
• Los ninos son terriblemente afectados por la pobreza. En la
zona rural ecuatoriana, el 76% de ninos indigenas son pobres.
people.
• Children are adversely affected by poverty. In rural Ecuador,
76% of the indigenous children are poor.
• En El Salvador, el desempleo entre indigenas es del 24%.
• In El Salvador, unemployment among indigenous people is
24%
• En El Salvador, cerca del 91% de las familias indigenas consumen agua de rios.
• In El Salvador, nearly 91% of the indigenous families consume
river water
• La desnutricion cronica representa el 67.8%, Io cual es casi dos
veces el indice en la gente no indigena. En Honduras, el 95%
de ninos indigenas menores a 14 anos son afectados por la
desnutricion.
Recopilado por Hasheem Mannan
• Chronic malnutrition is 67.8%, which is nearly twice the rate
among non-indigenous people. In Honduras, 95% of indige
nous children below 14 years are affected by malnutrition.
LAS COMILLAS DEL DIA
compiled by Hasheem Mannan
QUOTE OF THE DAY
No somos parte de la tradicion neo liberal.
No tenemos memorias cortas.
Historia, la historia de resistencia, es importante para nosotros.
UN DELEGADO
We don’t belong to the neo-liberalist tradition.
We don’t have short memories.
History, the histories of resistance, is important to us.
A DELEGATE
Los tiempos fueron diferentes; asi tambien
los desafios. Como fundadores y discipulos
de la ciencia medica, nuestro enfoque princi
pal era la salud. En nuestros tiempos, incluso
sugerimos que quizas la mejor forma de sanar
es ir a las montanas y estar en compania de la
Naturaleza, aire puro, verdes arboies y agua
cristalina.
Hoy, los desafios de la humanidad son dife
rentes. La salud ya no esta en manos de los
medicos y del pueblo. Los intereses individua
tes de beneficios propios han matado el sueno que anhelamos para toda la Humanidad.
Nuestro mensaje a ustedes, los trabajadores de la salud de primera linea, que estan
asistiendo a estaAsamblea,no es solo el de ir
a las montanas para sanar.
Enfermedades complejas han infectado el
sistema. Se necesita ser mas realista y asegurarse de que la gente tenga la suficiente comida, agua limpia y un medio ambiente seguro. Ir
un paso mas adelante y pelear por los dere
chos de salubridad de la gente.
Nuestro mensaje a la comunidad internacional, ONU e instituciones financiers es el
de reconocer que sus politicas actuates estan lastimando y quebrantando los fundamentos de la salud. Es tiempo de que decidan NO HACER MAS DANO.
Entrevista a Unni
CREDITS
Published in Cuenca
Published by - PHA 2, Media team
Design: the cat
Translations: Daniela Garcia,Tamara Trownsell,
Estefania Tello, Julie Castro, Djamila Carvallo,Viviana
Rodrlguez.Tess Lanning
Editors: Fabiola, Sanjana, Julio, Jorge, Satya and Unni.
(lustrations: Servio Zapata
Copy left: .Please feel free to circulate and reprint
Copy @
www.phmovement.org
www.iphcglobal.org
Please contact: + 593 9196 1712
+ 593 9156 2953
+593 9453 0115
E mail: media@phmovement.org
MESSAGE FROM HIPPOCRATES,
AVICENNA AND VAGBHATA
Times were different and so were the challenges. As founders
and movers of medical science, our focus was on health. In our
times, we even suggested perhaps the best way to heal is to go
to the mountains and be in the company of nature, pure air,
green trees and clean water.
Today, the challenges for the humanity are different. Health is
no more in the hands of people and physicians. Profit interests
have kilted the dream we nursed- health for the people of the
world.
Our message to you, the frontline health workers, who are
attending this assembly, is not just to go the mountains for heal
ing- it doesn’t help anymore as it is not the reality. Complex
maladies have infected the system.
You need to be more realistic and ensure that people have
enough food, clean water and safe environment. Go one step
further- fight for people’s health rights.
Our message to the international, UN and financial institu
tions is to recognize that your new policies are hurting and
shaking the foundations of health.Time you decide to 'DO NO
HARM’.
As told to Unni
Pijuano
NUMERO 2
18 DE JULID/JULY/2005
www.phmovement.org/pha2www.iphcglobal.org
Cuenca-Ecuador
HASTA LA VICTORIA
DE LA VIDASJEMPRE!
ENERGIAS COSMICAS: "ALGO
QUE ME SALE DEL CUERPO"
Julio Monsalvo
Esta manana, en el Museo Pumapungo, aqul en Cuenca, tuve
UMuevo y maravilloso regalo de la Vida: parcicipar de la cererARia de los Pueblos Originarios.
Una invocacion al inicio de esta II Asamblea Mundial de Salud
de los Pueblos.
Me desborda las vibraciones vivenciales aqui en estos Andes
con culturas milenarias y pletorica de sabidurias.
Eso me impide una detallada descripcion de estas vivencias.
Ya en la vispera comence a sentir especiales emociones platicando con companeras y companeros que iban llegando a la
Asamblea...
Vivencias intensificadas en las primeras horas de la manana
de hoy con los reencuentros y encuentros...
...reencuentros con companeras y companeros con quienes
hemos confraternizado en algun momento en esce andar
haciendo caminos...
... y encontrando nuevas companeras y companeros en
estos sonares y ensonares que mueven la Historia...
Abrazos y besos...alegria.... y de inmediato comentar las
expectativas de cada una y cada uno por la ceremonia a la cual
ib^nos a participar.
acercaba la hora y con luces en nuestros ojos comenzamos a caminar desde la Facultad de Medicina hasta
Pumapungo...
Llegamos y nos encontramos envueltos por los sones de la
musica andina y quedando admirado por el escenario ceremo
nial decorado con abundances petalos de floras...7
THE VICTORY OF LIFE
FOREVER’
Julio Monsalvo
This morning in the Pumapungo Museum, here in Ceunca we
have received a new and marvelous gift of life- to participate in
the ceremony of the indigenous people.
An invocation initiated the Second People's Health Assembly
today. I am overwhelmed by this vibration of life here in the
Andes with its ancient cultures and abundant wisdom. I have
few words to describe these events.
On the eve of this Assembly, I feel a special emotion talking
to my companions who have gathered here. The first few hours
of this morning have been full of reunions with all those who
are together with us in our journey
and the meetings with
new friends that have come with the dreams and hopes that
move history
Hugs and kisses
joy....and each participant with their own
special expectations from this Assembly. The hour finally came
and with lights in.our eyes, we began our walk from the Faculty
of Medicine to Pumapungo
We arrived and found ourselves wrapped in the sounds of
Andean music and admiring the ceremonial decorations made
with flower petals. The ceremony has touched each one of us
deeply.
Surely, I do not comprehend in totality the profound signifi
cance of each movement, their unique sounds and songs. And
yet I cannot begin to share the feelings that have penetrated my
inner being. I am referring to the instant when we were asked
to raise our hands towards the four directions, towards the sky
and Mother Earth....7
THE VICTORY OF LIFE FOREVER!
"US OCCUPATION IS WORSE
THAN SADDAM’S RULE"
SALAM ISMAEL, General Secretary, Doctors for Iraq talks to the PHA2 Media
Team
About Doctors for Iraq: We saw the need for doctors to go and help
people suffering from the US invasion. Doctors for Iraq was founded in Octo
ber 2003 with 99 members.The model we had in mind was Medicins Sans Fron
tiers (MSF), except that we were confined to Iraq.
We started with two divisions- one focusing on scientific research and edu
cation, increasing availability of medical books and facilities and the other for
taking up humanitarian work, organizing medical teams, surgeons and so on to
go to conflict areas to treat patients. We have a new division — to promote the
Right to Health and the human rights of patients and doctors.
Currently we have over 250 members all over Iraq.
Experience of US Occupation: l am not a politician, do not belong to
any party and am an independent professional. My loyalties belong only to the
Iraqi people...2
"OCUPACOON DE ESTADOS UNIDOS EN IRAK
ES PEOR QUE EL REGIMEN DE SADDAM"
Entrevista con SALAM ISMAIL,
Secretario General, Doctores por Irak.
Experiencia con la Ocupacion de Estados Unidos: No soy politico, ni pertenezco a ningun partido politico; soy un profesional independiente. Mi lealtad pertenece iinicamente a la poblacion Iraqui.
Despues de dos anos de ocupacion estadounidense de mi pais. No veo nada mas
que sufrimiento de la gente. Incluso los derechos humanos mas basicos han sido
quebrantados sin documentacion de ningun tipo.
Como medico prefiero el Irak de hace dos anos. En ese entonces, al menos te
nia algunas instalaciones para trabajar pero ahora no hay nada. Hay corrupcion incontrolada por todas partes, una disminucion en los estandares de education, privatizacion de los servicios de la salud: todo el sistema de la salud esta en caos.
La situation de la salud en conjunto: En la actualidad no hay ningun centre
independiente que colecte las estadisticas de la salud. No se mantiene ningun...2
equipment and even the killing of patients insi
de hospitals by the occupation forces.
During the siege of Fallujah, many patients
died because they were not allowed to go to
hospital. Ambulances sent to pick up patients
were shot at by US troops and injured people
From page /...After two years of US occupation of my country
I see nothing but the suffering of people all around. Even the most
basic human rights are being breached without any documenta
tion of any kind.
As a doctor I prefer the Iraq of two years ago to what exists
now. Then, at least I had some facilities to work with but now
there is nothing.There is uncontrolled corruption everywhere, a
lowering of educational standards, privatization of health servi
left to die on the roads.
Violence against doctors:There is a com
plete lack of security in Iraqi hospitals nowThere has been a big rise in violence against both
ces- the entire health system is in shambles.
On the overall health situation:There is right now no
single independent center for collecting health statistics. There
has been no survey of people who have died.The Iraqi Ministry
of Health has refused to carry out any such survey.
Independent studies carried out by research organizations in
Europe however show that the overall health status of the Ira
qi people has deteriorated sharply.The number of Iraqi children
suffering from malnutrition has increased after the war and is
now on par with some of the poorest African countries. There
are at least 200 Iraqi children die from infectious diseases every
month.
The situation of people’s access to basic infrastructure such
as drinking water and electricity is also terrible. Due to corrup
tion there is a massive smuggling of expired food from Jordan
that is being sold to the Iraqi people for consumption.
Privatization of health system: The privatization of health
services started immediately after the US occupation began.
For example, the price of one liter of liquid oxygen before
the war was just 150 Iraqi dinar (I USD=2000 Iraqi dinar, 2003
prices). There were two state controlled factories that were
producing this and hence the prices could be kept low.After the
war these two factories were privatized and with that both the
quality of oxygen supplied went down and prices jumped to
1500 dinar per liter. At the Baghdad medical complex which has
five specialty hospitals oxygen is available only three days a
week, even for emergencies, because of the high prices.This has
been the situation for the past seven to eight months.
There are also an increasing number of patients going to pri
vate clinics abroad, to Jordan and Syria because the Iraqi public
health system has deteriorated in quality. Before the US occu
pation there were patients coming from these countries to Iraq
viene de la pdgina /registro de la gente que muere. El Minis
ters de Salud Iraqui se ha rehusado a llevar acabo dicho regis
tro.
Estudios independientes realizados por organizaciones de in
vestigation en Europa muestran sin embargo que en conjunto el
status de la salud de la poblacion iraqui esta agudamente deteriorada. El numero de ninos iraquies que sufren de malnutrition ha
aumentado despues de la guerra y esta ahora a la par con algunos de los paises mas pobres de Africa. Hay al menos 200 ninos
iraquies que mueren por enfermedades infecciosas cada mes.
El acceso de la gente a infraestructura basica como agua po
table y electricidad es tambien terrible.Terrible. Debido a la co
rruption hay un contrabando masivo de comida caducada pro
venience de Jordania que esta siendo vendida a la poblacion ira
qui para su consume.
La privatization del sistema de salud: La privatizacion
de los servicios de salud empezaron inmediatamente despubs
de que la ocupacion por parte de los Estados Unidos.
doctors and patients.
More than 100 doctors have been killed so
far.This is the minimum.Thousands of doctors,
many of them highly experienced have already
left the country. One very well know senior
doctor Talib Khairullah, was forced by the US
forces to leave Iraq because he allegedly belon
ged to the Baath Party once upon a time.
71 medical professors have been killed or in
timidated to leave the country in 2004 alone.
There have been three big strikes organized
by Iraqi doctors in the past year.The Iraqi army
has a free hand to enter hospitals and beat up
doctors. In December 2004 at the Al Yarmouk
hospital in Baghdad the army smashed the faces
of four doctors
Earlier this year at the Bakoba General Hos
pital, in the east of Iraq - the Iraqi army entered
and beat up one doctor and arrested another. When the doc
for treatment.
US contractors are pocketing money meant for the Iraqi
people. They are making money on all the reconstruction pro
jects. They are spending money to buy computers made by US
companies in hospitals that don’t have basic medical supplies for
their patients.
Human Rights abuses: The right of patients to have free
access to healthcare has been breached repeatedly during the
occupation. Over the past two years we have seen the bombing
of ambulances, raids on hospitals, the destruction of medical
Por ejemplo, el precio de un litre de oxigeno liquido antes de
la guerra era tan solo 150 dinares iraquies (I USD=2000 dina
res iraquies, cambio 2003). Habia dos fabricas controladas por
el estado que producian oxigeno y por esta razon podian mantener los precios bajos. Despues de la guerra, estas dos fabricas
fueron privatizadas y con esto la calidad del oxigeno aprovisionado bajo y los precios saltaron a 1500 dinares por litro. En el
Complejo Medico de Bagdad, que dene cinco hospitales de especialidad, se dispone se oxigeno solo tres dias a la semana., incluso para emergencias, debido a los altos precios. Esto ha sido
la situation en los ultimos siete, ocho meses.
Hay tambien un aumento del numero de pacientes que van a
clinicas en el exterior, en Jordania y Siria debido a que el Siste
ma de Salud Publica en Irak se ha deteriorado en calidad. Antes
de la ocupacion por parte de Estados Unidos habian pacientes
que venian de otros paises a Irak para recibir tratamiento.
Contradstas americanos estan sacando provecho del dinero
que debia ser desdnado a la gente iraqui. Estan haciendo dinero
tors protested they were also beaten up.
What the WHO should do: Nobody has been trying to re
port or monitor the issue of such violence against health per
sonnel in Iraq.
I think the WHO should monitor the situation of health in
Iraq independently.They should set up a special commission for
this purpose and not leave it to Iraqi Ministry of Health. The
world needs to find out the truth about what is happening to
the Iraqi people under US occupation.
en la reconstruction de proyectos, mejoramiento de infraes
tructura, etc. Estan gastando dinero para comprar computadoras hechas por companias estadounidenses en hospitales que ni
siquiera tienen los suministros medicos basicos para sus pacien
tes.
Abuso de los Derechos Humanos: El derecho de los pa
cientes al acceso sin costo al cuidado medico ha sido violado
constantemente durante la ocupacion. Durante estos dos ulti
mos anos hemos visto el bombardeo de ambulancias, incursiones en hospitales, destruccion de equipo medico y hasta asesinatos a pacientes en los hospitales cometidos por las fuerzas
militates de asalto.
Durante el asedio de Fallujah, muchos pacientes muri^^k
debido a que no se les permitia ir a los hospitales. Las ambuRmcias que fueron enviadas para recoger a los pacientes fueron disparadas por tropas Estadounidenses y los heridos abandonados
hasta su muerte en las calles.
Violencia en contra de los medicos: Hay mucha falta de
seguridad en los hospitales iraquies ahora. Ha habido un alto
crecimiento de la violencia en contra de doctores y pacientes.
Mas de 100 medicos han sido asesinados hasta ahora. Este es
el minimo. Miles de medicos, muchos de ellos muy experimentados han abandonado el pais. Un medico muy conocido de gran
experiencia Talib Khairullah, fue forzado por las tropas americanas a abandonar Irak debido a que. alguna vez, supuestamente
pertenecio al Partido Politico Baath.
71 profesores de medicina han sido asesinados o intimidados
para que abandonen el pais en el 2004.
El ano pasado hubo tres grandes paros organizados por doc
tores iraquies. El ejercito iraqui tiene acceso libre a los hospita
les puede golpear a los medicos. En Diciembre del 2004 en el
Hospital Yarmouk en Bagdad el ejercito golpeo en el rostro a
cuatro doctores.
Durante los primeros meses este ano, en el Hospital Gene
ral de Bakoba, en el este de Irak, el ejercito iraqui entro y gol
peo a un doctor y arresto a otro. Cuando los doctores protestaron fueron tambien golpeados.
Lo que la QMS deberia hacer: Nadie ha intentado reportar o monitorear el asunto de la violencia en contra del perso
nal de la salud en Irak.
Creo que la OMS deberia monitorear mejor esta situacion
de la salud en Irak independientemente. Deberian designar una
comision especial para este proposito y no dejarlo en manos del
Ministerio de Salud. El mundo necesita saber la verdad sobre lo
que le esta pasando a la poblacion iraqui en manos de la ocupa
cion Estadounidense.
QUIMICOSTOXICOSY LA LUCHA POR LA
SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS
Por Dr. Romeo F. Quijano
Profesor, Departamento de Farmacologia yToxicologia
Facultad de medicina, Universidad de Filipinas Manila
Bajo la etiqueta de modernizacion y desarrollo, los paises industrializados y sus companias transnacionales de quimicos han inundado el mundo con tdxicos.Los paises en vias de
desarrollo, en particular, han sido atrapados en un camuflaje pesticida a traves de la llamada "Revolucion Verde" Io que promete prosperidad en la acrecentada produccion agricola
pero que, de hecho, a resultado en un aumento de la pobreza y la miseria de los campesinos debido a la perdida de la soberania de los alimentos y los toxicos de los agroquimicos.
Los estudios cientificos y las experiencias de campo de la gente han demostrado que
los pesticidas causan una serie de problemas de salud. Se ha estimado que de 3 a 25 millones de envenenamientos agudos por pesticidas ocurren a diario, la mayoria de ellos en
paises en desarrollo. Se ha demostrado que enfermedades serias como el cancer, interrupcion del sistema inmunologico, intoxicacion constante, y muchas otras enfermedades cronicas estan asociadas con la exposicion a pesticidas, incluso en bajas concentraciones.
Hay, a nivel mundial, un aumento de la preocupacion por los efectos adversos de las
sustancias quimicas toxicas en el sistema endocrino en personas y animales. Se aumenta
la evidencia de que ciertos quimicos, propiamente llamados "obstaculizadores del sistema
endocrino", interfieren con las delicadas funciones de las mensajeras biologicas internas
Hamadas hormonas que son esenciales para el crecimiento, desarrollo y sobre vivencia de
las altas formas de vida, especialmente humanos.
Algunos toxicos, particularmente los pesticidas, son usados en la produccion, procesamiento y almacenamiento de alimentos. La salubridad de los alimentos, el requerimiento
basico del mantenimiento de la vida, y, a largo plazo, la viabilidad de las generaciones futu
Pero el problema es mucho mas amplio que los quimicos toxicos. Necesitamos reconocer que hay impulsores de toxicos, las compafiias transnacionales agro-quimicas que
promueven y monopolizan agresivamente los elementos bisicos del sistema alimenticio
como las semillas y entradas agro-quimicas.Ademas, estan los gobiernos corruptos.en es
pecial los de los paises mas poderosos, que protegen y permiten el avance de los intereses corporativos usando poderes coercitivos de autoridad para contrarrestar el mandato
de su propio pueblo para proteger los intereses de la poblacion. Juntos, estos "poderes
conjuntos" imponen su entrada a comunidades desaventajadas a traves de agencias como
el FMI, Banco Mundial, y la OMC. Imponen una economia "globalizada" caracterizada por
el control monopolico, monocosechas y la supremacia de las preocupaciones del comercio y los beneficios personales; con los cuales se destruyen las cultures indigenas y los sistemas alimenticios, creando dependencia absoluta e impotencia.
Con sus poderes combinados, estos "poderes conjuntos" dictan el funcionamiento del
sistema de produccion dirigido al mercado; establecen el sistema de distribucion favoreciendo a los ricos.construyen el conocimiento -incluyendo la ciencia- y los sistemas de informacion que moldean las creencias y las preferencias de los consumidores.
Es necesario, asegurar siempre que la campana por un medio ambiente libre de toxicos
este integrada con la lucha de los pueblos por la tierraja seguridad alimenticia y otros de
rechos sociales, politicos y economicos fundamentales. Las estrategias de la Campana deben ser completamente basadas en la comunidad, y deben dirigir la autoridad a las manos de la gente.
La salud para todos y la no exposicion toxica no pueden ser logradas sin emancipacion
social. Es necesario que todos los sectores involucrados se relacionen con los activistas
locales, en especial en las comunidades agricolas donde los alimentos son producidos. Los
activistas de las Organizaciones No Gubernamentales deben entender profundamente las
realidades concretas a nivel local y tener confianza en la habilidad de los pueblos de liberarse a si mismos. Solo un movimiento de los pueblos que golpee el centro de las causas
estructurales de la degradacion de la salud y el medioambiente lograra avances en la lu
cha por la salud de la gente.
res, esta siendo seriamente amenazada.
POISONING PEOPLE'S HEALTH
Dr. Romeo F. Quijano
Under the banner of modernization and development, the industrialized countries and their
transnational chemical companies have inundated the earth with toxic chemicals.Third world coun
tries, in particular, have been trapped into a "pesticide treadmill"" through the so-called Green Re^Jition"" which promised prosperity in increased agricultural production but which, in fact, have
resulted to greater poverty and misery to the peasants due to the loss of food sovereignty and poi
sonings from agrochemicals.
Scientific studies and people's experiences on the ground have demonstrated that pesticides
cause a variety of health problems. It has been estimated that about 3-25 million acute poisonings
from pesticides occur every year, mostly in developing countries. Serious diseases such as cancer,
disruption of the immune system, reproductive toxicity, and many other chronic illness have been
shown to be associated with exposure to pesticides, even at low concentrations.
There is growing worldwide concern on the adverse effects of toxic chemicals on the endocri
ne system of both animals and humans. Evidence is accumulating that certain chemicals, appropria
tely called "endocrine disruptors," interfere with the delicate functions of internal biological mes
sengers called hormones that are essential to the growth, development, and survival of higher life
forms, especially humans.
Many poisons, particularly pesticides, are used in the production, processing and storage of food.
Thus, the safety of food, the basic requirement for the sustenance of life and for the long-term via
bility of future generations, is seriously being threatened.
But the problem is much more than the poisonous chemicals. We have to recognize that there
are the poison-pushers, the transnational agro-chemical companies (TNCs) that aggressively pro
mote and monopolize the basic elements of the food system such as seeds and agro-chemicals inThen there are the corrupt governments, especially those in the most powerful developed
countries, who protect and advance corporate interests using coercive powers of authority to con
travene their own people’s mandate to protect people’s interests.Together, these "twin powers" for
ce their way into disadvantaged communities through various agencies like the IMF,World Bank, and
theWTO.They impose a "globalized" economy characterized by monopoly control, monocropping
and the supremacy of trade and profit concerns—thereby destroying indigenous culture and food
systems, creating absolute dependency and powerlessness.
With their combined power and enormous resources, these "twin powers" dictate the marketoriented production system; establish the manner of distribution favoring the rich, construct the
knowledge (including science) and information systems that mould consumer beliefs and preferen
ces; and enforce a system of governance that guarantees the attainment of corporate objectives.
It is therefore necessary, to always ensure that the campaign for a poison-free environment is in
tegrated with the people's struggle for land, food security and other fundamental social, political and
economic rights. Campaign strategies must truly be community-based, and must ultimately lead to
people’s empowerment.
Health for all and freedom from poison cannot be achieved without social emancipation.lt is ne
cessary for all concerned sectors to reach out in solidarity to grassroots activists, especially in the
farming communities where food is primarily produced. NGO activists must have profound unders
tanding of concrete realities at the grassroots level and have complete trust in people’s ability to li
berate themselves. Only a people’s movement effectively striking at the core of the structural cau
ses of health and environmental degradation will advance the struggle for people's health.
AGENT ORANGE:THE TOXIC LEGACY
Tom Fawthrop
The Vietnam War ended in 1975 but the legacy of chemical
warfare continues. Recent scientific studies show that dioxin
contamination and disease derived from the saturation spraying
of Agent Orange, can be passed on from one generation to the
next, now causing monstrous birth deformities to a third gene
ration 30 years after the end of the war.
Between 1961 and 1971,80 million litres of dioxin-laced her
bicides were sprayed over Vietnam designed to destroy foliage
and food crops.
The government in Hanoi has repeatedly asked the US go
vernment not for war compensation, but for humanitarian con
cern and aid for its Agent Orange victims estimated from
800,000 to around one million people:
I) those suffering serious diseases as a result of direct ex
posure to clouds of Agent Orange sprayed from US aircraft du
ring the war
2) or Vietnamese who ate food or drank water that had
been contaminated by dioxins from the spraying.
Since 1975 all US governments have refused to accept any
link between the US spraying the rainforest, and the plague of
illness and suffering that has resulted.They have refused any hu
manitarian aid and ignored Vietnamese demand for the detoxi
fication of former US military bases.
In 2004Vietnamese victims set up their own NGO calledVAVA and launched a historic class action lawsuit in the US courts
against the US corporations that manufactured Agent Orange.
Vietnamese citizens became moved and mobilised by a grass
roots campaign for justice, and I 1.5 million signed petitions in
support of the lawsuit.
The US judge has refused to allow the indictment to proceed
and it is now on appeal. During the PHA there will be two ses
sions relating to this Agent Orange campaign.
GLOBAL RIGHT TO
HEALTH CARE
"WE WILL ALL PAY FOR IRAQ"
I think that the war is stupid because
e US has no real reasons to invade Iraq.
was for their own vested interests.
lany civilians are dying and it is unfair to
lem. The US always does whatever it
Abhay Shukla and Claudio Schuftan
The world is witnessing a universal erosion of poor people's
access to health care.
But the majority of countries in the world (nearly 150) are
party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, of which the Right to Health (RTH) is one. Ho
wever, there is still a need to launch an effective global process
that will raise the level of demands for the RTH to be more se
riously implemented in all signatory countries.This calls for re
viewing, revisioning and remissioning all global and national
health sector policies.
We suggest that the PHM Initiative should, in its first phase,
focus on the RTH care.
The Initiative is all about reclaiming public health systems
that have the public at the centre.
PHM members ARE in a position to document the health sta
tus in their respective countries using a rights framework.
The idea of a Global RTH care Initiative is still in process.To
move ahead, we now need to start shaping the contours of the
same. A plenary and workshop during PHA2 (Monday) will do
just that. It is proposed to launch the campaign in phases.
In a preparatory phase, consensus on the Initiative will be wi
dely sought, and a more complete concept paper will be draf
ted. In a second, documentation and analysis phase, country pa
pers will be commissioned on the status of the RTH care in
each. We are aiming at 50 countries preparing these reports, at
least 5 in each region. These country reports will lead into re
gional reports and a global one that will feed-in into the second
Global Health Watch report. It is hoped to engage WHO in the
process and have the World Health Assembly adopt a Declara
tion on the RTH for All, either in 2007 or 2008.
The campaign will additionally increase the awareness about
the RTH, RTH watch bodies will be created, national HR com
missions will be strengthened, PHM will link its work with ot
her groups working on other rights (women’s, childrens, repro
ductive health, mental health, etc); it will also create conscience
on the structural causes eroding the RTH, putting the RTH in
the global health agenda, and counter the privatization of health
services, at the same time strengthening PHM as a movement.
•kLA SALUD ES UN DERECHO
HUMANO, NO UNA MERCANCIA!
nts, they are the superpower.
Daniela Garcia, Ecuador
"Killing of people, especially women and chil
dren should stop.
US occupying forces must
leave Iraq NOW."
Mary Sandasi, Zimbabwe
"The Iraq war has set back the work to com
bat terrorism. The issue of terrorism could
have been solved without the war. The war was
completely unnecessary. Iraq is now a mess and
"My country has been bleeding for two years and nobody
wants to know what exactly is happening there. People in other
parts of the world are enjoying peace, while there is a war in my
country. Everyday there are human rights violations occur
ring..... who is thinking about it? Where are the international
organizations which can change the situation?"
Salam Ismael, Iraq
"War was, is and always will be stupid! There is no easy way
to come out of the damage caused by the Iraq war. What hap
pened in Iraq has set off a chain reaction and all of us will feel
its impacts. We will all have to pay for what was done in Iraq."
Dr. Sunil Deepak.AIFO, Italy
"Creo que se pueden fomentar una cultura de identidad en
la cual haya respeto especialmente en Iraq. Tambien, hacer un
sabotaje para no consumir los productos de los Estados Unidos
hasta que la gente Norte Americana desocupe Iraq."
Juan, Ecuador
"In Iraq, people are having a worse time that what they had
during Saddam’s regime. I am not supporting Saddam, but today,
the solution that is offered by the United States (that is, occu
pation) is worse than the problem.
Itai Rusike, Zimbabwe
"The Iraq war was unjustified. The US attack on Iraq will
remain an incident of shame in history. The attack has broken
down Iraq and if the United States wants to save their face, they
must leave Iraq immediately."
Professor Mathura Shreshta , Nepal
"I know that America has attacked Iraq. I have seen it on TV."
Dilvara (Age I I), Bangladesh
"What we need to do now is create a strong voice to take
the US out. No Weapons of Mass Destruction were found and
the US has no moral authority to punish the people of Iraq.The
US should leave Iraq and the rest of the world in peace. The
mercancfa y tambien en las formas insidiosas que se utilizan pa
ra privatizar a nuestros sistemas de salud. jPuede resumir para
nosotros lo que enseno a sus estudiantes?
Eduardo A Espinosa: Se nota un cambio radical en el concepto contenido en la logica de la reforma sanitaria. La idea de
Entrevista al Doctor salvadoreno Eduardo A. Espinosa F, Profesor y secretario de relaciones Nacionales e Internacionales,
conducida por Garance Upham, y Audrey Morot, Movimiento
para la Salud de los Pueblos.
in the name of combating terrorism, too many
innocent lives have been lost.”
Abel Rajaratnam, India
"I am extremely saddened by what is hap
pening in Iraq. It troubles me that many people
in the US believe that the war is over and that
the country has succeeded. People are unaware
that the country has acted for its own interests.
We must create more awareness about the
realities of the Iraq situation by sharing infor
mation and experiences."
Emily Gharabally, USA
"The Iraq war was a clear act of aggression
and was imposed over the opinions of people
worldwide. Iraq is out of Saddam’s frying pan
and into America's fire. International movements must try to
disentangle popular resistance from fanatical groups so that Iraq
does not move from the US attack to control by anti-people
fundamentalist Islamic regime."
Tom Fawthrop, United Kingdom
I think my main concern is about
civilians and how they are dying due to
the war in Iraq.The US does not have
civilians dying, only soldiers. The
ordinary people are facing the con
sequences. Countries like the US
can do anything they want and
nobody can do anything about.
Organisations like the UN that are
supposed to maintain peace can
not control the US.
Estefania Tello, Ecuador
que producir salud para el pueblo vista como el motor del sistema de salud ha sido substituida por la nocion de que el objetivo del sistema es generar rentabilidad! Los defensores de este
Nuevo sistema intentan privatizar lo que es rentable en el siste
ma sanitario. Eligen lo que les permite sacar beneficios. En El Sal
vador, los lideres del gobierno dicen que no estan privatizando
los hospitales, pero privatizan todos los servicios de los hospitales que pueden, para esto primero lo someten a un ajuste economico y luego a traves del desprestigio publico lo compa^)
con la atencion privada. Otra manera de privatizar es, en vez de
que el presupuesto sanitario transite del Estado hacia el Ministerio de Salud, los fondos estan ahora gestionados por bancos
privados. Para convencer a la gente de que este sistema es mejor. jHubiera que decirles primero que la salud es un derecho
humano fundamental!
P:iQue se deberia o se podria alcanzar a traves de la segunda Asamblea para la Salud de los Pueblos (ASP), visto el extraordinario entusiasmo que existe aqui?
Eduardo A Espinosa: La Carta para la Salud se logro gracias a la primera Asamblea para le Salud de los Pueblos. La segundaASP tendria que proporcionarnos la oportunidad de dise
minar esta Carta. Los ciudadanos y activistas del mundo utiliza-
P: Usted participo a la Universidad Internacional sobre la
Economia Politica y el Derecho a la Salud, <Nos puede contar
esta experiencia?
Eduardo A. Espinosa: en paises como los nuestros, nos
alejamos del proposito de conseguir desarrollo y salud para todos. Lo interesante con esta universidad es compartir experiencias y capacitar a una nueva generacion, de esta forma el movi
miento para el Derecho a la Salud se amplia y se fortalece. Las
desigualdades entre los grupos sociales no disminuiran si no se
toma en consideracion los determinantes sociales y economicos.
P: En su intervencion, usted insiste en la necesidad de com
prender que la Salud no puede considerarse como si fuera una
ran su creatividad para elaborar otras herramientas y otros modos para tener exito.
HEALTH ISA HUMAN RIGHT,
NOTA COMMODITY!
Pr. Eduardo A Espinosa F„ MD, MPH, Former Dean of the
School of Medicine, Secretary for National and International Re
lations of the University of El Salvador, Public Health Researcher.
Interview conducted by Garance Upham and Audrey Morot,
PHM.
Q: You participated in the People's University on Political
Economy and the Right to Health, what was your experience?
Eduardo A Espinosa: In developing countries such as ours,
we are going astray from the necessary achievement of develop
ment and Health for All.The value of a school like this is to sha
re experiences and to train a new generation in the struggle so
that the movement for the Right to Health can be expanded and
become more powerful. Inequities among people will never be
reduced unless the social and economic determinants of health
US’s hunger for oil and profits should be shown
to the world."
Darby Santiago, Phillipines
are also addressed.
Q:You made a very powerful intervention on the need to
understand that health cannot be a commodity and you took
apart the insidious ways in which our health systems are being
gradually privatized. Can you sum up for us what you taught the
students?
Eduardo A Espinosa : There is a radical shift in concept
embedded in the logic of the health reform. The idea that pro
ducing healthy people is the true engine of the health system has
been replaced with the notion that the system's objective is to
generate a profit!
The advocates of the new system are seeking to privatize just
what can be made profitable in the health system.They pick and
choose what they can squeeze a profit from. In El Salvador the
government representatives swear that they are not privatizing
the hospitals, but of course they are not putting the hospitals for
sale per se, because they are not profitable.What they privatize
are all the many services of the hospitals which they can priva
tize. Private consultations for example are developed riding on
the failures of the public services to deliver, especially after se
veral years of structural adjustment. Another path to privatiza
tion is that instead of the health budget going from the State to
the Health Ministry, the budget is now managed as a Fund th
rough the private banking system.
To get people to swallow the bitter pill by convincing them
that health is a privilege instead of a fundamental human right.
Q:What could or should come out of the PHA 2, there is
such extraordinary enthusiasm here ?
Eduardo A Espinosa :The Health Charter came out of the
first People’s Health Assembly. PHA2 should give us the oppor
tunity to elaborate and spread the Charter, as citizens of the
world assembled here will use all their creativity to succeed.
statement of the native peoples
of THE WORLD
Today we raise our voices in unison, to demand:
• That native people’s culture be considered part of Humanity’s rich Heritage
• That our science and ancestral knowledge be valued as contributions to the develop
ment of most disciplines and technologies
the APiritS Of heaven and nature- °ur first fathers,
■
e Garts °f heaven and earth, our first mothers,
In a universal and intercultural ceremony...
• That governments secure constitutional recognition of native people's rights
• That the use of agrochemicals that threaten the life of man and nature stops
, the Native Peoples of the World, defenders of life and health, declare:
• That health finally stop being considered as a product subject to the free market and
that governments channel resources into people's health
We, from the ancient Andes mountains, from the sacred Pumapungo site inTumipama ( uenca, Ecuador), home of the Kanari-lnka people ofAbya-Yala (Latin America), reu
nite in the Second People's Health Assembly, and filled by the torrent of our immense
istorical and libertarian tradition, stand here proud of our healthy and harmonious co
existence with nature, to tell the world that the present crisis, defined by exploitation,
inequality and discrimination, must end;
To tell the world that we, the native peoples of the world, have decided to unite in
order to stand up against the globalisation and hegemonic ambitions that endorse the
disappearance of our native cultures and ancestral knowledge; we will not permit the
continued contamination of the fruits of the earth, the privatisation of the water, seeds.
and fruit fertilised by our Sun.
In our time those responsible for the crisis test new strategies in order to maximise
their profitability, while their desire to appropriate our ancient wisdom is confirmed as
they patent our genetic heritage from Mother Earth for their own gain; and their war
machines embark on new and different stages of invasion, occupation and even extermi
nation, killing children’s happiness;
DECLARATORIA DE LOS PUEBLOS
ORIGINARIOS DEL MUNDO
Ante los espiritus del cielo y la naturaleza, nuestros primeros padres.
Ante los corazones del cielo y la tierra, nuestras primeras madres.
En ceremonia universal e intercultural...
Los Pueblos Originarios del Mundo, defensores de la vida y la salud, declaramos:
• That concrete action be generated in order to defeat the poverty disease in Third
World countries
• That governments eliminate their budgets allocated for war
• That it be forbidden to construct military bases, platforms, radars and factories sup
porting the industry of death or human aggression, in poor countries
• That xenophobic practices and discrimination against the world’s native people be pu
nished
• That a call for the construction of a better world be made, in which people’s health re
presents that world’s joy, solidarity and harmony
• That this Statement specify this millennium as that of the Native Peoples of the World.
To dream, and to multiply our dreams and hopes that another world is possible.
For the present, for the future: the time has arrived; the voices of the earth are calling
us. And we, by the thousands, have returned!
Tumipamba, 17th July 2005
Inauguration of the People’s Health Assembly 2, Cuenca, Ecuador.
o Se considere la culture de los pueblos originarios como Patrimonio de la Humanidad.
o Se valoren nuestra ciencia y conocimientos ancestrales como aportes al desarrollo de la mayor
parte de disciplinas y tecnologias.
o Que los gobiernos concreten los reconocimientos constitucionales sobre el derecho de los pueb
los originarios.
o Que se detenga el uso de agro toxicos que atentan la vida de los elementos de la naturaleza y
del hombre.
• Que se deje de considerar la salud como una mercancia sujeta al libre juego del mercado y que
los gobiernos destinen recursos para la salud de los pueblos.
• Que se generen acciones concretas para derrotar la enfermedad de la pobreza en los paises del
Tercer Mundo.
Desde los Andes milenarios, desde el sitio de Pumapungo, en Tumipamba (Cuenca, Ecuador), lugar
sagrado Kanari-lnka de Abya-Yala, reunidos en la II Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos,
henchidos por el torrente de nuestra inmensa tradicion historica y libertaria, acudimos orgullosos
de nuestra convivencia Sana y armoniosa con el hombre y la naturaleza, para decirle al mundo que
la actual crisis caracterizada por la explotacion, inequidad y discrimen, debe Hegar a su fin.
• Que los gobiernos eliminen de su presupuesto rubros destinados para la guerra.
Decirle que nosotros, los pueblos originarios del mundo, hemos decidido mantenernos unidos
para hacer frente a las pretensiones hegemonicas y globalizantes que empujan a la desaparicion de
nuestras culturas originarias, de nuestros conocimientos y saberes ancestrales; que no estamos dispuestos a permitir que continuen contaminando los frutos de la tierra, y que se privaticen el agua,
• Que se convoque a construir un mundo nuevo, en el que la salud de los pueblos sea la expresion
de su alegria, solidaridad y armonia.
• Que no se permita en territories de paises pobres la instalacion de bases militates, plataformas,
radares y chimeneas destinadas a la industria de la muerte o a la agresion de los seres humanos.
• Que se castiguen las practicas xenofobas y discriminatorias contra los pueblos originarios en el
mundo.
• Que se concrete en esta declaratoria, la instauracion de este milenio como el de los Pueblos
Originarios del Mundo.
las semillas y los frutos fertilizados por nuestro Sol.
A sonar, y multiplicar nuestros sueiios de esperanza de que otro mundo es posible.
En momentos en que los responsables de la crisis ensayan nuevas estrategias para ampliar su
rentabilidad, cuando es evidence su deseo de apropiarse de nuestra sabidurla milenaria, patentando
para su beneficio nuestro patrimonio genetico presente en la Madre Tierra; cuando su maquinaria
belica, ha sometido a nuevas y diferentes etapas de invasi6n,ocupacidn e incluso exterminio, matando la alegria de los ninos.
Hoy, juntamos nuestras voces para exigir.
iPor el presente, por el futuro: el tiempo ha llegado, las voces de la tierra nos convocan. Y
nosotros, por miles y miles hemos retornado!
Tumipamba, 17 de juiio de 2005
Aperture de la II Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos, Cuenca, Ecuador.
SALUD, RIQUEZAY TERROR
Satya Sivaraman
Cuando Bill Gates, el jefe de Microsoft dio el discurso que
abrio laAsamblea Mundial de la Salud anual de la Organization
Mundial de Salud (WHO siglas en ingles) en Genova este ano,
solo ilustraba algunas de las reglas por las cuales funciona nuestro mundo globalizado.
Mientras que el episodic con Bill Gates en la WHO simbolizo un aspecto de la globalization, mejor dicho la marcha sin pa
re de la influencia corporativa a traves de las fronteras, la adop
tion de una nueva lista de Regulaciones Internationales de la Sa
lud (IHR siglas en ingles) por 192 paises miembros demostro
otro vez como las elites globales se estan uniendo para preve
nt que los inmigrantes pobres, crucen las fronteras.
Lo que la nueva IHR va ha ser es mas vigilancia policiaca pa
ra las elites globales y menos politica para resolver los problemas de los pobres del mundo.
Contexto en el cual las revisiones de la IHR se han hecho.
La idea de una pandemica global fatal ha estado en las noticias desde el susto del SARS al comienzo del 2003 y la WHO ha
estado dando advertencias al mundo repetidamente sobre una
pandemica que podra matar a "millones". El precedence historico al que mas se refieren es el de la influenza Espanola del 1918
que supuestamente dejo a mas de 40 millones de personas
muertas alrededor del mundo.
La verdadera pregunta es que medidas debe la respuesta incluir, que otros problemas de salud presentan amenazas al mun
do y, por consecuente, cuales deben ser las prioridades internacionales.
La nueva IHR trata de minimizar las consecuencias de cualquier pandemia global en las poblaciones de paises mas ricos sin
dirigirse la pregunta de por que estas pandemicas ocurren y se
extienden.
Las regulaciones del IHR, deliberadas en 1969, para enfrentar
las enfermedades como: colera, fiebre amarilla y viruela, estan
supuestas a gobernar las acciones de los paises y de la WHO.
Bajo las nuevas regulaciones, los paises tienen obligaciones
como: establecer su capacidad nacional de medidas de preven
tion rutinarias, al igual que responder a emergencias de salud
publica de interes internacional. Estas medidas incluyen acciones
de salud publica en los puertos, aeropuertos, fronteras y todos
los medios de transporte que las usan para transporte interna
cional.
La nueva IHR, pone al dia reglas internacionales ya existences,
y debe examinarse en los siguientes contextos:
MENOR EXPENDIO EN LA SALUD PUBLICA:
Si hay alguna oportunidad de enfrentar una pandemica global
solo sera a nivel comunitario promoviendo el concepto de la Sa
lud Para Todos. La simple verdad sobre todo sistema de salud es
que solo es tan fuerte como el paciente mas pobre del pais.
Si hoy nuevas enfermedades vienen de sitios demasiado, po
bres y desesperados de Asia y Africa la respuesta no puede ser
cerrarles las puertas al resto del mundo. Es esencial que se utilicen recursos para establecer una infraestructura basica de sa
lud y crear los recursos humanos necesarios.
INMIGRACION GLOBAL:
Con el desempleo aumentando en naciones desarrolladas
por la destruction de sus sistemas de bienestar social por politicas neo-liberales, han habido esfuerzos en la ultima decada pa
ra encontrar una posible excusa para mantener a trabajadores
inmigrantes afuera.
Cuando el fantasma del terrorismo pierda la credibilidad y
muera, temo que el nuevo pretexto para no permitir que inmi
grantes de paises en desarrollo entren a naciones desarrolladas
va a ser "la enfermedad". Despues de todo un microbio necesita un portador, y ;quien mejor para cargar el peso de nuevas y
extranas enfermedades que el humilde trabajador emigrante?
DERECHOS HUMANOS:
Cuando la paranoia sobre el SARS estaba a
su mas alto nivel, el proposito de la salud publi
ca fue razon suficiente para quitarle todos los
derechos basicos a los individuos sospechosos
de cargar microbios.
Con el desgaste severo de los derechos hu
manos que el mundo esta atestiguando gracias a
la "Guerra Contra el Terror" de los Estados
Unidos, lo ultimo que el mundo necesita ahora
es una excusa mas —la de la enfermedad—para
contener, detener y aislar a las personas y sus
pender todos sus derechos bajo el pretexto de
ser "una amenaza a la ley, la orden y la civiliza
tion".
IMPERIALISM©:
Finalmente se necesita mencionar que muy
siniestramente, en el contexto del renacimiento
de las aventuras coloniales de los poderes Occidentales en Irak y Afganistan en los iiltimos
anos, la nueva IHR provee una excusa mas a los
paises poderosos de deteriorar la soberania de
paises mas pobres y otra disculpa para empujar
la intervencion.esta vez con bajo el pretexto de
preservar la salud global.
Aun activistas de salud publica en algunos
paises en vias de desarrollo bien intencionados,
hablan seriamente de "la intervention" en estos que no pueden
"manejar" sus epidemias locales apropiadamente. Mientras que
esta advertencia puede ser todavia muy temprana, no tengo ninguna duda de que en cualquier momento saldra un reporte de
la WHO diciendo que pais X oY esta "escondiendo una epidemia" que causara sanciones globales y posiblemente una guerra.
Todavia hay tiempo de prevenir la posibilidad de que la salud
sea la proxima arma preferida en el arsenal del Imperialismo.
FEST0VAL DE LA
ESPERANZA Y
LA ALEG^EMIA:
DE SAVAR A CUENCA
f
Ninos y ninas, mujeres y hombres, jovenes y ancianos,
de las diversas etnias, idiomas, costumbres, academicos,
cientificos, activistas sociales y politicos, estudiantes, des
de todos los rincones del planeta, voces, zamponas, bocinas, tambores, poesia, ritmo y la ternura infantil se unen
para contribuir la ALEGREMIA de la tierra, y responder
a la convocatoria de sus voces
Una ola de esperanza recorre el planeta, convocando
a la unidad de los pueblos por la salud y la vida.Todos diferentes, todos iguales, negros, blancos, mestizos, indios,
cada, somos un gran telar. Las voces de la tierra nos convocan.
Es tiempo, ritmo, melodia y tonos que nos movilizai^
internamente, tambores y cuencanos colorean al mur^P
do de musica con la Banda de la Paz, y Tomback
Notas de colores, sonidos de la lluvia, lenguaje de los
grilles, tarros y carrizos, se unen en una escuelita para
format una Banda Infantil de Instrumentos Andinos, y regalarnos un misterioso lenguaje musical.
106 wuwas de los andes, que viven entre cerros, y
quebradas, que cuidan el agua y la tierra, juntan sus vo
ces y le cantan al Inti, la Quilla, la Pacha y a los cuatro
vientos. 106 wuwas que se juntan para construir la
SAIA, Sinfonica Andina Infantil deAyora.
Demonios que nos atrapan con la magia de sus ges-
tos, con la poetica de la vos y el sonido. Cuidado que
nuestros pies adoptaran un peligroso ritmo con los Tam
bores y Otros Demonios.
Y para que la fiesta de las voces de la tierra, de la ale-
gremia y la esperanza no pare nunca, viene la Banda de
Pueblo Juvenil.
Que nadie se quede, que nadie falte, que la fiesta ya se
prendio.
Fecha: Lunes 18 de julio
Hora: 18h00
Local: Coliseo Mayor de Deportes
PAGE
LOS DELEGADOS
MAS JOVENES DE
BANGLADESH
PAGINA
Cuando se habla de expresiones culturales, los idiomas no representan barrera.
Dilwara Naznin de I I anos de Savar y Ragib
Hassan de 13 anos de Sirajgurf - Bangladesh,
LA GUERRA CONTRA
LOS MEDICOS IRAQUIES
Bert De Beider
esperan demostrarlo: "nos eligieron de un
grupo de 700 participantes para venir a
Cuenca, vamos a presentar canciones y danzas de nuestro pais, Bangladesh, en el Foro
Global de la Ninez.", El Foro iniciara el 18 de
julio y es uno de los eventos especiales de a
la II AMSR
"Se siente que Cuenca es una ciudad muy
animada y colorida aunque la cultura del pais
parece ser diferente. El idioma es tambien
diferente," opinion de Dilwara y Ragib.
"Quiza se nos de tambien la oportunidad de
presentarnos entre las plenarias".
El periodista alternativo de los Estado Unidos Dahr Jamail es
una de las pocas personas de los medios de comunicacion que
han reportado desde adentro de Irak—no al estilo de CNN.enlazados amigablemente con el ejercito de la ocupacion de los
Estados Unidos en la Zona Verde—pero del medio del pueblo
de Irak en Bagdad, Fallujah, Ramada y otras partes. El mes pasado, su ultimo reporte, "Hospitales en Irak Sufren Bajo la Ocupa
cion", fue publicado en Bruselas. El documenta las insuficientazas de SUPPLIES, la falta de servicios basicos, como agua y electricidad, y la disruption de servicios medicos de las fuerzas
EEUU. Tres de los once hospitales en la encuesta habian sido
RAIDED, cinco otros esporadicamente, todos en violation
abierta de la ley humanitaria internacional.
Un ejemplo es la metida de militates de EEUU en el Hospi
tal General de Falluja en noviembre del 2004. Los soldados estadounidenses entraron, detuvieron a los trabajadores de salud
y los pacientes y confiscaron las ambulancias. El Dr. Asma Kha
mis al-Muhannadi testifico que:"Yo estaba con una mujer dando
a luz, la cuerda umbilical todavia no habia sido cortada. Un sol
dado estadounidense grito que me detengan y amarren mis ma
nos, mientras yo todavia estaba ayudandole a la madre a dar a
luz." Otro medico de Falluja dijo, "Necesitamos medicina, pero
los Estados Unidos solo mandan bombas." En verdad, el 9 de
noviembre aviones militates de los Estados Unidos atacaron el
Hospital de Emergencia de Nasal en el centra de Falluja y Io
destruyeron completamente. 35 pacientes murieron, incluyendo
5 nines.
La mayoria de los factores que afectan a la salud del pueblo
de Irak negativamente desde que la guerra y la ocupacion empezaron se hallan fuera de los servicios medicos en si. El medi
co Belga GeertVan Moorter fue en una mision de investigation
a Irak un ano despues de la caida de Bagdad. Sus conclusiones
son validas hasta el dia de hoy: "El poder de compra, la situation
de comida, y las condiciones de vivienda han sido todas seriamente deterioradas. Mas de la mitad de la production no tiene
trabajo, no tienen ingresos. El precio de la comida y la transpor
tation se han doblado. Hay problemas mayores con la electricidad, el agua potable, las aguas negras y la basura. Como resultado, la mortalidad infantil ha crecido mientras que la infraestructura medica no ha mejorado".
Miles de personas de Irak son victimas de detenciones arbitrarias y torturas. El Tribunal del Mundo Sobre Irak, en su ulti
ma sesion en Istanbul del 23 al 27de junio, hablo de "60.000 per
sonas detenidas por los Estados Unidos en condiciones inhumanas, y miles de desaparecidos". Abu Gharaib y Guantanamo se
han vuelto palabras comunes para la tortura. Recientemente el
Rapporteur Especial Sobre la Tortura de la UN se aludio a la
existencia de barcos de detention secretos de los Estados Uni
dos que estan fuera de cualquier control de ley.
De acuerdo a El Tribunal del Mundo Sobre Irak, "hay oposici6n muy amplia a la ocupacion. Resistencia politica, social y ci
vil a traves de medios pacificos ha sido contestada con represion por parte de las fuerzas de ocupacion. Es la brutalidad de
la ocupacion la cual ha provocado una resistencia armada tan
fuerte y ciertos actos de desesperacion. Por los principles representados en el Charter de la UN y en la ley internacional, la
resistencia popular nacional a la ocupacion es legitima y justificada".
Por un aho ya, Irak esta supuesta a tener un gobierno autonomo trabajando en una nueva constitution. ;Pero como puede
ser escrita una constitucion mientras que todos los dias mas de
I 50.000 soldados Estadounidenses estan montando operaciones militates en los pueblos de Irak; mientras que el pueblo vive en un estado de toque y no puede reunirse libremente,
mientras que los Estados Unidos controla las fuerzas de seguridad, el ejercito, la economia, las cortes y todos las demas instituciones relevantes? ;Dadas las desastrosas condiciones de sa
lud y de vivienda, y la violation de la soberania del pais, sus recursos, cultura y dignidad, puede ser sorprendente que la resis
tencia de la gente de Irak a la ocupacion no puede ser acabada
por el ejercito mas poderoso del mundo?
0RAQ: US 'WAR ON DOCTORS
Bert De Beider
De la pagina /...Una ceremonia que nos llegaba intensamente
^bdas y todos.
Seguramente no habre comprendido en su totalidad el pro
fundo significado de cada movimientos, de cada sonido, de cada
canto.
Solo atino a compartir uno de los sentires que llegaba a los
mas profundo de mis celulas todas. Me refiero a Io vivenciado
en el instante en que se nos indicaba elevar nuestras manos
hacia los cuatro puntos cardinales, hacia el cielo y hacia la Madre
Tierra...
En el momento que Io haciamos en forma sucesiva dirigiendonos al Este, al Sur, al Oeste y al Norte, era participar de una
rogativa colectiva por todos los Pueblos del Mundo.
Vivenciaba que por las puntas de mis dedos penetraba c6smicos vibrares que energizan los entusiasmos para participar de
esta Asamblea y para continuar "el dia despues" en esta artesanal y amorosa labor de set en Io cotidiano una revolucionaria y un revolucionario por este otro mundo posible.. que ya esta
amaneciendo... Un amanecer que Io volvimos a vivenciar esta
mafiana en Pumapungo...
Hasta la Victoria de la Vida Siempre!
From page /...That moment when we directed our prayers to
the East, South, West and North, to participate in a collective
prayer for the people of the world.
I could feel the cosmic vibrations of life penetrate through
and their energy inspire all who gathered here at this Assembly
to carry on with their labour of love and be one of the revo
lutionaries who make Another World and Another Dawn
Possible..............
A dawn that has came alive briefly this morning in
Pumapungo.......
For the Victory of Life Forever!
US alternative journalist Dahr Jamail is one of the few
Western media people to report from inside Iraq - that is, not
CNN-style and cozily embedded with the US occupation army
in the Green Zone, but from amidst the Iraqi people in Bagdhad,
Fallujah, Ramadi and elsewhere. Last month, his latest report,
"Iraqi hospitals ailing under occupation", was published in
Brussels. It documents desperate supply shortages, the lack of
basic services like water and electricity, and the disruption of
medical services by US military forces. Three out of the eleven
hospitals surveyed were frequently raided by the US military,
five others sporadically, all in blatant violation of international
humanitarian law.
A case in point is the US military intrusion in the Fallujah
General Hospital, in November 2004. US soldiers entered the
premises, detained health workers and patients alike and confis
cated ambulances. Dr. Asma Khamis al-Muhannadi testifies: "I
was with a woman in labor, the umbilical cord had not yet been
cut. A US soldier shouted to arrest me and tie my hands, while
I was still helping the mother to deliver." Another Fallujah doc
tor said. "We need medicine, but the US only sends bombs."
Indeed. On November 9, US warplanes attacked the Nazzal
Emergency Hospital in the center of Fallujah and completely
destroyed it. 35 patients were killed, including 5 children.
Most factors negatively affecting the health of the Iraqi peo
ple since the war and the occupation lie outside the medical
services as such. Belgian doctor GeertVan Moorter went on a
fact-finding mission to Iraq one year after the fall of Baghdad.
His conclusions remain valid today: "Purchasing power, the food
situation and living conditions have all seriously deteriorated.
More than half of the population has no job, hence no income.
Prices of food and transportation have more than doubled.
There are major problems with electricity, drinking water, sew
erage and garbage. As a result, child mortality has increased,
while the medical infrastructure has not yet improved."
Thousands of Iraqis are victims of arbitrary detention and
torture.The World Tribunal on Iraq, at its final session in Istanbul
last June 23-27, speaks of "60,000 being held in US custody in
inhuman conditions, and thousands disappeared". Abu Ghraib
and Guantanamo have become household names for torture.
Recently, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture hinted at the
existence of secret US detention ships, beyond any control.
According to the World Tribunal on Iraq, "there is wide
spread opposition to the occupation. Political, social and civil
resistance through peaceful means is subjected to repression by
the occupying forces. It is the brutality of the occupation that
has provoked a strong armed resistance and certain acts of des
peration. By the principles embodied in the UN Charter and in
international law, the popular national resistance to the occupa
tion is legitimate and justified."
For one year now, Iraq is supposed to have an autonomous
government, working on a new Constitution. But how can a
Constitution be written while more than 150,000 US soldiers
are mounting military operations in Iraqi towns and villages
every day, while the people live under a state of siege and can
not freely assemble, and while the US controls the security
forces, the army, the economy, the courts and all other relevant
institutions? Given the disastrous health and living conditions,
and the rape of the country’s sovereignty, resources, culture and
dignity, is it any wonder that the Iraqi people’s resistance to
occupation cannot be wiped out by the mightiest army in the
world?
LOS DOCTORES BELGAS ENVIARON LA
CUENTAA LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS POR
ELTRATAMIENTO A UNA NINA IRAQUI
Reuters, el jueves 28 de abril de 2005
BRUSELAS (Reuters) - Los doctores belgas enviaron a una
nina iraqui a su casa el jueves despues de tratar las heridas de
sus piernas causadas por una bomba durante la invasion de los
Estados Unidos—y enviaron una cuenta de 51.000 euros
($66,650) a la embajada de los Estados Unidos
"No nos han respondido todavia," dijo Bert De Beider,
coordinador de la Agenda Humanitaria para Ayuda Medica
para los paises en desarrollo quien trajo a la nina a Belgica.
"Tengo curiosidad de ver su reaccion," el dijo a Reuters.
"Les estamos dando 10 dias para que respondan... no creo
que Io paguen."
La nina de 15 anos Hiba Kassim, sonrio a los reporteros
mientras esperaba su vuelo para Jordania para encontrarse
con su papa.
"Gracias, Belgica," dijo ella.
Los doctores trajeron a Kassim a Belgica el ano pasado
para intentar salvar su tobillo izquierdo, herido por una
bomba que tambien mat6 a su hermano en Bagdad en 2003
Despues de cinco operaciones y semanas de fisioterapia,
Kassim puede otra vez caminar, aunque con una leve cojera.
De Beider dijo que el envio la cuenta a la embajada de los
Estados Unidos porque la ley internacional dicto que la fuerza
que ocupe un territorio es responsable por el bien estar de la
gente de dicho pals. Los oficiales de la embajada de los
Estados Unidos no estuvieron inmediatamente disponibles
para comentarios ($ I =.7737 euros) Is it Ok ?de ESTADOS
UNIDOS no estaban inmediatamente disponibles para el
comentario. (Euro $ I =.7737) Is it Ok ?
ATTENTION ALL PHA2 DELEGATES !
•41.
I.
2.
All delegates are requested to keep their name tags on at all
times. This is to make life easier for the organizers in case you for
Registration for PHA 2 closes at 7 pm on Tuesday,July 19,
2005. Anyone who fails to register within the deadline will have the
hot water in their hotel rooms turned off permanently
9.
Registration for all Non Latin Delegates is in Room 9, Post
Graduate Building, Faculty Of Medicine
10.
get your name and need to be reminded.
Delegation leaders please communicate the following infor
mation regarding payment for transportation and lodging to
your group:
3.
Registration for all Latin delegates is in Room 8, Post Gradua
te Building, Faculty of Medicine
Delegates must pay for their services by Tuesday, July 19th. This
includes:
4.
5.
6.
Lunch and tea coupons are provided for all registered delega
tes along with the registration material. If you run out of cou
pons you can try some of the delicious presentations being cooked
up at the workshops.
In case of any medical emergency, call 91 I and inform Prem
John at 098716931
For general queries, call Silvia at 094100413
7.
Brief information on Cuenca is available in the Official Pro
gram of the PHA 2 - pages 41-43 (English) and 45-47 (Spa
nish)
8.
Program Schedules for PHA 2 are available at all hotels hos
ting delegates
• hotels in Cuenca and Quito that have not been paid for al
ready
• airline tickets between Cuenca and Quito or Cuenca and
Guayaquil
• bus tickets between Cuenca and Quito or Guayaquil
The workshop on "Refugees and displaced persons of wars,
conflicts and socio-natural disasters" will be held on Monday
July 18,2005 in the Auditorium of the Old Hospital of the Ecua
dorian Institute of Social Security, Hospital Antiguo, Avenida
Huayna Capac, Near Junction with Juan Jamarillo.
DELEGATES MAKING PRESENTATIONS AT THE
WORKSHOP ARE REQUESTED TO COME 45 MINU
TES BEFORE THE SESSION BEGINS
ATENCIONA LOS DELEGADOS DE PHA2!
El registro termina a 7 pm en Martes, el 19 de Julio, 2005.Cualquiera que olvide registrarse hasta la ultima fecha se le cortara el
agua caliente del hotel para siempre.
Todos los delegados deben llevar sus tarjetas de nombres to9.
do el tiempo. Esto es bueno, porque si se olvida quien es Listed,
nosotros podremos ayudarle.
Registro para los delegados que no sean latinos esta en el
cuarto numero 9, en el edificio de postgrado de la facultad de
ciencias medicas.
10. Los delegados deben pagar para estos servicios antes del 19
de Julio, 2005:
I.
2.
Registro para los delegados latinos esta en el cuarto 8, El edi
ficio de postgrado de la facultad de ciencias medicas.
3.
4.
Los cupones del almuerzo se les entrega junto con el mate
rial de registro. Si se les acaba los cupones, pueden probar los
platos deliciosos en los talleres.
5.
6.
7.
En caso de emergencia medica, llamar al 91 I e informe a Prem
John al 098716931
El taller sobre "Refugees and displaced persons of wars, con
flicts and socio-natural disasters" esta en Lunes, el 18 de Julio
18, 2005 en la sala de Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security,
Hospital Antiguo, Avenida Huayna Capac, Near Junction with
Juan Jamarillo.
Para pregunts generales, llamar a Silvia al 094100413
Information breve sobre Cuenca esta disponible en el Pro
gram Oficial de PHA 2, paginas 41-43 (Ingles) y paginas 45-47
(Espanol)
I
8.
-Hotel en Cuenca y Quito
-Los billetes aerea para Cuenca-Quito o Cuenca-Guayaquil
-Los boletos de autobus para Cuenca-Quito o Cuenca-Guaya
quil
EL horario de programa para PHA 2 esta disponible en los
hoteles en donde estan los delegados.
LOS DELEGADOS QUE HACEN PRESENTACIONS
DEBEN VENIRE A LA SALA 45 MINUTOS ANTES
DELTALLER COMENZA.
A MORAL TEST FOR
PHA2 DELEGATES
This test only has the one question, but it's
a very important one. By giviqg an honest ans
wer, you will discover where you stand mo
rally.
The test features an unlikely, completely
fictional situation in which you will have to
make a decision. Remember that your ans
wer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous.
Please scroll down slowly and give due
consideration to each line.
You are in Florida... Miami, to be specific.
There is chaos all around you caused by a hu
rricane with severe flooding.This is a flood of
biblical proportions.
You are a photojournalist working for a
major newspaper, and you're caught in the
middle of this epic disaster. The situation is
nearly hopeless. You're trying to shoot ca
reer-making photos. There are houses and
people swirling around you ... some disappea
ring under the water. Nature is unleashing all
of its destructive fury.
Suddenly you see a man floundering in the
water. He is fighting for his life, trying not to
be taken down with the debris. You move closer ... somehow
the man looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It's Geor
ge W. Bush! At the same time you notice that the raging waters
are about to take him under., forever.
You have the two options. You can save the life of G.W. Bush,
or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, do
cumenting the death of one of the world's most powerful men.
So here's the question, and please give an honest answer.
Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go
with the classic simplicity of black and white!
TEST MORAL PARA
LOS DELEGADOS DE LA
SB ASAMBLEA
Este test consta de tan solo una pregunta; una pregunta muy
importance.
Al dar una respuesta honesta, usted descubrira si tiene mo
ral o no.
El test incluye una ficcion muy poco probable en la que us
ted tiene que tomar una decision. Recuerde que su respuesta
debe ser honesta y espontanea.
Por favor continue lentamente, en orden, y de la debida importancia a cada linea.
Usted esta en Florida... Miami, para ser especifico. Hay un
terrible caos causado por un huracan e inundaciones severas.
Inundaciones de proporciones biblicas.
Usted es un fotografo trabajando para un periodico imp^f
tante, y es atrapado en medio de este desastre epico. La situa
tion es poco esperanzadora. Usted esta tratando de tomar fotografias importantes que impulsen su carrera. Hay casas y gente en un remolino cerca de usted... Algunos desapareciendo
bajo el agua. La Naturaleza esta soltando su fuerza destructiva.
De repente usted ve a un hombre moviendose con dificultad
en el agua. Esta luchando por su vida, tratando de no ser arrastrado con los escombros. Usted se acerca.......... por alguna ra
zon el hombre en el agua le parece conocido. De repente se da
cuenta de quien se trata. Es George W. Bush!! Al mismo tiempo
se da cuenta de que las aguas estan arrastrandolo y esta por
ahogarse... para siempre.
Usted tiene dos opciones. Usted puede salvar la vida de
G.W. Bush, o usted puede tomar una dramatica fotografia, posible ganadora de un premio Pulitzer, documentando la muerte
de una de las personas mas poderosas del mundo.
Entonces he aqui la pregunta, y por favor responda honestamente.
Escogeria usted pelicula de color de alto contraste, o preferiria usted simpleza clasica en bianco y negro?
Published in Cuenca.Published by - PHA 2, Media team
Printed: Atlantida. Design: the cat
Translations: Daniela Garcia,Tamara Trownsell, Estefania
Tello, Kristi Smith, Audrey Morot, Monique Sanchez,
Viviana Rodriguez, Tess Lanning
Editors: Fabiola.Sanjana, Julio, Jorge, Satya and Unni.
frustrations: Rafael Carrasco. Fotos: PHA2 Media Team
Copy left: .Please feel free to circulate and reprint
Copy @
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Please contact:* 593 9196 1712
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II Asaniblea Mundial de la Salud de las Pueblos
PEOPLE’S HEALTH ASSEMBLY 2
MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL POR
LA SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS
PEOPLE'S HEALTH MOVEMENT
NUMERO 3
Pijuano
19 DE JULIQ/JULY/2005
Cuenca-Ecuador
www.phmovement.org
■RECORDS I® IL SHE!
LOS INICIOS DEL
PENSAMIENTO MEDSCO
SOCIAL DEL "CHE"
CHE’S THOUGHTS ON
SOCIAL MEDICINE
Carmen Baez
Carmen Baez
Es importance para Codos los parcicipances de la Asamblea de
Salud de los Pueblos que conozcan los pensamiencos visionaries
sobre la Medicina Social del Doctor Ernesco Che Guevara,
quien aparce de haber sido para muchos pueblos una fuente de
inspiracion revolucionaria, fue tambien quien sembro esce conr^to en el siscema de salud cubano, uno de los siscemas de saliOTmas equicacivos y humanos del mundol.
El Che dijo en su discurso en el acco de inauguracion del curso de adoccrinamienco organizado por el Ministerio de Salud
Publica en Cuba el 20 de agosco de I960.
“Casi codo el mundo sabe que inicie mi carrera como medi
co, hace ya algunos afios. Y cuando me inicie como medico,
cuando empece a escudiar medicina, la mayoria de los conceptos que hoy tengo como revolucionaria escaban ausentes en el
almacen de mis ideales.
Queria triunfar, como quiere criunfar codo el mundo; sonaba
con ser un invescigador famoso, sonaba con crabajar infatigablemence para conseguir algo que podia escar, en definiciva, puesco
a disposiciUn de la humanidad.pero que en aquel momenco era
un criunfo personal. Era, como codos somos, un hijo del medio.
Despues de recibido, por circunscancias especiales y quizcambien por mi caracter, empece a viajar por America y la conoci encera.Y por las condiciones en que viaje, primero como escudiance y despues como medico, empece a encrar en escrecho
tacto con la miseria, con el hambre, con las enfermedades,
la incapacidad de curar a un hijo por la falca de medios,...2
«
REMi/
Ic is imporcanc for all parcicipancs of che Healch’s People As
sembly co know about Dr. Ernesto Che Guevara’s visionary
thoughts about Social Medicine. Besides being a revolutionary
inspiration for many people, he also planted this concept in the
Cuban health system, one of the most equitable systems in the
world!
On the 20th of August I960,“Che" in his speech in the Inau
guration Act for the teaching course organized by the Public
Health Department, said:
“Almost everybody knows how I began my career as a doc
tor, many years ago. When I started off being a medicine stu
dent, many of the concepts that I have now as a revolutionary
were absent in the store of my ideals. I wanted to succeed, suc
ceed like the rest of the people. I had a dream that I wanted to
be a famous investigator. I had a dream that I wanted to work
tirelessly to get something that could be available for all human
beings, even though at that time would have only been for my
own sake.
After I graduated, due to special circumstances, and perhaps
also because of my personality, I started travelling all over Ame
rica. As a consequence of the conditions I travelled in, first as a
student and then as a doctor, I could be in contact with misery,
hunger, illnesses. I was able to see how powerless a father felt
when his son was sick and he couldn't take him to a doctor.And
also because of the coarsening hunger brings, how losing a child
was just an insignificant accident.
I started to realize that there are other things that were as
important as being a famous investigator or making an... 2
HE!
“ISRAELI POLICY GIVES BIRTH TO SUICIDE BOMBERS, NOT PALESTINIAN MOTHERS"
Amal Daoud, Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Joan Jubran, Health,
Development and Information Policy Institute and Dr. Ghassan Hamdan of the Union of Palestinian
Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) talk to the PHA2 Media Team:
ISRAELI OCCUPATION AND PALESTINIAN HEALTH:
Since 2001 there have been repeated incursions into Palestinian territory and the situation of the
people's health has deteriorated dramatically. The Israeli military has been destroying the infra
structure of the Palestinian people.
Under these incursion policies they put all districts under curfew. Everyone is locked inside their
houses, telephone lines and electricity are cut off, without water supply and people who go out on
the streets are shot at.
The Israeli forces have occupied schools, entered into banks, even raided NGO offices, taken out
the computers, destroyed infrastructure on the claims that these places harbor militants.They have
even destroyed Palestinian police stations claiming that they were with the terrorists.
Hospitals too have been invaded and doctors and nurses shot at. People with critical health care
needs are the ones who are most affected...3
‘STRUGGLE IS A RIGHT
ANDA NEED’
DinaTharu (Chaudhari),
On the outskirts of Sunderpura village in Nepal there is a de
prived area habituated by Musahars - the most exploited, so
cially excluded and extremely poor tribal community.Their own
land does not belong to them. Almost without exception they
are illiterate, thoroughly fatalistic with too many superstitions
internalized. Socially excluded they tend to be self-isolated with
no social status, even without citizenship in their own country.
They are taken for granted by many in higher class as cowardly,
inert, parasitic, and addicted to alcohol, gambling and other ad
dictive substances and habits.They were taught to hate themsel
ves, their neighbours, their own family members, their culture,
community and their fate.
But the root causes of the hopelessness of the Musahars was
the extreme form of exploitation by the feudal and upper caste
people, and continued social and political exclusions.
A real story given bellow illustrates the nature of their impo
verished socio-economic conditions, and also their potentiality
to cast off their inertia.
In that village a poor, helpless and unfortunate widow named
Sawa lived with her five small children. Soon after her husband’s
death her family began to be excluded even by her own commu
nity accusing her of being a witch and a ¥husband-eater¥. This
new situation further impoverished her.Worse, her own hut and
kitchen garden was claimed by a village landowner and she was
ordered to evict She and her children began to depend exclusi
vely on the fishing in theTrijuga River which was already polluted
with ever dwindling population of aquatic animals. The children
began to have too many bouts of diarrhoea and other diseases.
All were malnourished.AII factors made her family further disem
powered. She was hated by all within and outside the community.
In spite of all hurdles Sawa did not lose faith on herself. She
decided to a wage persistent struggle against injustices. She in
teracted with the widest possible sections of political and social
groups. She actively participated in informal education and mo
tivational programs to fight and assert her rights. She became an
active member of village cooperatives, local communist party
(UML), its women’s organisation, and various social groups. She
got a small loan of Rs. 500 (about $ 7.00) and began innovative
cultivation of potatoes and other vegetables in her kitchen gar
den that she had earlier refused to transfer to the landlord af
ter a political struggle.
Within a year her economic condition improved, slightly bet
ter than other members of the Musahars. This however added
her misery. Her neighbours became envious of her. They even
unleashed animals in her garden on purpose. Some even dama
ged a part of her crops. But she did not blame anyone. She knew
that the feudal socioeconomic systems based on exploitation
and mutual distrust is the main cause of such narrow-minded
ness in her community.This realization hardened her.
She actively participated in several social movements with the
help of CBOs. She even got involved with several political par
ties in the struggle. She organized her community people and led
socio-political struggles to address their problems and for their
rights. She not only acquired her citizenship certificate but also
helped most of the adults in the community to get theirs. Slowly
all villagers realized their mistakes against her and even accep
ted her as their leader.
Now Sawa is relatively well-off and has enrolled all her chil
dren in a local school. Seven years ago she was elected as a
member of local government by the community by an overwhel
ming majority that was terminated by the king’s decree two
years ago. She is now active in the political struggle to reinstate
democracy in Nepal.
This is a translated version of a story of DinaTharu written
in theTharu language.The writer is an indigenous woman wor
king in the most deprived community of Mushahars in Sundarpura village in East Nepal.
from page I... important contribution to the
medical science. I started to realize how impor
tant it was to help people in need.
But I kept being, as all of us do, a son of the
society. I wanted to help those people with my
personal effort. In Guatemala I had started to
make some notes in order to organize the re
volutionary doctor’s behaviour. I started to in
vestigate what was needed to be a revolutio
nary doctor”
....’’Many times we realize how mistaken we
are in well known concepts that are already part
of ourselves and part of our knowledge. Many
times we have to change our concepts, not just
general, social or philosophic concepts but also
medical ones. We will see that illnesses are not
always are treated the same way they are at a
hospital or in a big city. We will see how the
doctor has to become a farmer, and learn how
to plant new type of crops and show the people
through example how to try those new crops.
WE will realize that we have to become tea
chers, politicians, etc. We won't have to go out
there and show them how much we know, but
how much we need to learn all together with
the people in the towns. We will show them
that it is possible to achieve that common and
beautiful goal: Build a new Cuba”
...”A way to really know the medical situations is not just by
identifying the problem or visiting the people that are part of
these unions and communities. It is also necessary to go there
and find out what illnesses they have, what are the causes for
their suffering, what have been the situations of misery they ha
ve had to live throughout these centuries of repression.
The doctor must go to his new work targetrThe man within
the mass, the man as part of the group”
Che has shown us with his example a different type of
thought and practice, the initiation of Social Medicine which was
implemented as a pillar of the Cuban revolutionary process.
do all know that, with few exceptions, Social Medicine is still
poorly known and disseminated in the globalised World of today.
On behalf of the participants of the People’s Health Assembly
we are saying.
WE WILL FOLLOW CHE’S THOUGHTS AND EXAMPLE
IN SOCIAL MEDICINE!!!
IN THE STRUGLE FOR A
MORE HUMANE AND
HEALTHY WORLD , FOREVER!!!!!
ELAGENTE NARANJA:
EL LEGADOTOXBCO
Tom Fawthrop
La guerra de Vietnam termino en 1975 pero el legado de la
guerra quimica continua. Recientemente los cientificos estucU»n
como el dioxin cantamina y produce danos, mismos que S’(
pasado de una generacion a la otra causando nacimientos monstruosos, esto hasta la tercera generacion: treinta anos despues
del fin de la guerra.
Entre 1961 y I97l,ochenta millones de litres de dioxin en
forma de herbicida.fueron lanzados sobre Vietnam destinados a
destruir la vegetation y la comida de la zona. El gobierno en
Hanoi repetidamente a pedido al gobierno de EEUU compensaciones por la guerra, sobre todo, para las siguientes victimas del
Agente Naranja estimadas entre 800.000 a un milion de per
sonas.
LA LUCHA ES UN DERECHO
Y UNA NECESIDAD
DinaTharu (Chaudhari).
La escritora es una mujer indigena que trabaja en unapobre
comunidad de Musahars, en Sundarpura, en el Este de Nepal.
En las afueras de la aldea de Sunderpura existe unaareamuy
pobre habitada por los Musahars, la tribu mas excluida y socialmente explotada. Su propia tierra no les pertenece, casi todos
sin exception son analfabetos, totalmente fatalistas y con demasiadas supersticiones dentro de ellos. Los Musahars son socialmente excluidos y tienden a aislarse. Ellos son considerados por
las clases sociales mas altas como cobardes, inertes, parasites y
adictos al alcohol y a otras substancias.
Ellos fueron ensenados a odiarse a si mismos, a odiar a sus vecinos, a sus propias familias y cultura. Pero la causa principal de
la desesperanza de los Musahars fue la extrema forma de explotacion de los feudalistas y de personas de estratos sociales mas
altos que continuaron con la exclusion y explotaci6n poh’tica y
social.
A continuation les presentamos una historia.que ilustra la naturaleza de su pobre y terrible condition socio-economica, y
tambien su potencial para salir de su situation.
I) Aquellas que han sufrido danos severos como consecuencia
de la fumigation con Agente Naranja lanzado por los aviones
de los EEUU durante la guerra.
2) Los vietnamitas que comieron alimentos o bebieron agua que
han sido contaminados con dioxin, resultado de la fumigacion.
En esta aldea, una pobre e indefensa viuda Hamada Sawa vivia
con sus cinco pequehos hijos. Poco despues de la muerte de su
esposo, su familia comenzo a ser excluida por su propia comu
nidad; la acusaron de ser una bruja y una come maridos. Esta
nueva situacion la empobrecio aun mas. Ella y sus hijos empezaron a depender exclusivamente de la pesca en el rio Trijuga el
cual es muy contaminado. Los ninos han comenzado a presen
tar muchos cuadros de diarrea y otras enfermedades.Todas debidas a la desnutricion. Estos factores volvieron a su familia aun
mas vulnerable y odiada dentro y fuera de su comunidad. A pesar de todos estos obstaculos.Sawa no perdio la fe en si misma.
Decidio pelear persistentemente contra las injusticias. Interac
ted con todas las posibles secciones de los grupos politicos y
sociales. Confid principalmente en algunos grupos civiles, como
el Centro de Recursos para PHC ( RECPHEC ).A pesar de la
desaprobacidn de muchos, ella participd activamente de grupos
de education informal y de programas de motivacion que le ensenaron a luchar por sus derechos. Ella se volvid un miembro
activo de cooperativas en la comunidad y del Partido Comunista de la localidad (UML).
Esta actividad politica la hizo ser conscience de su propia rea
lidad y la de su tierra. Por ello, organize a la gente de su comu
nidad en la lucha por la defensa de sus derechos y la solucidn de
En el 2004 las victimas vietnamitas crearon su propia ONGVAVA y pusieron una historica demanda en las cortes de justi
ce de los EEUU contra las companias productoras del Agente
Naranja.
Los ciudadanos vietnamitas continuamente atraidos y movilizados por las campanas de justicia reunieron I 1,5 millones de
firmas en una peticion que apoyaba dicha demanda
Los jueces de los EEUU se han rehusado a dar un dictamen
en d.cho proceso y ahora se encuentra en apelacion. Durante la
Asamblea Mund.al de la Salud se realizaran dos sesiones rela-
sus problemas.
cionadas con la campana contra el Agente Naranja
Desde 1975 todos los gobiernos de los EEUU no han aceptado la responsabilidad del pais por haber fumigado los bosques
humedos de Vietnam. Tambien rehusan toda responsabilidad por
las plagas y sufrimiento causados. Niegan cualquier ayuda
economica e ignoran las demandas de los vietnamitas que piden
un tratamiento de desintoxicacion en las bases militates de
MITO LOG IA
DE BILL GATES
I ■ Bill Gates gana 250 dolares cada SEGUN
DO, esto represents $20 millones por dla y
$7,8 billones por ANO!!!
2.
Si a Bill Gates se le caen al piso 1000 dola
res, ni siquiera tiene que preocuparse por recogerlos plies en el cuarto segundo que Io recoja, el ya los ha ganado de nuevo.
3.
La deuda nacional de los Estados Unidos su-
ma aproximadamente $5.2 trillones. Si Bill Ga
tes pagara esta deuda personalmente, termina
ria de hacerlo en menos de 10 anos.
4. Puede donar 15 dolares a cada persona en
el mundo... y todavia tendria como unos 5
dolares en su bolsillo.
5.
Michael Jordan es el deportista mejor pagado
en Estados Unidos. Si este atleta no come ni
bebe, y mantiene sus ingresos con un aumento
de $30 millones al ano; tendria que esperar 277
anos para ser tan rico como Bill Gates.
6.
Si Bill Gates fuera un pais;ocupari el # 37 en-
tre los palses mas ricos del mundo. Si fuera una
compania; ocuparia el puesto # 13 entre las
compahias mas grandes de los Estados Unidos.
7.
Si cambiara todo el dinero de Bill Gates en billetes de un d6lar; se podria usar todo ese dinero para pavimentar una avenida de la tierra a la luna, 14 veces de ida y vuelta. Pero se ten
dria que hacer esa avenida sin paradas por 1400 anos y usar
un total de 713 aviones BOEING 747 para transportar este
dinero.
Bill Gates tiene 45 anos de edad. Si consideramos que toda
via puede vivir por unos 35 anos mas; tendria que gastar $6.7
^Jpillones cada dia para gastarse todo su dinero.
8.
9.
Pero!!! Si los usuarios de MicrosoftWindows pudieran recla-
FROM PAGE I...
THE ISRAELI BLOCKADES:
There are now 700 checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza.
On top of this the Israelis are illegally building a wall to grab
more Palestinian land. All these have separated villages from
each other and the people from their places of work, children
from where they study.
So many patients have died at checkpoints, pregnant women,
old people.
They are implementing a collective punishment against the
Palestinian people while claiming to protect themselves.
Unemployment is on the rise. People are not able to go to
work. Many used to work in Israel. There are over 3000 stu
dents who are not able to go to school because of the wall. All
the water resources are being controlled by the Israelis, on the
other side of the wall.
BREAKINGTHE SILENCE
A testimony from the United States
Dear People of the World:
My name is Lori Smith and I am a citizen of the United Sta
tes. I will focus on health care human rights violations and the
loss of acquired rights from aggressive and harmful health care
reform in my state ofTennessee.
The US being the richest country in the world, there is a ten
dency to believe poverty, hunger, homelessness, and lack of
health care are nearly non-existent. The harsh reality is somet
hing else. In Tennessee, 42.1 percent of children under age 19
are poor. Memphis, a city in west Tennessee, has one of the hig
hest infant mortality rates in the US - higher than Vietnam, El
Salvador and Iran. In Memphis, babies are buried in mass graves
with no gravestones at a cemetery for the poor.
Health care in the US is controlled by pharmaceutical and in
surance companies, banks, politicians, government, special inte
rest groups and our legal system. US policy - driven by the phi
losophy of American individualism, survival of the fittest and
greed - is structured to benefit a few rather than the many. By
intentional discrimination, they uphold and promote the inequa
lity between the rich and the poor - the powerful and the po
werless - the sick and the healthy.
I've learned there is power in truth, but not always truth in
power.
Six years ago, I was a college-educated, single mother working
for a large, international insurance brokerage firm. I had a good
job that offered health insurance.Then I was diagnosed with Lu
pus and Multiple Sclerosis - chronic, disabling autoimmune disea
ses where the body destroys its own vital organs. For the rest of
my life, I will need frequent and specialized health care and me
dicines. Insurance companies consider me "high risk." They can't
make a profit from me so they don't want to insure me.
Through a series of events, I lost my job and my health insu
rance. But I qualified forTennCare, the state of Tennessee's Me
dicaid program - Medicaid being the state and federal insurance
plan for the poor. 25% of the state's population, 1.3 million poor,
on the rise again. Problems like early marriages and high
dropout rates of girls from schools are increasing because of
the impact of the wall. There is a very high level of frustration
and stress among women now.
Despite all this women are not just coping with these prob
lems but also playing a crucial role in providing support for their
families in times of crisis. When the men lose their jobs for
example it is women who go out and earn money, even if nec
essary by selling sweets on the roads.
There are 60,000 people with injuries over five years of intifa
da of whom 2500 are children shot mostly in the upper part of
the body. We don't have a functioning health service, it is the
women who take care of these children.
We, as educated women cope by lobbying and networking
with colleagues in Palestine and around the world.We write sto
ries, communicate the issues of the Palestinian people. Even
being here in Cuenca is a great experience, to share our expe
riences with people from all around the world.
SITUATION OF WOMEN:
ON VIOLENCE AND NON-VIOLENCE:
The Israeli occupation has hurt Palestinian women the most.
Our men are now unemployed, we are fearful for the safety of
their children. They are worried about getting pregnant as it is
impossible to get to a hospital in time because of the check
points.
Families are afraid of sending their girls to the school or
women to work again because of the harassment at the check
points.At these checkpoints women have to be checked in front
of men and you hear bad words all the time from the soldiers.
All the problems we were trying to solve all these years are
Most of the Palestinian movement is non- violent resistance.
However what the TV and the media show are clashes .which
doesn't happen till the Israeli army starts shooting.
The average Palestinian undergoes a lot of humiliation at the
hands of the occupying forces. Men are routinely beaten in front
of their children by teenage Israeli soldiers.
Children are affected deeply by all this. They fight among
themselves, they have nowhere to go and play because of all the
roadblocks and checkpoints. There is a greater atmosphere of
elderly, disabled or uninsured/uninsurable adults and children
come under TennCare.
In 2004, our Governor, Phil Bredesen, announced plans to dis
mantle the TennCare program. Bredesen is a conservative De
mocrat, former Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) en
trepreneur and a self-made millionaire from the health care in
dustry. His reform plan included severely reducing benefits, re
quiring the poorest people to pay and redefining the term "me
dical necessity." The TennCare needed reform, it had been mis
managed and lacked efficiency. But were cuts to the program
really necessary?
The media exposed how the Governor and his administra
tion refused to implement cost saving management - as requi
red by federal law - which contributed millions to the budget
deficit. The community began asking questions. The Governor
retaliated with threats, intimidation and bribes, targeting anyone
who disagreed with him or revealed the truth.
Internal state documents revealed many shocking truths;
TennCare cuts were not necessary; the administration intentio
nally prevented alternative proposals from being considered.
The Governor created an artificial crisis, using TennCare reform
for future political strategy. At the expense of human lives. Ne
vertheless, the Governor's reform plan was approved by the
Bush Administration and will go into effect this month.
323,000 people of the sickest and most vulnerable will be re
moved from TennCare, like my friend who has terminal stage IV
colon cancer, and another who is paralyzed and relies on a ven
tilator to breath. Many of these 323,000 people are already li
ving at or below poverty level. Those who remain on the pro
gram are severely impoverished and will be limited to only five
prescriptions per month, 12 doctor visits per year and will be
subjected to the new definition of “medical necessity.”
This new definition takes away the authority from a doctor to
determine what is medically necessary and gives that authority
to the state and insurance companies. In order for a service or
treatment to be considered medically necessary "it must be the
least costly alternative that is adequate...” Least costly is not the
same as "most effective" and "adequate" is not a medical term.
These atrocities - which will result in death for many - are un
necessary and preventable.The Governor knows it.And the US
government knows it.Yet they are allowing it to happen.
Last month, I received a letter from the State ofTennessee in
forming me I will be cut from TennCare. When I return home I
will not have health insurance.
But there is hope!
I believe we can achieve social justice and health care for all.
It will get worse before it gets better and it will be a long and
challenging process, for many will oppose us. It will demand ta
king risks.
We must break the silence.Those who are suffering must tell
their stories and we must help them to get their voices heard.
Our biggest strength and hope lies in mass mobilization and di
rect action.
I don't have all the answers, but I do know that if we are to
succeed - we must commit, we must unite and we must act.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for caring.
violence among them.
There are some who have accused Palestinian women of
encouraging their children to become suicide bombers. We are
very angry about this charge. No woman would want to see her
child die and that too as a suicide bomber.
But if you come and live in the Palestinian territories even for
one day you will see why our youth are turning to violence.
There is an endless traumatisation and humiliation of our peo
ple. Every family has a martyr, a disabled person,a detainee pris
oner- put away without any charges.
We should really talk about the policy that pushes these chil
dren to go into confrontation. There is no future for them
because of the occupation. Education is very bad because of the
closure and incursions, poverty is very high. Israeli soldiers have
destroyed our infrastructure.There are no factories, no work.
There is nothing to do.They are pushed towards violence.
It is the Israeli policy that creates suicide bombers, not
Palestinian mothers. In fact it is the Israelis want to stop the
peace process, take over our land and destroy the civilian move
ment by encouraging suicide bombers.
Every Palestinian mother wants her child to be with her and
become a doctor, engineer and so on.When they have nothing,
their houses are demolished and their brothers and fathers in
detention these children turn to violence.
But even then the fact is that there only a few suicide
bombers.
Our strategy is the non-violence. We are in a closed area.
There is no support from outside. Israel is the fourth strongest
army in the world, including nuclear bombs. The best strategy
for us is non-violent struggle.
Viene de la pagina I ...con el embrutecimiento que provocan el hambre y el castigo continue, hasta
hacer que para un padre perder a un hijo sea un accidence sin importancia, como sucede muchas ve
ces en las clases golpeadas de nuestra patria americana.Y empece a ver que habia cosas que, en aquel
momento, me parecieron casi tan importances como ser un investigador famoso o como hacer algun aporte substancial a la ciencia medica: y era ayudar a esa gente.
Pero yo seguia siendo, como siempre Io seguimos siendo todos, hijo del medio, y queria ayudar
a esa gente con mi esfuerzo personal. En Guatemala habia empezado a hacer unas notas para nor
mar la conducta del medico revolucionario. Empezaba a investigar que cosa era Io que necesitaba
para ser un medico revolucionario.
Muchas veces nos daremos cuenta de Io equivocados que estabamos en conceptos que de tan sabidos, eran parte nuestra y automatica de nuestros conocimientos. Muchas veces debemos cambiar
todos nuestros conceptos, no solamente los conceptos generales, los conceptos sociales o filosoficos, sino tambien, a veces, los conceptos medicos. Y veremos que no siempre las enfermedades se
tratan como se trata una enfermedad en un hospital, en una gran ciudad, veremos, entonces, como
el medico tiene que ser tambien agricultor.y como aprender a sembrar nuevos alimentos, y sembrar
con su ejemplo, el afan de consumir nuevos alimentos Veremos, entonces, como tendremos que ser,
en esas circunstancias, un poco pedagogos, a veces un mucho pedagogos, como tendremos que ser
politicos tambien, como Io primero que tendremos que hacer no es ir a brindar nuestra sabiduria,
SUDAN: ES UNA CRISIS HUMANITARIA
"DE MAL EN PEOR"
Karen Leiter
Medica Para Los Derechos Humanos
Por dos anos el gobierno de Sudan y su milicia "proxy nomadic"", el Janjaweed, has carried out"
un arrasando a traves del region occidental de Darfur que ha resultado en documentos el desplazamiento masivo, los asesinatos de civiles, la tortura, la violation de mujeres y ninas,asi como la des
truction en comunidades de pueblos.
Segun la ONU (Organization de las Nacional Unidas) hasta 400.000 personas han perdido sus
vidas desde el conflicto que empezo el conflicto y mas de dos y media millones de personas se han
desplazando de sus comunidades.
El Programa para Comida Mundial estima que mas de tres y media millones de personas actualmente se enfrentan, durante los tres meses a la estacion de hambre, el periodo entre la plantation y
la cosecha. Lo que es mas, la crisis humanitaria que ha resultado de estas violaciones de los derechos
humanos se este intensificando cuando el gobierno de Sudan continua obstruyendo operaciones.
El fracaso para responder a las necesidades de los desplazados y los refugiados de la region pa
ra recuperar sus vidas y empezar a reestablecer sus comunidades. La reaction anemica de la comunidad international para los conflictos multiples que entrelazan en Sudan, incluyendo a Darfur,
SUDAN’S SNOWBALLING
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS
Karen Leiter, Physicians for Human Rights
For two years the government of Sudan and its proxy nomadic militia, the Janjaweed, have carried
out a rampage across the Western region of Darfur, resulting in widely documented massive displa
cement, killing of civilians, torture, rape of women and girls, and destruction of village communities.
According the UN, up to 400,000 people have lost their lives since the conflict began and near
ly 2,000 villages have been destroyed. More than two and a half million people have been displaced
from their livelihoods and communities. Recent media reports and investigations by the human
rights organizations confirm that the government-sponsored violence continues, and that the secu
rity situation is, in fact deteriorating.
The World Food Programme estimates that more than three and a half million people currently
face starvation during the three-month “hunger season,” the period between planting and harvest.
Moreover, the humanitarian crisis that has resulted from these widespread human rights abuses is
escalating, as the government of Sudan continues to obstruct aid operations, creating famine condi
tions for millions of vulnerable people. Only the presence of humanitarian NGOs have prevented
additional deaths by starvation and disease and stayed the annihilation of the Darfurian population.
There has been an all around failure to respond to voiced needs of the many displaced persons
and refugees from the region, to recover their lives and begin to reestablish their communities.The
sino ir a demostrar que vamos a aprender, con el pueblo, que vamos a realizar esa
grande y bella experiencia comun, que es construir una nueva Cuba.
Y una forma de Hegar hasta la parte medular de la cuestion medica es no solo
conocer, no solo visiter, a las gentes que forman esas cooperativas y esos centres
de trabajo, sino tambien averiguar alii cuales son las enfermedades que tienen, cuales son todos sus padecimientos, cuales han sido sus miserias durante anos y, hereditariamente, durante siglos de represion y de sumision total.
El medico, el trabajador medico, debe ir entonces al centro de su nuevo trabajo,
que es el hombre dentro de la masa, el hombre dentro de la colectividad
El Che nos mostro un tipo de pensamiento y practica diferente con su ejemplo,
el inicio de la Medicina Social que fue aplicada como elemento esencial del pro-
ceso revolucionario cubano. Sabemos que este concepto, con pocas excepciones,
es poco conocido y mucho menos practicado en el mundo globalizado de hoy.
Nosotros decimos desde la II Asamblea Mundial de Salud de los Pueblos que:
CONTINUAREMOS CON LOS PENSAMIENTOS Y EJEMPLO DEL CHE EN
MEDICINA SOCIAL!!!
HASTA LA VICTORIA DE UN MUNDO MAS HUMANOY SALUDABLE,
SIEMPRE!!!!!
principalmente con los sanciones y la ayuda insuficiente ha ampliando los sufrimientos de la gente en este sitio destrozado.
"The referral" de los delitos guerras y las violaciones de los derechos humanos
en Darfur a la Corte Criminal Internacional, el 3 I de mayo 2005 ( aunque a la ONU
le falto a declarar un genocidio, no ha encontrando ninguno intento por parte del
gobierno "Sudano") fue una declaration fuerte de condena, pero espera to bee
seen" si esta acompanada por apoyo adicional de la ONU y la comunidad internacional, incluyendo
las tropas de la Union Africana, que esten cargando con la paz y la protection en Darfur.
Doctores para Derechos Humanos, una ONG Estadounidense, realizo investigaciones en Chad
(en junio 2005) y Darfur (en enero 2005). Actualmente, en Chad hay una mision para investigation
que esta en proceso. El equipo ha negado las visas para entrar ha Sudan principalmente por la evi-
dencia de los informes anteriores del genocidio ocurrido.
Las entrevistas realizadas en junio del 2004 en campamentos refugiados en la frontera de Chad,
concluyeron que una campana genocida por el gobierno Sudan, que esta a favor de Arabia, ha evidenciado en particular la destruccion sistematica de los sustentos de "non-arab Darfurains." En
enero 2005, el equipo de investigaciones regreso a entender y a describir con mas detalles la dot
nicion de "destruccion pueblo" documentando la devastacion de un pueblo, Furawiya, y los efeeWJ
de los bombardeos y los ataques milicia a 13.000 habitantes.
"Darfur: Destruyeron Vidas" es un documental elaborado por "Doctores para Derechos Huma
nos, describe en detalle la crisis humanitaria y las violaciones de los derechos humanos en Furawiya.
Informe adicional es disponible a www.phrusa.org.
anemic reaction of the international community to the multiple intertwined conflicts in Sudan, in
cluding Darfur, primarily with toothless sanctions and inadequate aid has amplified people’s suffe
rings in this war torn place.
The referral of the war crimes and human rights abuses in Darfur to the International Criminal
Court on May 3 1,2005 (though the UN fell short of declaring a genocide, finding no intent on the
part of the Sudanese government) was a strong statement of condemnation, but it awaits to be seen
whether this will be accompanied by additional support by the UN and the international commuDXClUd'ng of theAfrican Union tro°Ps currentlX barged with peacekeeping and protection in
f°aHnT
(PHR>’a
NGO, conducted investigations in Chad (in June
2004), Chad and Darfur (in January 2005). Currently, there is a research mission currently under
way in Chad.The team has been denied visas to enter Sudan mainly because of the evidence from
the previous reports that a genocide was taking place there
Interviews by PHR team (in June 2004) in refugee camne ™ .k
j ■_
j
, , , ,
...
...
. , o /
se camps on the Chad border concluded that a
genocidal campaign by the pro-Arab Sudanese government wac
•
-j
, .
,
. '
r
................. fiwvviriment was occurring, as evidenced in particu
lar by the systematic destruction of the live ihoods of non-Arah r>„< •
. ,
, ■
.
.
,
,
j
”on-Arab Darfurians. In January 2005 the invest.gat.on team returned to understand and describe in more complete detail the meaning of’village destruction by documenting the devastation of one village, Furawiya, and the effects of bom
bing and militia attacks on its 13,000 inhabitants.
“Darfur: Lives Destroyed” a new documentary by the PHR
„ m
k
, .
,
. .
, ,
. ,
...
7 ’
e rrlK g'ves a blow by b ow account of the
humanitarian crisis and human rights violations in Furawiya a villa00
,k
.
t „ -r .
*ii i
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.
/d’ village in the northern Dart of Darfur.
Additional reports are available at www.phrusa.org.
H
PAGE
5
PAGINA
jUN MERCADO PARA
TODOSY TODAS!
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
En la Facultad de las Ciencias Medicas de
la Universidad de Cuenca se realize un espacio de mucho color y emocion, que dio una
sensacion de una fiesta interminable. Ahora
en el estacionamiento de esta centro de edu
cation superior, se instalo un mercado de artesanlas, que es mas impresionante que muchos de los marcados mayores en Cuenca, a
la cual asistieron las distintas delegaciones de
los palses que participan de laAsamblea.
En los sitios de expendio hay variedades
de cosas, desde comida, joyas, vestimenta, ce-
ramicas, libros, videos etc, que ha causado interes en todos los visitantes que, inicio ayer.
Lo que puedes encontrar en el mercado:
• Un seguidor de comida encontrara una va-
riedad de alimentos y bebidas sabrosas de varias partes del pais.
• Si estas buscando recuerdos, hay muchos
que estan disponibles realizados por varios
indigenas.
• Para amantes de la musica, hay una banda en vivo que esta entonando canciones animadas.
• Las mujeres podran encontrar joyas, ropa, artesanlas etc.
• Los amantes de arte encontraran cuadros y esculturas de diferentes culturas.
• Cualquiera que este teniendo dolores leves puede obtener
ayuda a traves de diferentes formas de curacion.
^quellas que sientan que no pueden aguantar el frio de Cuen
ca pueden chequear los diferentes tipos de sacos de lana.
• Inclusive las mujeres embarazadas pueden encontrar una me
sa con informacidn reference al embarazo y lactancia.
Asl,que si no ha visitado los puestos... Le esperamos.
A MARKET FOR ALL!
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
The Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Cuenca today
became a space of much color and excitement, giving a feel of
an endless fiesta. The University parking lot now hosts a mar
ket which is more impressive than many of the major markets
in the town of Cuenca itself! And all this thanks to the Second
People’s Health Assembly being held on its grounds.
The stalls at the market sell a variety of things, ranging from
food to jewellery. The interests of diverse groups of people are
catered to in the stalls:
• For children, there are numerous stalls selling childrens clot
hes, dolls and toys.
• Food buffs will find a variety of yummy items and drinks from
various parts of the country.
• If you looking for souvenirs there are plenty of them availa
ble, made by different indigenous people.
• For music lovers, there is a live band paying lively numbers.
•Women interested in clothes and jewellery will also be satia
ted.
•Art lovers will find paintings and sculptures from different cul
tures.
• Anyone having minor aches and ailments can get relief th
rough the different forms of healing represented.
•Those of you finding it difficult to cope with the cold Cuenca
weather can check out the large range of woollens available.
• Even pregnant women will find a stall dedicated to spiea mg
awareness regarding pregnancy and breast feeding.
So if you haven't visited the stalls yet..... get moving.
HEALTH, WEALTH
AND TERROR
Satya Sivaraman
When Bill Gates, Microsoft CEO delivered the inaugural ad
dress at the WHOs’ annual World Health Assembly in Geneva
this year he was just illustrating some of the rules by which our
globalised world works.
Occupying a slot, normally reserved for Prime Ministers and
Presidents of WHO member countries, Gates was in fact an
nouncing his arrival to a UN platform as de facto Head of Sta
te,
While the Bill Gates episode at theWHA symbolized one as
pect of globalization, namely the relentless march of corporate
influence across borders, the adoption of a new set of Interna
tional Health Regulations by the WHO's 192 member countries
showed another- how global elites are ganging up to prevent
poor migrants from- you guessed it right- crossing borders.
Ostensibly meant to prevent local epidemics from traveling all
over the world the new IHR regime, at close inspection, is in fact
yet another weapon in the hands of developed nations to keep
developing country citizens from breaching their immigration
fortresses. In other words, what the new IHR is going to be is
more policing on behalf of global elites and less policy to solve
the problems of the world’s poor.
Let us look at the context in which the revisions to the IHR
have been made.
The idea of a 'killer' global pandemic has been hitting the
headlines off and on ever since the SARS scare of early 2003 and
the WHO has been warning the world repeatedly of a pande
mic that could kill 'millions' within a period of months if not
weeks.The oft quoted historical precedent is of course the socalled Spanish Flu of 1918 that is supposed to have left over 40
million people dead around the world in a matter of a few
months.
While SARS, originally hyped up as possibly the 'big one' tur
ned out to be a non-starter (as far as 'global pandemics’ go) the
new threat on the horizon that has emerged is said to be avian
flu.
The gravity of the threat posed by new diseases like avian flu
to the world is indisputable and deserves to be tackled with the
greatest urgency.The real question however is as to what these
measures should consist of, what other health issues pose com
peting threats to the world and hence what the international
priorities should be.
The new IHR is a transparent attempt to try and minimize
the fallout of any global pandemic on populations of richer na
tions without addressing why such pandemics arise and spread
in the first place.
The IHR regulations, first framed in 1969 to tackle diseases
like cholera, plague, yellow fever and smallpox, are supposed to
govern the roles of countries and the WHO in identifying and
responding to public health emergencies and sharing informa
tion about them.
Under the revised regulations, countries have much broader
obligations to build national capacity for routine preventive
measures as well as to detect and respond to public health
emergencies of international concern.These routine measures
include public health actions at ports, airports, land borders and
for means of transport that use them to travel internationally.
To really understand the new IHR, being pushed as nothing
more than a simple updating of existing international rules, it
has to be scrutinized in the following contexts:
Falling expenditure on public health: If there is a chan
ce at all of tackling a global pandemic it can only be at the grass
roots level by promoting the concept of Health for All and by
making it a reality by investing the required resources in the
right places. For the simple truth about any public health sys
tem is that it can only be as strong as the poorest patient in the
country.
If new diseases today originate in the crowded, poor and des
perate parts of Asia and Africa the response cannot be to shut
MEDICINA DE LA LIBERACION
Lanny Smith (vze2x6qm@verizon.net)
Miembro del Movimiento de Salud de los Pueblos, MSP
(www.phmovement.org)
Fundador del Consejo de Medicina de la Liberation "Doctores por la Salud Global" (www.dghonline.org)
Contamos con "alta-alegremia" para asumir el reto de Io que
es la Medicina de la Liberation, definida como " El uso conciente y concientizado de salud para promover la dignidad humana
y la justicia social," un concepto nacido alrededor de 1996 en las
montanas del sur-oriente de Morazan (El Salvador) inspirado
por la poblacion campesina y estudiantil, por el ejemplo del martir Padre Ignacio Martin Baro (asesinado en noviembre de 1989,
por soldados salvadorenos, entrenados por los norteamerianos)
y la practica y teoria del Padre "Nacho" Hamada Psicologia de la
Liberacion.
La Medicina de la Liberacion tiene raices en los conceptos de
Education promovido por Paulo Freire, en la Teologia de la Li
beracion, sin embargo no es religiosa ni realiza proselitismo alguno a traves de ella. Lo esencial de ella es que nos ponemos
en action, no solo teorizamos, es una practica que tiene sed pa
ra la justicia social, no importa su tipo o falta de fe.
Fue tambien llevada a la practica como Politica estatal en Cu
ba, con el ejemplo de Ernesto "Che" Guevara y la vision del Presidente Fidel Castro,
Un doctor en el primer taller comentaba: "cuando yo vivia en
Argentina (anos setenta), era posible saber si estabamos practicando con exito lo que estamos ahora llamando "Medicina de la
Liberacion" segun el tiempo que duraba antes que la policia nos
llevaba al carcel mas cerca." Y esto, subraya, significas que en la
Medicina de la Liberacion puede ser peligrosa tanto como para
su carrera profesional como para la vida misma de quien la prac
tica.
Hay que conocer y reconocer el riesgo de estar al lado del
pueblo. Tenemos esperanzas y gracias a ella luchamos para que
llegue el dia en el cual el hecho de optar para amplificar las vo
ces de l@s "No Escuchad@s," como dijo Monsenor Romero de
them out from the rest of the world.As all epi
demics start at the local level it is essential that
resources be urgently diverted to setting up ba
sic public health infrastructure and creating the
necessary human resources.
Global Migration: With unemployment ri
sing in developed nations due to the dismantling
of their social welfare systems by neo-liberal
politicians there have been consistent attempts
over the past decade or more to find any excu
se possible to keep migrant labour out
When the bogey of terrorism loses credibi
lity and dies out I am afraid the new pretext to
keep out developing country migrants from
going to developed nations is going to be ‘disea
se’. After all a microbe cannot catch a flight or a
boat or walk over land all by itself- it also needs
a carrier and who is more qualified to carry the
burden of strange and new diseases than the
humble migrant worker?
Human Rights: At the height of the para
noia about SARS I remember the way the pur
pose of public health suddenly became reason
enough to take away all basic rights of indivi
duals even merely suspected of being ' microbe
carriers’.
Given the severe erosion of human rights that the world is
witnessing due to the US led ‘War on Terror’ the last thing the
world needs now is one more excuse- that of disease- to con
fine, arrest, isolate people and suspend all their human rights un
der the pretext of their being a 'threat to law, order and civili
zation'.
Imperialism: Lastly it needs to be mentioned, that quite
ominously, in the context of the revival of Western colonial ad
ventures a la Iraq or Afghanistan in recent years, the new IHR
provides one more excuse to rich and powerful nations to
de national sovereignty of poorer countries and another pre
text for pushing ‘intervention’- this time under the guise of sa
feguarding global health!
Even well meaning public health activists in some developed
countries seriously talk of‘intervention’ in developing countries
that cannot’manage’ their local epidemics properly.
While this warning may still be a bit early there is no doubt
in my mind at all that given the portents at some point of time
in the future a WHO report about X orY country‘hiding an epi
demic’ could trigger off global sanctions and possibly war.
There is still time to avert the possibility of health becoming
the next weapon of choice in the arsenal of Imperialism.
El Salvador, sea premiado y sea mejor mirado como cosa comun
y corriente en este mundo.
La Medicina de la Liberacion tambien tiene como raiz el W
bajo del movimiento humanitario, como el Comite de la Cruz
Roja International, buscando garantizar la integridad de sus vidas con pura presencia. Tambien grupos como Medicos Sin
Fronteras, Medicos del Mundo y Doctores por la Salud Global,
quienes no solo acompanan a los pueblos en cuestiones preventivas ademas de curativas, ademas son testigos de lo que estan viviendo con la gente.sirviendo como los "Ojos del Mundo"
contra la injusticia
Otro aspecto fundamental de la Medicina de la Liberacion es
el vinculo entre Salud y Derechos Humanos.todos los Derechos
Humanos, nos decia el Dr. Mann, son esenciales para la Salud.
Asumiendo Salud y Derechos Humanos en forma conjunta.se
crea una sinergia que es mas grande que la suma de los dos
conceptos.
Una herramienta util para que la Medicina de la Liberacion es
la Atencion Primaria de Salud Orientada o Basada en la Cornunidad, inspirada en la Declaration de Alma Ata, aprobada en
1978.
Se trata de una relacion de respeto con los integrantes de la
comunidad, escuchando y trabajando con ellos, usando la metodologia de la investigation participativa para explorar recursos
y problemas, establecer prioridades, establecer un plan de trabajo y evaluarlo durante y despues de hacerlo. La Atencion Pri
maria de Salud Orientada en la Comunidad es la misma fuerza
del pueblo y esta fuerza es la que puede hacer realidad lo que
postula la Declaration de Alma Ata.
El Ai te, la literatura y la sanacion en todas sus expresiones,
forma parte de la Medicina de la Liberacion. El Arte es una fuente de information, una manera de prevenir la angustia o la depresion y tambien como guia de pasos para una vida mejor. El
arte sirve como invitacion a la liberacion.
En el espiritu de la lucha continua por la justicia social esta
fundada la Medicina de la Liberacion, asi tambien en el movi
miento de los derechos civiles del Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. En
el movimiento anticolonialista enarbolado por Ernesto Che
Guevara, Nelson Mandela, Malcom X.
GEORGE BUSH...YOU
LIAR...WE'RE GOING TO
GETYOU FIRED!"
GEORGE BUSH MENTIROSO
i VAMOS A DESPEDIRTE !
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
is not a solution. Instead, they proposed that
people speak to each other and resolve issues.
The children's march led to a landmark event
in the history of Berkeley wherein the Peace
Bell was rung after 50 years.
Celia has created YAU, the Young Activists
Union in Berkeley, a group of youngsters who
are protesting the war.The group attempts to spread awareness
regarding the war to other young adults. Celia says that her
friends provide much support and encouragement for her work
and together they spread knowledge about the realities of the
war.
Sporting a t-shirt saying "Give Bush the Pink Slip", Celia says
that Bush "has more reason to get fired" now. She says that it
is not Bush who frustrates her, but the US Senate and the peo
ple who continue to support Bush. She feels that it is important
for the Iraqi people to know that the soldiers who fight the war
are not at fault. It is rather the fault of the Government who has
decided to go to war for their own ulterior motives. Celia, who
is slowly mastering the art ofTae Kwon Do, feels that fighting to
defend yourself or your loved ones is valid, but attacking inno
cent people unnecessarily is not.
Celia Reid Jailer Shannon, una nina de nueve afios de Berkely,
California y sus amigos han creado numerosas canciones y ver
sos para protestar por la Guerra en Irak. Celia fue una de las organizadoras de una marcha en contra de la Guerra de Irak. La
marcha tuvo participantes de entre los dos y doce anos de edad,
cargando banderas que decian " Por que la Guerra fue estupida" El mensaje al gobierno es simple: Los ninos de Berkely es
tan molestos y sienten que la guerrra es innecesaria. Los chicos
hicieron discursos improvisados en contra de la matanza de
ninos inocentes en Irak y manifestaron que la Guerra no es la
solution. En lugar de eso, propusieron que la gente debe hablar
para resolver los problemas. La marcha de los ninos llego a un
sitio de eventos historicos en Berkeley donde la campana de la
paz sono despues de 50 anos.
Celia ha creado YAU, la union de activistas jovenes en Berke
ley, un grupo de jovencitos que protestan por la Guerra. El grupo trata de concientizar respecto a la Guerra a otros adultos jo
venes. Celia dice que sus amigos le dan mucho apoyo y y la fuerza para su trabajo y juntos dan a conocer sobre las reallidades
de la Guerra.
Llevando una a camiseta que dice "Denle a Bush la patada"
Celia dice que Bush tienen mas razones para ser despedido
ahora. Ella dice que no es Bush quien la frustra pero si el senado de los Estados Unidsos y la gente que apoya a Bush. Ella cree
que es importance para la gente iraqui saber que los soldados
norteamericanos quienes pelean la Guerra no son los culpables. La culpa es del gobierno que ha decidido ir a la Guerra por
sus propios motivos. Celia, quien esta aprendiendoTae Kwaon
Do siente que el pelear para defenderse uno mismo o a los quo
tu amas es valido pero atacar a gente inocente innecesariamente no Io es.
REC HO GLOBAL
DEL CUIDADO DE LA SALUD
PROPOSAL FORA PHM CIRCLE
ON TRADE AND HEALTH
UN CIRCULO DE COMERCIO Y
SALUD EN EL MSP
As part of the International Peoples Health University last
week, one of the small working groups took on the issues of Po
pular Education and Trade in Health as the basis for our week
long group project.
While recognising the work already underway on trade and
health within PHM we decided to offer ourselves as the initial
organising group for a PHM Circle on Trade and Health.
We collected ideas on popular education methods and set up
a communications plan to allow the group to communicate wit
hin itself as well as with a wider audience. Our first campaign is
to work towards the WTO ministerial meeting in Hong Kong
this December.
We have drafted the following mission statement and invite
feedback and expressions of interest for those who would like
to be a part of the group.We will present this proposal to PHM
more formally on Wednesday as part of Track 9 at the works
hop "Building Campaigns and Collective Initiatives".
Al participar en la Universidad Internacionai por la Salud de
los Pueblos la semana pasada, uno de los pequenos grupos de
trabajo se concentre en el tema de la Education Popular y el
Comercio en la Salud como la base de nuestro proyecto de gru
po de la semana.
Al reconocer el trabajo que se esta realizando en cuanto al
comercio y la salud dentro del Movimiento por la Salud de los
Pueblos, decidimos ofrecernos como el grupo que inicie la or
ganization de un Circulo de Comercio y Salud en el Movimien
to por la Salud de los Pueblos.
Recogimos ideas de los metodos de education popular y establecimos un plan de comunicaciones que permitira al grupo
comunicarse dentro del mismo y a su vez con una audiencia mas
amplia. Nuestra primera campana consiste en trabajar para la
reunion ministerial de la OMC en Hong Kong este Diciembre.
Hemos enviado las siguientes declaraciones de mision y hemos invitado a que nos den respuestas y quienes quieren ser
parte de este grupo que nos den a conocer su interes. Presen
taremos la propuesta al Movimiento por la Salud de los Pueblos
mas formalmente el dia miercoles como parte del tema 9 en el
taller “Construyendo campanas y recolectando iniciativas.
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
Celia Reid Jailer Shannon, a nine year old
from Berkeley, California and her friends ha
ve developed numerous chants such as this
to protest the war in Iraq. Celia was one of
the key organizers of a march by her school
mates against the war in Iraq. The march saw
participants between the age of two years
and twelve years, carrying banners on "why
the war was stupid".
The message to the Government was sim
ple: the children of Berkeley are angry and feel
that the war is unnecessary. The children then
made impromptu speeches against the killing
of innocent children in Iraq and said that war
Abhay Shukla y Claudio Schuftan
El mundo esta siendo testigo de una erosion universal del acceso a la salud de la gente pobre.
Pero la mayoria de los paises en el mundo (alrededor de 150)
estan formando parte del Convenio International de Derechos
Economicos, Sociales y Culturales, en el cual el Derecho a la Sa
lud (DAS) esta presente. Sin embargo, todavia existe la necesidad de lanzar un proceso global efectivo que aumentara los niveles de demanda por el DAS, para que este sea implementado
mas seriamente en los paises firmantes. Esto llama a una revi
sion de las politicas globales y nacionales del sector de la salud.
Sugerimos que la iniciativa del MSP deberla, en una primera
fase, concentrarse en el DAS. La iniciativa trata de reclamar a los
sistemas de salud publica que tienen al publico en el centra.
Aos miembros del MSP estan en una position de documentar
efstatus de salud en los paises respectivos usando un marco de
derechos.
La idea de una Iniciativa de un Derecho Global de la Asistencia Medica, esta todavia en proceso. Para avanzar, necesitamos
ahora estructurar el contorno del mismo. En uno de los talleres
durante la IIAMSP se ha propuesto lanzar la campana en fases.
En una fase preparatoria, se buscara ampliamente un consenso en la Iniciativa y un documento mas completo de este concepto sera redactado. En una segunda etapa.de documentation
y analisis, se elaboraran documentos y cada pais sera el encargado de hacerlo.Apuntamos a que 50 paises preparen estos re-
portes, en al menos 5 regiones.
Estos reportes de los paises nos lievaran a reportes regiona
les y un global que desembocara en el segundo Reporte Global
de la Salud. Se espera comptometer a la QMS en el proceso y
tenet a la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud adoptar una Declaracion en DAS para todos, en el 2007 o 2008.
La campana adicionalmente incrementara la conciencia del
Derecho a la Salud, redes vigilantes del Derecho a la Salud seran creadas, comisiones nacionales de Derechos Humanos sc
ran fortalecidas, el MSP se unira en su trabajo con otros movimientos enfocados en otros derechos (de la mujer.de los ninos,
salud mental, etc).
Tambien creara con
ciencia de las causas
estructurales que han
erosionado el derecho
a la Salud, poniendolo
en la agenda de la Sa
lud Global y contrarrestando la privatiza
tion de los servicios
de salud, y al mismo
tiempo fortaleciendo
la MSP como un movimiento.
Proposed mission statement:
Recognising the impacts of unjust trade on health, the PHM
Circle on Trade and Health aims to:
o demystify the links between trade and health;
s contribute to intersectoral collaboration with others who
share our goals;
• further international solidarity around trade and health issues;
0 mobilise health workers and the general population;
through the:
• facilitation of informal exchange between academic, technical
and popular sources;
o preparation of tools and resources for popular education;
• lead and support campaigns against the impacts of unjust tra
de and health.
If you can't make it to the workshop but would like more in
formation, please contact Darby Santiago at darbysantiago@yahoo.com.
Declaraciones de mision propuestas:
° Exponer las relaciones entre el comercio y la salud;
• Contribuir con la colaboracion intersectorial con otros que
comparten nuestras mismas metas;
• Incrementar la solidaridad internacionai en cuanto a temas relacionados con la salud y el comercio;
o Mobilizar a los trabajadores de la salud y a la poblacion den
general; a traves de:
• Facilitar el intercambio informal entre academicos, tecnicos y
fuentes populates;
• Preparation de materiales y recursos para la education popu
lar;
• Campanas base y de apoyo en contra de los impactos del co
mercio injusto y de la salud.
DID YOU KNOW
World Military Spending Topped US $1 Trillion in 2004
US spent US $455 billion, and accounted for almost half the global figure.This is more than the combined total of the 32 next
most powerful nations.
The top five - the United States, Britain, France, Japan and China - spent 64 percent of the world total.
The US military budget was more than 30 times as large as the combined spending Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, Sudan
and Syria who spent $13 billion.These are seven countries that US calls as "rogue nations".
WHO estimates (in 2004) that 1.8 million people die every year from diarroheal diseases (including cholera). 90 % are children
under 5, mostly in developing countries.
A fraction of the amount spend on military can save many a lives.
Sources: SIPRI annual report,WHO and www.rehydrate.org
compiled by Hasheem Mannan
Published in Cuenca.Published by PHA 2, Media team
Printed: Atlantida. Design: the cat
Translations: Daniela Garcia,Tamara
Trownsell, Estefania Tello, Kristi Smith,
Audrey Morot, Monique Sanchez,Viviana
Rodriguez, Tess Lanningjuan Lagarto,
PHA 2 DEMANDS INDEPENDENT WHO COMMISSION
ON IRAQ’S HEALTH SITUATION
Violence against doctors by the US occupying forces has triggered a mass exodus of doctors from Iraq. Doctors attending
the second People’s Health Assembly testified that over 100 doctors have been killed in violence against doctors and patients
in Iraq during the past two years of US occupation.
“In 2004 alone 71 medical professors have been killed or been intimidated to leave the country.There is complete insecu
rity in Iraqi hospitals that has resulted in many casualties" said Dr. Salam Ismael, General Secretary, Doctors for Iraq.
“Thousands of doctors, many of them highly experienced have already left the country” he said. Doctors for Iraq is an inde
pendent association of medical professionals that was set up in October 2003.
PHA 2 is proposing to the WHO to monitor the health situation in Iraq independently.“WHO should set up a special com
mission for this purpose” said a spokes person for the People's Health Movement. “The world needs to find out the truth
about what is happening to the Iraqi people under US occupation" he said while addressing a press conference here today.
Targetting civilian population and medical facilities and personnel is a blatant violation of Geneva conventions and amounts
to war crimes.
Nancy, Kristi Smith, Sowbhagya
Editors: Fabiola, Sanjana, Julio, Jorge,
Satya and Unni.
■lustrations: Rafael Carrasco. Fotos:
PHA2 Media Team
Copy left: .Please feel free to circulate
and reprint
Copy @
www.phmovement.org
www.iphcglobal.org
Please contact: + 593 9196 1712
+ 593 9156 2953
+593 9453 0115
E mail: media@phmovement.org
_______ —
Unidas que deben mantener la paz no pueden controlar a Estados Unidos.
Estefania Tello, Ecuador
“TENDREMOS TODOS QUE
PAGAR POR LO QUE SE HA
HECHO EN IRAK”
“Mi pais ha estado sangrando por dos ahos y nadie quiere sa
ber lo que exactamente est- sucediendo aqui. La gente en otros
lugares del mundo disfruta de la paz, mientras en mi pais hay una
guerra. Todos los dias hay violaciones a los derechos humanos....;Quien piensa en esto? oD6nde estan las organizaciones
internacionales que pueden cambiar esta situacion?”
Salam Ismael, Irak
Pienso que la guerra es injustificable, Estados Unidos nunca
tuvo razones reales para invadir este pais. Muchos civiles estan
muriendo y esto es injusto para ellos, estan siendo participes de
una guerra que nunca quisieron. Estados Unidos debe salir de
Irak.”
Daniela Garcia, Ecuador
“La guerra es y siempre sera estupida! No sera facil remediar
el dano causado por la guerra en Irak. Lo que pas6 en Irak ha
desencadenado una reaction y todos nosotros sentiremos sus
impactos. Todos tendremos que pagar por lo que se ha hecho
en Irak”
Dr. Sunil Deepak.AIFO, Italia
“Creo que se pueden fomentar una cultura de identidad en
la cual haya respeto especialmente en Irak. Tambien, hacer un
sabotaje para no consumir los productos de los Estados Unidos
hasta que la gente Norte Americana desocupe Irak.”
Juan, Ecuador
BILL GATES
MYTHOLOGY
“Se que America ha atacado Irak. Lo he visto en television"
Dilvara (Age I I), Bangladesh
I.
"Lo que necesitamos hacer ahora es levantar nuestras voces
para sacar a los Estados Unidos de Irak. No se han encontrado
Armas de Destruction Masiva y los Estados Unidos no tienen la
autoridad moral para castigar a la gente de Irak. Los Estados
Unidos deben salir de Irak y dejar al resto del mundo en paz. La
ambicion de Estados Unidos por petroleo y beneficios debe ser
mostrada al mundo"
Darby Santiago, Filipinas
2.
If he drop a thousand dollars, he won't even bother to pick it
up because by the 4th second he pick it, he already earn it
back.
3.
US's national debt is about 5.62 trillion, if Bill Gates will pay
the debt by himself he will finish it in less than 10 years.
4.
He can donate US$15 to everyone on earth and
US$5 for his pocket money.
5.
Michael Jordan is the highest paid athlete in US. If he doesn't
drink and eat, and keeps his income going up by US$30 mil
lion annually, he'll have to wait for 277 years to become as
rich as Bill Gates now.
6.
If Bill Gates was a country, he would be the 37th richest
country on earth, or 13th biggest company in the US all by
himself.
7.
If you exchange all of Bill Gate's money to US$ I bills, you can
use them to pave a road from the earth to moon, 14 times
back and forth. But you have to make that road non-stop for
1,400 years and use a total 713 BOEING 747 plane to trans
port all the money.
8.
Bill Gates is 45 this year. If we assume that he still can live for
35 years, he has to spend US$6.78 Million per day to fii^
his money before going to heaven.
9.
BUT!!! If Microsoft Windows' users can claim US$ I for every
time their computers hang because of MicrosoftWindows,
Bill Gates will bankrupt in 3 years.
“La matanza, especialmente de mujeres y a ninos debe parar.
Estados Unidos debe salir de Irak AHORA"
Mary Sandasi, Zimbabwe
La Guerra en Irak ha entorpecido el trabajo para combatir el
terrorismo. El asunto del terrorismo podia haber sido solucionado si la guerra. La guerra fue totalmente innecesaria. Ahora
Irak es un desastre y en sombre del la guerra contra el terro
rismo muchas vidas inocentes se han perdido”
Abel Rajaratnam, India
“Estoy profundamente entristecido por lo que esta pasando
en Irak. Me cuesta entender que mucha gente en Estados Uni
dos crea que la guerra ha terminado y que el pais ha triunfado.
La gente no esta conciente que su pais ha actuado por sus propios intereses. Debemos crear conciencia acerca de la realidad
que se vive en Irak compartiendo informacion y experiencias.”
Emily Gharabally, EEUU
“La guerra en Irak fue un acto de agresion y fue Nevada a cabo en contra de las opiniones del mundo entero. Irak esta fuera
del sarten de Saddam y en el fuego de America. Movimientos in
ternacionales deben tratar de desmantelar la resistencia popular
de grupos fanaticos de manera que Irak no pase del ataque de
Estados Unidos al control del regimen fundamentalista islamico”
Tom Fawthrop, Reino Unido
Bill Gates earns US$250 every SECOND, that's about US$20
Million a DAY and US$7.8 Billion a YEAR!
UNCLE SAM’S GLOBAL HEALTHCARE PLAN
ENTONCG5 ...POCTOR
zll/WO UM
ambulancia?
“En Irak, la gente se encuentra en peor situacion que en la
que estuvo durante el regimen de Saddam. No estoy apoyando
a Saddam, pero hoy, la solucion que Estados Unidos ofrecio
(ocupacion) es peor que el problema.
Itai Rusike, Zimbabwe
“Lo que paso en Irak fue injustificable, La ocupacion de Esta
dos Unidos en Irak permanecera como un vergonzoso inciden
ce en la historia. El ataque ha destrozado a Irak y si los Estados
Unidos quiere salvar su imagen, debe salir de Irak inmediatamente"
Profesor Mathura Shreshta , Nepal
“Desde mi punto de vista, mi mayor preocupacion son los ci
viles y la manera en que estan muriendo a causa de esta guerra
en Irak. En Estados Unidos solo soldados han muerto. Los civi
les son los que estan sufriendo las consecuencias. Paises como
Estados Unidos pueden hacer lo que quieren y nadie puede ha
cer nada en contra de esto. Organizaciones como las Naciones
PLAN MEDICO GLOBAL DELTIO SAM
still A
|A nrm!!?®
de la Salud de Los Pueblos
[ PEOPLE S HEALTH ASSEMBLY 2
MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL Pei;
Le< i-’U lip LOG
PEOPLE'S HEALTH MOVEMENT
NUMERO 4
Pijuano
20 DE JULID/JULY/2005
www.phmovement.org
Cuenca-Ecuador
QMS DESHERTATE!
Los que apoyan la salud global estan pidiendo la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud que cambie para enfrentarse con los
retos de la salud global de hoy.
Un nuevo informe sobre la salud global (El Informe de Monitoreo de la Salud Global (GHW)), que se lanza hoy dice
que la Organizacion Mundial de la Salud tiene recursos insuficientes, esta obstaculizado por problemas internas de gestion, socavado por los juegos de poder de las naciones ricas y distraido de sus metas principals a construir sistemas uni
versales de salud por una proliferacion de iniciativas no coordinadas.
Se lanza el informe hoy en Cuenca (Ecuador) y Londres.
"El GHW es una herramienta importance en la lucha por la justicia global de la salud" dijo el Prof. Jaime Breilh, un epidemiologo destacado ecuatoriano.
Mike Rowson, editor gerente del informe
expreso: "Estamos pidiendo a los donantes a
dar mas recursos a la OMS y una asignacion
racional de esos fondos. Tambien estamos
ndo que la OMS abra un debate publico
sobre su trayectoria futura, que baje el numero de ‘prioridades’ y a inspirar de nuevo a su
personal."
El informe combina controles de la realidad
con analisis politicos y se espera que aumente
la veeduria y la transparencia en el ambito de
salud global.
El informe tambien hace una Hamada a la comunidad mundial de irse mas alia que el enfoque de la Cumbre G8 en la deuda, la cooperacion internacional y el comercio, Llama por el
establecimiento de una autoridad internacional
de impuestos para veneer a la evasion de impuestos y financiar la salud y el desarrollo. Adicionalmente, demuestra como la comercializacion de la salud publica conlleva al empeoramiento de la salud y propone un plan de 10
p^tos para los servicios efectivos de salud.
W lanzamiento del informe coincide con la segunda Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos en Cuenca, Ecuador
donde 1500 participantes se han reunido para debatir las prioridades nacionales y globales de salud.
David McCoy, editor gerente del informe, dijo: "El desequilibrio de poder entre los palses ricos y pobres tanto como
entre el sector corporative no responsable y los entes publicos es un importante determinante subyacente de malestar.
El informe reclama una respuesta de la comunidad global de los trabajadores de la salud para restaurar el equilibrio y la
»
responsabilidad democratica".
Global health campaigners are calling on the World Health Organiza
tion to change to meet today’s global health challenges.
A new report on global health (The Global Health Watch Report
(GHWR), being launched today says that the World Health Organization
is insufficiently resourced, hampered by internal management problems,
undermined by the power games of rich nations and distracted from its
core aims to build universal health systems by a proliferation of uncoor
dinated initiatives.
The report is being launched today in Cuenca (Ecuador) and London.
"The GHW is an important tool in the fight for glo
bal health justice" said Prof.Jaime Breilh, a leading Ecua
dorian epidemiologist.
Mike Rowson, managing editor of the Watch said: "We
are calling on donors to resource WHO much better
and for a more rational allocation of those funds.We are
also calling on WHO to open a public debate on its fu
ture direction, to cut down on "priorities" and re-inspi
re its staff."
The report combines reality checks with political
analyses and is expected to increase accountability and
transparency in the global health arena.
The report also calls on the world community to go
further than the G8 Summit’s focus on debt, aid and tra
de, and calls for the setting up of an international tax
authority to beat tax avoidance and fund health and de
velopment. In addition, it shows how the commercializa
tion of healthcare leads to worse health and puts for
ward a 10 point plan for effective health services.
The report’s release coincides with the 2nd People’s
Health Assembly in Cuenca, Ecuador where 1500 peo
ple have gathered to debate national and global health
priorities.
David McCoy, managing editor of the Watch said: "The imbalance in
power between rich countries and poor countries, as well as between
the unaccountable corporate sector and public bodies is an important
underlying determinant of ill health.The Watch calls for a response from
the global community of health workers to restore balance and democratic accountability"
WHO Wag -J»I
"A CHILD BS WORTH MORE THAN ALL THE B3ANG<§ BN THE WORLD"
Dr. Miguel Marquez, a visionary of Cuban health care and
a native of Cuenca talks to the PHA2 Media Team
PHA2: How is the current health situation in Cuba and
how is it different from that of other developed and deve
loping countries?
M.M.: We are not satisfied with the current health situa
tion in Cuba. The people of Cuba must work harder to
overcome many problems that exist today. Cuba is one of
the top ten countries in the world in terms of indicators of
mortality, infant mortality, immunization and access to free
health services, potable water and basic nutrition. But we
are not happy because we feel that health is not only about
ness about conserving water, as it is a resource that can disappear if not uti
lized consciously. Right now. the average education of Cubans is high school
level, but we are aspiring to increase the level of education to the university
level.
There is much to be done to improve the health situation in Cuba. Health
does not depend on the provision of medicines, rather on the provision of em
ployment, culture, brotherhood and peace. Our health situation also depends
on our ability to manufacture our own medicines. We are currently attemp
ting to manufacture our own medicines, especially anti-retroviral medication
and HIV vaccines. The cost of these medicines is monstrous. Similarly, we are
attempting to make our own equipments for health care. So, there is still a
long way to go to achieve a better health system.
illness, it is also about education, behavior and access to
PHA2: What has helped Cuba establish a successful health system unlike
any other in the world?
food and potable water. Cuba needs to generate aware
M.M.: We would like health to emerge as a significant (Continued on page 2)
Miguel Marquez (From page I)
force, not only as a., human right but also as a powerful tool for social, political and economic
change. We want to build new alternatives and health models that can create a great space for ever
yone to access health care. We recognize in the Cuban situation that health is necessary for all.
We do not limit health to medical care, but view it as being linked to the environment, nature, nu
trition, employment and the concept of brotherhood. Human solidarity will allow us to live and
work with the same intensity whether the problem is in Cuba or Bangladesh or Ecuador. The right
to health has no borders.no passports ....illnesses such as HIV and malaria can pass between coun
tries without passports. Therefore, the job to provide health for all belongs to all of us.
To complete this idea, our attempt to provide health and good living standards to people does
not recognize borders. We are currently working in Asia, America, Oceania and Africa and our peo
ple are being respected for their work. We work without any ideological differences; our presen
ce is based on love and solidarity. We work with the concept that the life of a child is worth mo
re than all the banks in the world.
PH A2: The per capita income of Cubans is comparatively small, but the living standards are high.
How has this been achieved?
M.M.: A doctor in Cuba earns US$400 a month. In comparison with many other Latin Ameri
can countries, this is a low income. But in Cuba, we do not focus on money but rather on family,
health and human rights. We believe in the social salary of the Cuban people rather than the eco
nomic salary. Most services are provided for a low cost or free. We respect a person's right to
education and provide free books, materials and transport. We respect a person’s right to nutri
tion and provide food having 3000 calories a day. The cost of living is low. Over 80% of the Cuban
people own their homes. People cannot spend more than 5% of their monthly income on housing
rent. We have a good telecommunication system and provide all necessary amenities at low costs.
Consequently, there are no children without access to education, no one lacks clothes and you will
not
seeare
anyone
onCuba
the streets.
We
born begging
and die in
as free individuals with all human rights. We have
had forty years of threats from the US and have daily warnings from the US mili
tary. Yet we do not own any weapons. We know how. to defend ourselves, but no
ne of us own guns. Cuba strives to be a peaceful country that lives in love, figh
ting against war. Our most powerful gun is our reasoning, our solidarity and inte
lligence.
PHA2: Neo-liberal economic policies have been ruining health worldwide.
What has Cuba done to resist the World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund?
M.M.: Simple! Neither the World Bank nor the IMF has operated within Cuba
in the last 40 years. We don’t owe them money and they dont owe us money. We
are independent...our health, politics and education are our own. Nothing is fun
ded by the World Bank or IMF as it is done in other countries.
Neo-liberalism will die soon because it is generating so much hunger and po
verty, both in developed as well as developing countries. People are becoming mo
re conscious of the increasing misery and are realizing that neo-liberalism will not
solve anything.
PHA2: Cuban doctors are seen in disaster relief teams worldwide. What ma
kes the Cuban doctors go on?
M.M.: We are always prepared for disasters and constantly train groups of wor
kers for relief work. It is a part of our life. We believe in brotherhood and soli
darity. We do not help others for money, but because of the love for life and peo
ple.
GLOBAL HEALTH WATCH REPORT: KEY FUNDINGS
• Commercialisation of health care systems results in widening health care inequities, lower access to
quality care for the poor, inefficiencies and deterioration in trust and ethics. Supporting countries to
build universal systems financed by taxation and insurance mechanisms is therefore critical.
• While developed nations have grown wealthier over the last forty years their levels of development
assistance to the developing world is the same as it was in the 1960s.
• There is a crisis of governance among the international institutions (WHO, UNICEF, the World Bank,
the IMF, the WTO) which is provoked by the attempts of rich nations to shape the international order
in their favour.
• Mismanagement and distorted priorities are a common factor in the despair felt by many working in
and around the health promoting international institutions. A chapter on WHO finds that not only is
there a harsh external environment that the organisation has to work with, but its internal manage
ment problems are also leading to organisational paralysis.
• Civil society campaigning on tobacco control and marketing of breast milk substitutes have shown
how harmful business activities can be mitigated through the enforcement of codes of conduct and
regulatory intervention.
• WHO needs reform - aside from more money and a more enabling environment, greater openness
to civil society and internal management reform are necessary ifWHO is to regain its position as a
leader in world health.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE GLOBAL HEALTH:
WHO.
o Should increase its engagement with civil society - GHW calls for an open debate on its future role.
• Should spend its budget allocations on programmes rather than salaries and overheads
o Should employ a broader range of health professionals (as currently its staff make-up is mainly doc
tors)
• Should focus on primary health care programs instead of vertical programs which weaken health sys
tems
• Should redistribute its human resources from the head office to the country offices
GOVERNMENTS:
• Should make a greater financial contributions to WHO
• Should abolish user charges
• Of richer countries should pay compensation for the migration of health workers from low-income
countries
THE GHW REPORT ALSO CALLS FOR:
• Establishment of an international tax authority that can work towards clamping down on tax avoid
ance
• An international delegation of public health experts to attend subsequent rounds of WTO decisions.
• The UN and its specialised agencies to formulate stronger regulatory echanisms to monitor and curb
the harmful effects of multinational companies.
DEAR EDITOR.
WE LOVE YOUR NEWSLETTER BUT.
DEAR READER,
PLEASE DON’TTELL USWHATYOUTHINK OF PIJUANO I INSTEAD TELL US WHAT
YOUTHINK OF PHA2 AND WHAT THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH MOVEMENT SHOULD BE
DOING IN FUTURE; WRITE TO MEDIA@PHMOVEMENT.ORG
QUERIDO EDITOR,
NOS GUSTA SU PERIODICO PERO...
QUERIDO LECTOR,
POR FAVOR NO NOS DE SU OPINION ACERCA DE PIJUANO1 MAS BIEN
DlGANOS QUE PIENSA DE LA II ASAMBLEA MUNDIAL DE LA X in nr ™
PUEBLOSY QUE PODEMOS HACER EN EL FUTURO EL MOVIMIENTO MUNDIAL DE
SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS; ESCRIBANOS AL CORREO MEDIA@PHMOVEMENWRG
IN SOLIDARITY
ATENTAMENTE
PHA2 MEDIA TEAM
PHA2 MEDIA TEAM
UN MAYOR COMPROMISO
DE LA UNIVERSIDAD
PUBLICA
Maria Isabel Rodriguez
Rectora de la Universidad del Salvador.
"WAR? ITS TWO
PEOPLE FIGHTING AT
THE COST OF TWO
MILLION PEOPLE"
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
Carlos Padilla, child star of the Hollywood
film 'Innocent Voices', has arrived in Cuenca to
attend the second People's Health Assembly.
The film is about a young boy in war-torn El
Salvador, who must decide between joining the
army and fighting alongside the guerillas. It
sees the war through a child's eyes, vividly por
traying the huge impacts that wars have on
children.
Carlos says that the making of this movie
was his most memorable experience. Particularly since he was
allowed to do things that he could not have done at home.
He says he was keen to act in the movie aimed to spread the
message against wars, which he thinks cause children to beco
me rebels or turn anti social. A war, says Carlos, is a situation
where often two people fight at the cost of two million people.
He is looking forward to the People's Health Assembly becau
se he wantsto meet children from different parts of the world.
message to children is simple : Don't get taken in by what
y see around the world, what we really need is more peace.
He also feels strongly about the loss of innocent lives in Iraq.
All of twelve years old, Carlos says the rest of the world should
take the cue from Cuba to provide equal opportunities to all its
citizens.
•
La universidad publica en America Latina tiene el reto de
trasformar el modelo economico imperante. debe ponerse del
lado de las mayorias populates en la defensa de la salud de nuestros pueblos. Debe ser un motor en la construction de una
conciencia colectiva intra y extra universitaria que afirme un
compromise con la comunidad.
Son varios los problemas que enfrentan las universidades publicas en nuestra region que le han llevado a que la poblacion
tenga poca confianza en su papel transformador y catalizador. La
gran ofensiva desatada contra nuestros centres superiores ha
permitido la penetracion ideologica en el personal academico
que ha desviado como sus unicas reivindicaciones el factor salarial, sacrificando las reivindicaciones de caracter academico,
sumiendose en la mediocridad y resistencia al cambio, desperdiciando las oportunidades de servicio y compromise con la
poblacion; a esto se suma el abandono del Estado que disminuye permanence los recursos econdmicos para su desenvolvimiento.
Sin embargo, el desafio que tienen en la actualidad las univer
sidades publicas implica llevar el conocimiento a la sociedad, pa
ra conocer y enfrentar las desigualdades, mas alia de las reuniones , congresos y publicaciones, que permita entregarle a la po
blacion los instrumentos para su lucha pero tambien el compro
mise de acompanarla en la misma; es necesario tambien Hegar
al auto convencimiento de la imperiosa necesidad de avanzar en
mas alto grade en el desarrollo cientifico y tecnologico para poner ese conocimiento al servicio de los intereses de muestras
poblaciones.
Se impone tener una conception integral de salud y -aunque
esto es muy dificil- es necesario integrar con la salud, las demas
carreras sociales y economicas. Esta es una responsabilidad uni
versitaria frente a la fragmentation al abordar el tema de la salud.
Debemos unirnos a la poblacion en sus reivindicaciones en
salud como un derecho humano fundamental.
SAB8A UD QUE...
Los gascos militates mundiales llegaron a US $ I trillon en
el 2004
Estados Unidos gasta US$ 455 billones, esto representa casi la mitad del gasto total mondial. Esto es mas que el total de
las 32 naciones siguientes mas poderosas del mundo.
El top cinco.- Los Estados Unidos, Gran Bretana, Francia, Jap6n y China—gastan 64% del total mundial.
El presupoesto militar de Estados Unidos foe 30 veces m s
grande que la suma del gasto de Cuba, Ir n, Irak, Libia, Corea
del Norte, Sud-n.y Siria, estos gastaron $13 billones. Estos son
los 7 palses que estados Unidos llama “rogue nations
La OrganizaciUn Mundial de Salud estima que en el 2004 1.8
millones de personas morir-n cada aOo debido a enfermedades diarreicas (incluyendo cUlera). 90% son niOos menores a
5 ados, la mayoria de paises en vias desarrollo.
Una fracciUn de la cantidad asignada para gasto militar puede salvar muchas vidas.
Fuentes: SIPRI annual report,WHO y www.rehydrate.org
Recolectado por Hasheem Mannan
"DE LA POLITICA ISRAELI NACEN LOS BOMBARDEROS DE SU3CQDOO, NO LAS MADRES PALESTINAS."
Amal Daoud, Instituto de la Comunidad y de la Salud Publica,
Universidad Birzeit, Joan Jubran, Instituto de las Politicas de Sa
lud, Desarrollo e Informacion, y Ghassan Hamdan de la Union
de Comites deAlivio Medico Palestine (UPMRC) hablan con el
equipo de prensa AMSP-IL
Los hospitales tambien han sido invadidos, disparandose a los
medicos y enfermeras. Ninos y pacientes criticos, son los mas
afectados.
tina y por todo el mundo. Escribimos cuentos, comunicamos la
experiencia del pueblo palestino. Aim estar aqui en Cuenca nos
agrada mucho porque podemos compartir nuestras experiencias con gente de todas partes del mundo.
LOS BLOQUEOS ISRAELIES
SOBRE LA VIOLENCIA Y LA NO-VIOLENCIA
LA OCUPACION ISRAELI Y LA SALUD PALESTINA
^Desde 2001 han habido varias incursiones a territorio pales"o y la situacion de salud de su pueblo se ha deteriorado dramaticamente. Las fuerzas armadas israelies han estado destruyendo sistematicamente la infraestructura del pueblo palestino.
Bajo esta politica, los toque de queda en los distritos es frecuente. Todos estan encerrados con Have dentro de sus casas.
Se cortan los servicios basicos y quienes salen a las calles estan
perseguidos por balas asesinas.
Las fuerzas israelies han ocupado las escuelas.allanado hospitales, bancos, oficinas de ONG, requisando computadoras y destruyendo su infraestructura. Elios argumentan que estos locales
esconden militantes palestinos. Aun hasta las comisarias han sido destruidas, reclamando que son refugio de terroristas.
700 puestos de control en la Orilla Oeste y Gaza, mas el mu
re que construyen ilegalmente para poder arrebatar terreno pa
lestino, separan a familias, pueblos enteros y obreros de sus lugares de trabajo.A los ninos de sus centres educativos.
Tantos pacientes se han muerto en los ‘puestos de control’,
que deberian pintarlos de rojo sangre.
Hoy, los israelies estan implementando nuevas formas de castigo colectivo en contra del pueblo palestino, que solo atina protegerse.
El indice de desempleo ha aumentando. La gente no acude al
trabajo. Muchos solian trabajar en Israel. Hay mas de 3000 alumnos que no pueden ir a la escuela debido al mure. Todas las
fuentes de agua controlan los israelies. Al otro lado del muro.
LA SITUACION DE MUJER
La ocupacion Israeli ha hecho mucho mas dano a las mujeres
palestinas. "Nuestros hombres ya estan sin empleo; tenemos
miedo del bienestar de nuestros hijos. Se preocupan por los
embarazos pues es imposible Hegar a tiempo a un hospital por
los puestos de control".
Las familias tienen miedo de enviar a sus hijas a la escuela, o
que las mujeres jovenes acudan a trabajar, debido al acoso de
que son objeto por la soldadesca presente en estos ‘puestos de
control'.
Todos los problemas que estamos tratando de resolver des
de hace anos, en realidad han aumentando. Problemas como
matrimonios precoces y tazas de desercion estudiantil se han
incrementando por el impacto del muro. Hay un nivel de frustracion y estres muy elevando en estos mementos.
A pesar de todo, las mujeres no solamente sobrellevan los
problemas sino que juegan un papel protagonico de apoyo a sus
familias durante las crisis. Cuando los hombres pierden su tra
bajo, por ejemplo, son ellas quienes salen para buscar sustento.
Mas de 60,000 heridos despues de cinco anos, de los cuales
2.500 son ninos que han recibido balas en la parte superior de
sus cuerpecitos. No tenemos un servicio de salud que funcione; son las mujeres quienes cuidan a estos ninos.
Nosotras.como mujeres formadas.sobrellevamos la situacion
con el lobbying y la formacion de alianzas con colegas en Pales-
La mayor parte del movimiento palestino es de resistencia
no-violenta. No obstante Io que muestran la television y la pren
sa son los enfrentamientos, que no ocurren hasta que la arma
da Israeli empieza el fuego.
El tipico palestino pasa por mucha humillacion en las manos de
las fuerzas ocupantes. Los hombres estan pegados frecuentemente frente a sus hijos por los soldados adolescentes israelies.
Los ninos se ven profundamente afectado por todo esto. Pelean entre ellos. No tienen donde ir a jugar por los ‘puestos de
control’. Hay un creciente ambiente de violencia general.
Algunos han acusado a las mujeres palestinas de ‘motivar a
sus hijos a convertirse en bombarderos suicidas’.y estamos muy
enojadas por esta acusacion. Ninguna mujer querra ver morir
a su hijo.
Pero si Uds. vienen y viven en los territories palestinos aun
por un dia, veran por que nuestros jovenes regresan a la violen
cia. Hay una humillacion continua de nuestra gente. Cada fami
lia tiene un martir, un discapacitado, un muerto. un detenido sin
juicio.
Deberiamos hablar sobre la politica que empuja a estos ninos
a la violencia y al enfrentamiento. Elios no tienen future por la
ocupacion. El sistema educativo es muy malo por los cierres e
incursiones; la pobreza esta muy alta. Los soldados israelies han
destruido nuestra infraestructura. No hay fabricas, nada de tra
bajo. No hay nada que hacer. Se los empuja hacia la violencia.
Es la politica Israeli que crea los ‘bombarderos suicidas’, mas
no las madres palestinas. De hecho los israelies quieten frenar
el proceso de construccion de paz, arrebatarnos nuestros terri
tories y destruir el movimiento civil.
Cada madre palestina quiere a su hijo junto a ella, y un futu
re digno para el. Cuando no tienen nada, sus casas estan demolidas y sus hermanos y padres detenidos, estos ninos regresan a
la violencia.
Aun alii, el hecho es que hay muy pocos kamikases, o bom
barderos suicidas.
Nuestra estrategia es la no-violencia. Estamos en una zona
cerrada. No viene el apoyo desde afuera. Israel tiene una de las
armadas mas fuertes del mundo, incluyendo bombas nucleates.
La mejor estrategia para nosotras es la lucha no-violenta.
BAGHDAD HOSPITAL DOCTORS ON STRIKE AGAINST SOLDIERS
Mussab Al-Khairalla
BAGHDAD (Reuters). More than two dozen doctors walked
out of one of Baghdad's busiest hospitals on Tuesday to protest
what they said was abuse by Iraqi soldiers, leaving about 100 pa
tients to fend for themselves in chaotic wards.
Physicians said the troubles started when soldiers barged in
to a woman's wing at Yarmouk hospital, opened curtains and
conducted searches as patients lay in their beds on Monday.
A 27-year-old internal medicine specialist said a soldier began
intimidating and abusing him.
"Before he left he said, 'Why are you looking in disapproval?'
Then he came and punched me lightly on my arm before stic
king his rifle into my stomach and cocking it," the doctor, who
requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, told Reuters.
"I stayed quiet but relatives of the patients told him to calm
down before pulling him out of the room. Just then, four more
soldiers came in and pointed a rifle at my head. At that point I
became scared and begged them to leave me alone."
Ministry of Defense officials were not available for comment
on the incident despite repeated requests.
GOVERNMENT PROMISES
Iraq's mayhem has spread even to hospitals, which are overw
helmed by victims of suicide bombings and shootings whose
blood is mopped up off the floor after every attack.
The new Shi'ite-led government has promised Iraqis that secu
rity forces will be built up to protect them from guerrillas, who
have killed thousands of people with suicide and car bombings.
Iraqis had hoped that January elections would deliver a new
era of democracy, free of the abuses committed by Saddam
Hussein's security forces.
But some say the country's new security forces are too ag
gressive, randomly rounding up suspects and abusing them du
PIJUANO... LLAMADOR !!
Julio Monsalvo
Como tantas companeras y compaheros participantes de esta Asamblea, me he preguntando el significado de la palabra ‘Pi
juano’.
El companero Igor, sostiene que se trata de un instrumento
de viento, pequefio, construido con el hueso de una de las patas de condor -muerto por muerte natural, es decir, a edad
avanzada-.
Porque... jjamas se mata un condor para construirlo!
Este instrumento, el pijuano, emite un sonido muy agudo y es
utilizado sobre los 4000 metros de altura, generalmente para
convocar a los miembros de la comunidad;a quienes se los reiine para comunicarles a cerca de eventos importances, tambien
para advertir sobre amenazas; el pijuano ‘es esa voz que desde
la altura nos llama’.
Escuchando a Igor, imagino el vuelo del condor, que sobrevuela elAnde, con sus magicos pueblos y parajes de ensueho, y
siento una vez mas, crecer la esperanza por la continuidad de la
vida, aquella presente en la sabiduria de los pueblos ancestrales
de los Andes.
La voz del condor del pijuano grita..."respeto a la vida y participacidn...",y la vida se abre paso y triunfa...
El "Pijuano" de esta Asamblea, anhela llamar, convocar a todas y todos por un mundo mejor basado en la Paz, la Equidad y
el Desarrollo Sustentable...
ring detentions.The government says security forces are under
VOCES YTAMBORES
Eliana Bojorque P.
strict orders to respect human rights.
About 30 doctors staged the strike, leaving around 100 be
wildered patients behind, including a young boy of about 10.
Suffering from a gunshot wound to his leg, Muhammad Has
him lay quietly in the back of an ambulance which rushed him
to Yarmouk from a town 30 kilometers southwest of Baghdad.
designios; su magia de ritmicos sonidos, convoca
y embeleza a la gente, los hechiza. En esta ocasi6n tambores, rondadores, flautas e infantiles
But the strike forced his angry father to take him to another
voces han congregado a cientos de hombres y
hospital.
Yarmouk, a run-down, sparsely equipped building, has treated
many of Baghdad's worst cases. Overcrowded with patients and
staff, it's emergency room hosts a frenzy of activity every day.
Nevertheless, doctors said they would press on with a strike
to draw attention to army and security forces, whose wounded
comrades are often treated at Yarmouk and other hospitals.
"We know the citizens may be a little upset but we have our
rights too and we can't operate and provide a service to peo
ple if we feel under threat," said Asaad Hindi, standing outside
the hospital with other physicians.
"One doctor was humiliated and sworn at. Other doctors
who were afraid hid in a room.The last time this happened we
complained to officials at the defense and interior ministries."
Relatives of some patients grew frustrated.
Khalid al-Girtani said he was angry because his 57-year-old
father Mahmoud had been ignored all day.
"My father has a stroke and no doctor is here to see him, just
look at him! This is ridiculous," he said as his father lay in bed
with breathing tubes in his nostrils.
Some patients sympathized with the doctors, despite their
medical needs.
'Tm ill and I haven’t seen the doctor all day.AII I need is a sig
nature from him so I can get an X-ray that I need to see what's
wrong with my neck. I think they have every right to strike
though, our doctors shouldn't be abused," said Salman Thahir, a
frail old man sitting on his bed.
mujeres que trabajan en salud; tambien en organizaciones comunitarias, gubernamentales y no
gubernamentales, y otras esferas comprometidas
por la defensa de la vida y de los Derechos Hu-
PIJUANO....
A CALLING INSTRUMENT
Julio Monsalvo
As many other delegates of this Assembly, I've asked myself
about the meaning of "Pijuano".
Igor told me that it is a small wind instrument made up of a
paw's bone of a condor at an advanced age that had died of a
natural cause.
jYou can never kill a condor in order to create it again!
Pijuano transmits a very sharp sound; it is especially used
4000 meters over the sea level to call and gather all members
of the community together.
In the gathering, important events are discussed, announce
ments are made. And more importantly, it is an occasion to get
together.The Pijuano is the voice that comes from the highlands
and calls the people.
By listening to Igor, imagining the condor’s flight around the
Andes and its diverse little towns, villages and spots, I feel hope
building inside myself once again for the continuity of life that is
being kept in the wisdom of the ancient towns in this beloved
Andes.
The Pijuano with the voice of the condor screams: respect
for life and participation... Life opens its way and succeeds.
The Pijuano of this Assembly hopes to call, invite....To all to
struggle for a better world based on Peace, Equity and Sustaina
ble Development...
Desde siempre los tambores han sido los alia-
dos de los dioses para convocar y anunciar sus
manos, cuyo primer enunciado dice justamente
que TODOS tenemos derecho a la VIDA.
Poco a poco se van llenando los graderios de
telas, sonrisas, voces, miradas y colores. Ninos
padres, cientificos, cantores, musicos, medicos y
sanadores se reconocen al caer la tarde. Todos
vamos a iniciar formalmente este encuentro de
mundos con un saludo musical, en el idioma que
todos reconocemos: el ritmo y la armonia. Muchos son quienes participan de esta bienvenida,
vienen desde la costa, y desde el norte, perseguidos por los tambores del sur y las canciones de
oriente. Los cuatro puntos cardinales convergen
en Cuenca en estos dias para convertirse en epicentre de un
movimiento creciente a favor de la salud de todos.
El evento, la Inauguration de la II Asamblea Mundial de Salud
de los Pueblos, se llevo a cabo en el Coliseo Mayor y conto con
la participation de miles de personas, entre ellos, delegados de
cien paises del mundo, quienes compartieron saludos, palabras,
alegria y bailes en un programa creado para dar prioridad a la sa
lud, la vida y la alegria.
En medio de los ritmos contagiantes de tambores. varies representantes de los cinco continentes saludan al publico en
idiomas maternos. El mensaje de los organizadores del movi
miento y coordinadores de la I y HAsambleas Mundiales de la Sa
lud de los pueblos, insistieron que la salud ‘es una responsabilidad de todos, es un asunto politico, etico, economico pero sobre
todo es un asunto social’.
Cuando se habla de vida, hablamos de esperanza, porque la vi
da esta emparentada con la actitud que propende su realization,
y la salud es un concepto ampliado. Se hace un llamado a parti
cipar, a dejar de ser observadores.a dejarse tocar por Io que pasa en el resto del mundo, a mirar desde nuestra situation parti
cular como permitimos que la salud se vuelva un negociado y
que el futuro enferme de un sindrome international llamado
TLC, cuyo principal sintoma es la apatia y el desinteres por los
otros.
Este importante evento que se desarrolla en nuestra ciudad,
tiene un perfil muy especial: permite el encuentro entre saberes
de diferentes latitudes, mentalidades y edades.Tambien permite
el acercamiento de los ninos y jovenes, que ha decir de sus pro-
motores, objetivo fundamental de la Asamblea es acrecentar el
numero de participantes comprometidos, que junto con activistas de todas las epocas unan sus voces para decirle al mundo que
se han hecho, se hacen y que se haran, multiples actividades pa
ra defender los derechos de todos los seres humanos frente a la
ambition de unos pocos.
Se ha hablado tambien en el encuentro, de la resistencia al sistema neoliberal y todas sus formas de dominio. Se reconoce que
la mas efectiva, seguramente es el mantenimiento de la pobreza
de muchos pueblos, pero tambien el poder de asignar politicamente prioridades sobre salud de todos y cada uno de los pai
ses. Si bien en unos no se invierte en salud, en otros se da car
ta abierta a los privilegios de las industrias farmaceuticas.Asi Lid.
o yo sentiremos Io que cuesta enfermarse o las decisiones que
hay que tomar debido a la deficiencia de servicios medicos esta
tales.
Si la medicina, la salud, los seguros y los medicamentos son el
negocio del futuro, Io sera para muy pocos y los tambores no to-
caran anunciando fiestas sino funerales.
PAGE
5
PAGINA
FROM SAVARTO CUENCA
'Their mothers often found them crying over a dead bird and
THE VOICES OF THE EARTH
ARE CALLING US...
"In all the prophecies the destruction of the
world is written. All the prophecies foretell humanity creating its own destruction.
But time and life endlessly renewed also en
gendered a generation of lovers and dreamers;”
says Gioconda Belli.
Men and women, militant livers of life all,
who dreamed and loved. They rescued ten
derness and enriched it for the enjoyment
and delight of everyone, built a world full of
dreams, ideals and hope.A world of birds and
butterflies, rivers of honey and mountains of
M
enchantment and chocolate.
They carried within them the dignity of the
human race, took on our shame and answe
red the echo of those who have not been lis
tened to for centuries. They took the path
way, the stride, the beat of the world's peo
ples.
DISCURSO DE INAUGURACION DE LA II ASAMBLEA
MUNDIAL DE LA SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS "DE SAVAR A
CUENCA"
LAS VOCES DE LA TIERRA NOS
HAN CONVOCADO...
"En todas las profecias viene descrita la destruction del mundo.
Todas las profecias cuentan que el hombre creard su propio des
truction.
Pero los siglos y la vida que siempre se renueva engendraron tambien una generation de amadores y sonadores... , en palabras de
Gioconda Belli.
Hombres y mujeres, militantes de la vida todos, que sonaron
X amaron, rescataron la ternura y la enriquecieron para el goce
X el deleite de todos, construyeron un mundo Ueno de suenos,
utopias y esperanzas, de pajaros y mariposas, de rios de miel, y
de montanas de encanto y chocolate.
Llevaron dentro de si la dignidad de toda la humanidad, asumieron nuestra verguenza y respondieron al eco de los que no
han sido escuchados por siglos, tomaron el camino, el paso y
ritmo de los pueblos del mundo.
Las madres los encontraban llorando por un pdjaro muerto
X mas tarde tambien los encontraron a muchos, muertos como pa
jaros".
years later, found many of them dead, too, like birds *."
They were called crazies, dreamers, Utopians, unrealistic, dan-
gerous.The traffickers of death determined to do away with
them; rubbing their hands together in satisfaction.They celebra
ted triumphantly thedisappearance of ideals, proclaiming the
end of history and of ideology.
From then on, it was forbidden to dream. The verbs love,
fight,want, were removed from every language. They decreed
the banishment of the pronoun WE.
The weavers of dreams and of red hearts, clad in tenderness
and joy, gave us the most beautiful examples of dignity and no
bility, charged with energy they continued to walk in the midst
of the gloom, illuminated by the hope that another world is pos
sible.
One day, their voices burst forth upon the world, a polypho
nic choir from the North and the South began singing the ver
ses of the world'speoples along with Juan Luis Guerra:
"Oh that it would rain coffee in the countryside
That there would be a shower of manioc and tea
From the heavens a flour of white cheese
And, in the south, a mountain of watercress and honey."
Those voices of the Earth are the ones calling us; those
dreams and those spirits are the ones that have united us, so we
can silence the market's funeral march.
Los llamaron locos, sonadores, utopicos, irrealistas, peligrosos. Los traficantes de la muerte decidieron eliminarlos: satisfechos se frotaban las manos, celebraron el triunfo de la desaparicion de las utopias, proclamaron el fin de la historia y de las
ideologias. Desde entonces sonar estaba prohibido. Los verbos
amar, luchar, querer, fueron eliminados de todos los idiomas. Se
decreto la desaparicion del pronombre NOSOTROS.
Los tejedores de suenos y rojos corazones, vestidos de ter
nura y alegria, nos dieron los mas hermosos ejemplos de digni
dad y de nobleza, cargados de energia continuaron caminando
en medio de la oscuridad, alumbrados por la esperanza de otro
mundo posible.
Un dia, sus voces irrumpieron en la tierra, y un coro polifonico del Norte y del Sur empezo a cantar junto a Juan Luis Gue
rra, los versos de los pueblos del mundo:
Now, we are a movement, we are action and energy. The
dreams of a healthier world are the fire and air that keep our
hope burning.
Our banner is multihued, like humanity. We are brothers and
sisters, we have woven our dreams with joy and hope. And
we stand united with our ideas and dreams for forging another
possible world.
The voices of the Earth are calling us- so that the WE shall
grow increasingly bigger and life will no longer be the big busi
ness of just a few.
So that we can embody life, fully living out our choices, for
building a healthy world.
A healthy world-where life and harmony with nature come
first, where there are no children without school, peasants wit
hout land, laborers without work, families without shelter, old
folks afraid of tomorrow.
The voices of the Earth that are calling us are the voices of
our dreams and examples, of the testimonies that resisted obli
vion and annihilation. Those hopes have traveled from the fart
hest reaches of the planet, they have rebuilt and recreated the
WE, in order to look through everyone's eyes, listen with ever
yone's ears, love with everyone's heart, dream, suffer, sing, resist,
and construct a healthy world.
Arturo Quizhpe Peralta
Coordinator People's Health Assembly 2
* From "The Dream Bearers," in From Eve's Rib,
by Gioconda Belli, translated by Steven F. White.
Esas voces de la tierra son las que nos convocaron, esos suefios y esos espiritus son los que nos han unido para detener la
Nuestra bandera es multicolor, como la humanidad. Somos
hermanos y hermanas, hemos tejido nuestros suenos con ale
gria y esperanza.Y nos reunimos ahora, para unir nuestro grito
energico pero amoroso por la vida, para expresar con efervescencia ese torbellino silencioso de ideas y de suenos que se
abren paso para forjar el otro mundo posible.
Las voces de la tierra nos han convocado para que el NOSO
TROS sea cada vez mas grande, y la vida deje de ser el gran negocio de una minoria. Para encarnarla viviendo a plenitud nues
tra option, para caminar rumbo a la construction del mundo sa
ludable.
Mundo saludable, donde la vida y la armonia con la naturaleza tengan primacia, donde no hayan ninos sin escuela, campesinos sin tierra, trabajadores sin trabajo, familias sin abrigo, ancianos con miedo del maiiana.
Las voces de la tierra que nos han convocado son aquellas de
nuestros suenos y ejemplos, de los testimonies, que resistieron
al olvido y al exterminio. Esas esperanzas han viajado desde los
mas remotos rincones del planeta, han reconstruido y recreado
el NOSOTROS, para mirar con los ojos de todos, para escuchar
con los oidos de todos, para amar con el corazon de todos, pa
ra sonar, para sufrir, para cantar, para resistir y para construir un
mundo saludable.
marcha funebre del mercado.
Ahora, somos un movimiento, somos action y energia. Los
suenos de un mundo saludable son el fuego y el aire que mantiene encendida la esperanza.
Arturo Quizhpe Peralta
Coordinador General
II Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos
"Ojala que llueva cafe en el campo
que caiga un aguacero de yuca y te
del cielo una jarina de queso bianco
y al sur una montana de berro y miel".
UN MAYOR COMPROMISO
DE LA UNIVERSIDAD
PUBLICA
Maria Isabel Rodriguez
Rectora de la Universidad del Salvador.
"WAR? IT'S TWO
PEOPLE FIGHTING AT
THE COST OF TWO
MILLION PEOPLE"
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
Carlos Padilla, child star of the Hollywood
film 'InnocentVoices', has arrived in Cuenca to
attend the second People's Health Assembly.
The film is about a young boy in war-torn El
Salvador, who must decide between joining the
army and fighting alongside the guerillas. It
sees the war through a child's eyes, vividly por
traying the huge impacts that wars have on
children.
Carlos says that the making of this movie
was his most memorable experience. Particularly since he was
allowed to do things that he could not have done at home.
He says he was keen to act in the movie aimed to spread the
message against wars, which he thinks cause children to beco
me rebels or turn anti social. A war, says Carlos, is a situation
where often two people fight at the cost of two million people.
He is looking forward to the People's Health Assembly becau
se he wantsto meet children from different parts of the world.
message to children is simple : Don't get taken in by what
y see around the world, what we really need is more peace.
He also feels strongly about the loss of innocent lives in Iraq.
All of twelve years old, Carlos says the rest of the world should
take the cue from Cuba to provide equal opportunities to all its
citizens.
•
La universidad publica en America Latina tiene el reto de
trasformar el modelo economico imperante, debe ponerse del
lado de las mayorlas populates en la defensa de la salud de nuestros pueblos. Debe ser un motor en la construccion de una
conciencia colectiva intra y extra universitaria que afirme un
compromise con la comunidad.
Son varios los problemas que enfrentan las universidades publicas en nuestra region que le han llevado a que la poblacion
tenga poca confianza en su papel transformador y catalizador. La
gran ofensiva desatada contra nuestros centres superiores ha
permitido la penetracion ideologica en el personal academico
que ha desviado como sus unicas reivindicaciones el factor salarial, sacrificando las reivindicaciones de caracter academico,
sumiendose en la mediocridad y resistencia al cambio, desperdiciando las oportunidades de servicio y compromiso con la
poblacion; a esto se suma el abandono del Estado que disminuye permanence los recursos economicos para su desenvolvimiento.
Sin embargo, el desafio que tienen en la actualidad las univer
sidades publicas implica llevar el conocimiento a la sociedad, pa
ra conocer y enfrentar las desigualdades.mas alia de las reuniones , congresos y publicaciones, que permita entregarle a la po
blacion los instrumentos para su lucha pero tambien el compro
miso de acompanarla en la misma; es necesario tambien Hegar
al auto convencimiento de la imperiosa necesidad de avanzar en
mas alto grado en el desarrollo cientifico y tecnologico para poner ese conocimiento al servicio de los intereses de muestras
poblaciones.
Se impone tener una conception integral de salud y -aunque
esto es muy dificil- es necesario integrar con la salud, las demas
carreras sociales y economicas. Esta es una responsabilidad uni
versitaria frente a la fragmentacion al abordar el tema de la salud.
Debemos unirnos a la poblacion en sus reivindicaciones en
salud como un derecho humano fundamental.
SABIA UD QUE...
Los gastos militates mundiales llegaron a US $ I trillon en
el 2004
Estados Unidos gasta US$ 455 billones, esto representa casi la mitad del gasto total mundial. Esto es mas que el total de
las 32 naciones siguientes mas poderosas del mundo.
El top cinco.- Los Estados Unidos, Gran Bretana, Franciajap6n y China—gastan 64% del total mundial.
El presupuesto militar de Estados Unidos fue 30 veces m s
grande que la suma del gasto de Cuba, Ir n, Irak, Libia, Corea
del Norte, Sud-n, y Siria, estos gastaron $ 13 billones. Estos son
los 7 palses que estados Unidos llama “rogue nations ",
La OrganizaciUn Mundial de Salud estima que en el 2004 1.8
millones de personas morir n cada ado debido a enfermedades diarreicas (incluyendo cUlera). 90% son niOos menores a
5 ados, la mayorla de palses en vias desarrollo.
Una fracciUn de la cantidad asignada para gasto militar puede salvar muchas vidas.
Fuentes: SIPRI annual report, WHO y www.rehydrate.org
Recolectado por Hasheem Mannan
"DE LA POLITICA ISRAELI NACEN LOS BOMBARDEROS DE SUICSDDO, NO LAS MADRES PALESTINAS."
Amal Daoud, Institute de la Comunidad y de la Salud Publica,
Universidad Birzeitjoan Jubran, Institute de las Politicas de Sa
lud, Desarrollo e Informacion, y Ghassan Hamdan de la Union
de Comites deAlivio Medico Palestine (UPMRC) hablan con el
equipo de prensa AMSP-II.
Los hospitales tambien han sido invadidos, disparandose a los
medicos y enfermeras. Ninos y pacientes criticos, son los mas
afectados.
tina y por todo el mundo. Escribimos cuentos, comunicamos la
experiencia del pueblo palestino. Aim estar aqui en Cuenca nos
agrada mucho porque podemos compartir nuestras experiencias con gente de todas partes del mundo.
LOS BLOQUEOS ISRAELIES
SOBRE LA VIOLENCIA Y LA NO-VIOLENCIA
LA OCUPACION ISRAELI Y LA SALUD PALESTINA
^Desde 2001 han habido varias incursiones a territorio pales"o y la situacion de salud de su pueblo se ha deteriorado dramaticamente. Las fuerzas armadas israelfes han estado destruyendo sistematicamente la infraestructura del pueblo palestino.
Bajo esta poh'tica, los toque de queda en los distritos es frecuente. Todos estan encerrados con Have dentro de sus casas.
Se cortan los servicios basicos y quienes salen a las calles estan
perseguidos por balas asesinas.
Las fuerzas israelies han ocupado las escuelas,allanado hospitales, bancos.oficinas de ONG, requisando computadoras y destruyendo su infraestructura. Elios argumentan que estos locales
esconden militantes palestinos. Aun hasta las comisarias han sido destruidas, reclamando que son refugio de terroristas.
700 puestos de control en la Orilla Oeste y Gaza, mas el muro que construyen ilegalmente para poder arrebatar terreno pa
lestino, separan a familias, pueblos enteros y obreros de sus lugares de trabajo.A los ninos de sus centres educativos.
Tantos pacientes se han muerto en los ‘puestos de control’,
que deberian pintarlos de rojo sangre.
Hoy, los israelies estan implementando nuevas formas de castigo colectivo en contra del pueblo palestino, que solo atina protegerse.
El indice de desempleo ha aumentando. La gente no acude al
trabajo. Muchos solian trabajar en Israel. Hay mas de 3000 alumnos que no pueden ir a la escuela debido al mure. Todas las
fuentes de agua controlan los israelies.Al otro lado del muro.
LA SITUACION DE MUJER
La ocupacion Israeli ha hecho mucho mas dano a las mujeres
palestinas. "Nuestros hombres ya estan sin empleo; tenemos
miedo del bienestar de nuestros hijos. Se preocupan por los
embarazos pues es imposible Hegar a tiempo a un hospital por
los puestos de control".
Las familias tienen miedo de enviar a sus hijas a la escuela, o
que las mujeres jovenes acudan a trabajar, debido al acoso de
que son objeto por la soldadesca presente en estos ‘puestos de
control'.
Todos los problemas que estamos tratando de resolver des
de hace anos, en realidad han aumentando. Problemas como
matrimonios precoces y tazas de desercion estudiantil se han
incrementando por el impacto del muro. Hay un nivel de frustracion y estres muy elevando en estos momentos.
A pesar de todo, las mujeres no solamente sobrellevan los
problemas sino que juegan un papel protagonico de apoyo a sus
familias durante las crisis. Cuando los hombres pierden su tra
bajo, por ejemplo, son ellas quienes salen para buscar sustento.
Mas de 60,000 heridos despues de cinco anos, de los cuales
2.500 son ninos que han recibido balas en la parte superior de
sus cuerpecitos. No tenemos un servicio de salud que funcione; son las mujeres quienes cuidan a estos ninos.
Nosotras.como mujeres formadas.sobrellevamos la situacion
con el lobbying y la formacidn de alianzas con colegas en Pales-
La mayor parte del movimiento palestino es de resistencia
no-violenta. No obstante Io que muestran la television y la pren
sa son los enfrentamientos, que no ocurren hasta que la arma
da Israeli empieza el fuego.
El tipico palestino pasa por mucha humiliation en las manos de
las fuerzas ocupantes. Los hombres estan pegados frecuentemente frente a sus hijos por los soldados adolescentes israelies.
Los ninos se ven profundamente afectado por todo esto. Pelean entre ellos. No tienen donde ir a jugar por los 'puestos de
control’. Hay un creciente ambiente de violencia general.
Algunos han acusado a las mujeres palestinas de ‘motivar a
sus hijos a convertirse en bombarderos suicidas’.y estamos muy
enojadas por esta acusacion. Ninguna mujer querra ver morir
a su hijo.
Pero si Uds. vienen y viven en los territories palestinos aun
por un dia, veran por que nuestros jovenes regresan a la violen
cia. Hay una humiliation continua de nuestra gente. Cada fami
lia tiene un martir, un discapacitado, un muerto. un detenido sin
juicio.
Deberiamos hablar sobre la politica que empuja a estos ninos
a la violencia y al enfrentamiento. Ellos no tienen future por la
ocupacion. El sistema educative es muy malo por los cierres e
incursiones; la pobreza esta muy alta. Los soldados israelies han
destruido nuestra infraestructura. No hay fabricas, nada de tra
bajo. No hay nada que hacer. Se los empuja hacia la violencia.
Es la politica israeli que crea los ‘bombarderos suicidas’, mas
no las madres palestinas. De hecho los israelies quieren frenar
el proceso de construccion de paz, arrebatarnos nuestros terri
tories y destruir el movimiento civil.
Cada madre palestina quiere a su hijo junto a ella, y un futu
re digno para el. Cuando no tienen nada, sus casas estan demolidas y sus hermanos y padres detenidos, estos ninos regresan a
la violencia.
Aim alii, el hecho es que hay muy pocos kamikases, o bom
barderos suicidas.
Nuestra estrategia es la no-violencia. Estamos en una zona
cerrada. No viene el apoyo desde afuera. Israel tiene una de las
armadas mas fuertes del mundo, incluyendo bombas nucleates.
La mejor estrategia para nosotras es la lucha no-violenta.
GLOBAL AID: STABILIZING INJUSTICE
Thomas Gebauer,
Executive Director, Medico International,
Germany
Humanitarian aid is in! More than ever, gi
ving charitable aid to people that fall victim to
spectacular disasters is booming.
Everybody, including the powerful and the
big earners, politicians, managers, and VIPs
want to take part in the positive image cast on
providing aid. Even the military like to lend
themselves an aura of charity contending that
their interventions are humanitarian rather
than military in intent.
This has major consequences.To the extent
that power covers itself with the camouflage
of morality the focus on the responsibility for
the suffering worldwide is lost.
When politicians from the North together
with multi-millionaire musicians and movie
stars call out for *Live8’ and 3 billion people
around the world demand more aid for Afri
ca, then the world does no longer seem to be
divided into the rich and the poor, the power
ful and the powerless, the privileged and the
humiliated, but only into those who help and
those who need help. And that sounds much
more calming than power and privileges.After ail, who could ta
ke offence at helping others?
However, there are still critical voices to be heard. In fact, the
present inflation of aid reminds us of the boom of the "New Eco
nomy" in the late nineties. As we all know, the dreams of many
new shareholders went down the drain, when it became clear
that the boom was not covered by anything. Today, humanitarian
relief organizations are threatened by such a development.When
it becomes obvious how little all their actions contribute to real
'■'Wige and how much the aid has become an end in itself for
those providing it, the "New Solidarity" will also fizzle out.
The transformation that aid is undergoing today is dramatic.
When we talk about aid, we no longer really mean sustainably
overcoming hardship and dependence, but mainly alleviating
those damages that are produced at the margins of a world or
der based on inequality and division.
Aid there contributes to the stabilization of existing injustice
in two ways. It works like a repair shop that provides solutions
only to the extent that the system does not get out of control.
In doing so, the struggle for justice shrinks into a ‘good deed’
consoling us for the lack of justice as the prevailing norm.
Suddenly, those providing aid find themselves in the role that
in times of colonialism was played by the missionaries. However,
today helpers are not backing colonial conquests, but are con
tributing to the globalization of an economic model that only
,-^LOBAL FORUM OF YOUNG PEOPLE
WE WDLL NEVER BE
INDIFFERENT YOUNG PEOPLE’
Entrevista a Francisco Escandon
President of the Federation of University Students of Ecuador
The Global Forum ofYoung People, held as part of the Peo
ple's Health Assembly vibrantly platformed the hopes and con
cerns of the youth in these times of neoliberalism. The meet
also paid rich tributes to the struggles of student and youth
organizations in Latin America against neoliberal governments
widens the gap between the privileged and the humiliated.
The good maxim of "give a man a fish, and you have fed him
today; teach a man to fish, and you have fed him for a life time"
which used to be very popular until recently seems strangely
obsolete. In the past it was the concept of a different world that
motivated aid workers to act; now it is merely political pragma
tism, non-interference, and impartiality.
This approach to aid has already established its own iconography.The white helicopter pilot rescuing a newborn child and
its mother from an almost inundated tree symbolizes the kind
of interventionist aid floating in from outside, which is stripped
of any context of social relevance.
Aid, however, is not a technical process, but forms part of
complex social actions. Instead of looking at the real purpose of
aid, national funding bodies and increasingly also aid organiza
tions assign great importance to bureaucratic targets. Neo-liberal control methods are systematically transforming aid into so
me kind of a social method, that is much more aimed at adjust
ment, then at liberation.
Over and above, turning aid into a merchandise offers the
possibility to make those aid programs fail which are unwanted
for political reasons,You simply have to stamp them with a ne
gative economic assessment. No profit, no aid. But how can the
process of rebuilding an organic social community in which vic
tims of violence and poverty feel secure again economically as
sessed? Can a "result-driven" plan be defined on the drawing
board without involving those affected?
For many aid organizations the complexity of the events
around catastrophes and crises is like a maze of politics that you
better do not enter. Instead of making sure of the political im
plications of their own actions many aid workers insist on apo
litical neutral aid. However, the idea of such neutrality is a dan
gerous illusion. Aid, also seemingly apolitical aid, always interfe
res in the existing structures of power.
The consequences of depoliticizing humanitarian matters are
significant. If aid is no longer set in the context of social respon
sibility and civil rights, but it is only its moral side that counts,
then aid - as much as the appeal for the protection of human
rights - will become prone to exploitation and manipulation.
For also those who are responsible for the hardship and the
exclusion of people are increasingly backing up their actions
with the cover of morality and human rights. All of us bear wit
ness to how geo-strategic wars are masked as humanitarian in
terventions - and how even preventive wars, which are prohibi
ted by international law, are justified by pointing to human
rights.
Humanitarian action that separates itself from all political as
pects can only soften the exclusion of people as we see it every
day and a million times e.g. in the Brazilian Favelas or the Afri
can refugee camps.
If aid is limited to only securing the "bare life", it will lead to
a kind of hardship management. Aid will not change anything
anymore, but it will all the more stabilize the precarious status
quo in the world today.
The participants resolved to continue the fight against neoli
beralism sponsored by capitalist governments, and for bringing
in democratic politics with free and fair elections.
Speakers expressed great concern that the imperialist po
wers were taking the young people for granted, denying space
for alternatives. The discussions revolved around the inherent
crises of the capitalist system greatly contributing to global po
verty, unemployment and forced migrations of the youth in
search of livelihood the world over.
The meet also took strong exceptions to commodify health
care, and endorsed its solidarity to the marginalised and exploi
ted indigenous communities of the world and the fighting young
men and women of Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and other
countries.
in a majority of countries in the region.
FORO GLOBAL DE LA JUVENTUD
jNO SEREMOS JOVENES
APATICOS!
Francisco Escandon
Presidente de la Federation de Estudiantes
Universitarios del Ecuador
En el marco de al II Asamblea mundial por la Salud de los pue
blos se reunio el Foro Global de la Juventud, en el se compartieron experiencias de los representantes juveniles de todo el
mundo y se rindio homenaje a la lucha de la organizaciones estudiantiles y juveniles de America que Latina que enfrentan a go
biernos neoliberales en la mayoria de paises
Derrocar el neoliberalismo implantado por el capitalismo y
sus gobiernos para implantar la politica democratica, progresista y justa a favor de los pueblos fue una de las principales conclusiones de los debates de los jovenes
Nosotros observamos con preocupacion que las paises imperialistas pretenden que los jovenes nos convirtamos en perso
nas a-criticas y seres totalmente dociles que no conozcan su
realidad de nuestros paises. Para rechazar esta politica y establecer alternatives, los jovenes de America Latina y todo el mundo
nos hemos reunido. En estas discusiones hemos analizado la cri
sis del sistema capitalista que se descarga en la mayoria de la poblacion del mundo que esta sumida en la pobreza y la insalubridad, el desempleo y la migration forzada de miles de jovenes
que buscan oportunidades deambulando por el mundo.
Una de las consignas que a trazado el neoliberalismo y la globalizacion imperialista es la privatization y la mercantilizacion de
la salud, asi como limitar los derechos que tienen los paises del
mundo y sus pueblos a la education, medio ambiente, la seguridad social, etc,.A la globalizacion imperialista se oponen los jo
venes a traves de la lucha de las organizaciones estudiantes al
igual que la de los trabajadores, indigenas y de todos los pueblos
del mundo. Lo que se pretende en estas reuniones es solidarizarnos tambien con la lucha de otros companeros en todo el
mundo como: Cuba, Irak, Afganistan, Palestine y todo el oriente
medio y de hecho de todos los en America.
Published in Cuenca.Published by -
Global Health Watch reports on CD now availa
ble free from the CEAS stand at the Faculty of Me
dicine, University of Cuenca.
Also available:
PAGE
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Printed: Atlantida. Design: the cat
Translations: Daniela Garcia,Tamara
Trownsell, Estefania Tello, Kristi Smith,
Audrey Morot, Monique Sanchez,Viviana
Rodriguez, Tess Lanning,Juan Lagarto,
Nancy, Kristi Smith, Sowbhagya
Editors: Fabiola, Sanjana, Julio, Jorge,
• Global Health Action (campaign strategy of the
Global Health Watch) inEnglish and Spanish
• Alternative Latin American Health Report in En
glish and Spanish
8
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■lustrations: Rafael Carrasco. Fotos:
PHA2 Media Team
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"THE PEOPLE UNITED,
WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED"
Darby Santiago
"Muerte al Imperialismo! Viva la Revolucion en el Mundo!"
were the slogans that rang out at a Plenary at PHA2 on Tuesday
about the impact of militarization on people's health.
Speakers from around the world presented testimony after
testimony on the horrendous toll of human lives taken by sta
te-sponsored violence against civilian populations everywhere.
Dr. Darby Santiago of the Philippines presented a report on
the increasing military fascism in his country that has already ta
ken 516 lives in recent years- all leaders of progressive groups
critical of the government's pro-US policies.The same situation
was reported in Colombia where 120 union leaders have been
assassinated, 145 disappeared, 70 detained, 50 exiled, 700 displa
ced and 1000 threatened by the government's military.
Tom Fawthrop's photos of teenaged girls without legs and
arms, distorted hands, and a deaf-mute at that - reminded us
how Agent Orange, a chemical used by the US during the Viet
nam War, can stay in the environment and wreak havoc even on
third generation offspring of people originally exposed to it.
Testimonies from the farmers of Ecuador (FORCCFES) on
the effects of fumigations being conducted under Plan Colom
bia were equally appalling.They presented drawings by children
showing how plants and crops are being destroyed by the fumi
gations that gave a powerful message of destruction everywhe
re.The fumigations have affected 99 communities - destroying
their crops, killing their babies, inflicting various ailments and
forcing them to displace themselves from their own communi
ties. "We are not rats! Let us live in peace without repression!"
cried the farmers.
Joan Jubran (HDIP, Palestinian Health Research) gave a re
port on how the ever-growing Wall around the Palestine terri
tories has prevented sick people from accessing health services.
The Wall has already isolated 41 PH clinics, created 28 isolated
enclaves,and prevented 3000 kids from attending school, and 35
thousand chronically ill patients from accessing health care. A
total of 425,000 people are already affected and babies dying at
the borders, prevented by the guards from crossing over to ac
cess hospitals, have become a common sight.
If you think that is bad enough, you haven't heard of what has
been happening in Iraq two years into the occupation. Judith
Cook (Medact, UK) reported that 63% of households lack pro
per sanitation and 46% lack access to drinking water. The doc
tors continuously fear being attacked and cannot attend due to
road blocks and curfews.There is a complete breakdown in the
delivery of health services.
This information was given truth by the testimony of Dr. Sa
lam T. Ismael (Iraq) who was given a full 30 minutes to deliver
his personal report. Dr. Ismael spoke of the privatization of
health services, lack of hospital equipments and medicines, the
killing/assassination of 71 medical professors, lack of health per
sonnel (I 1,000 MDs for 25 million Iraqis), and the destruction
of an entire generation of health professionals. He asked that
the PHA issue a strong declaration condemning the US War of
Aggression in Iraq. After receiving a standing ovation for two
whole minutes, it's not hard to conceive that he will be getting
what he came here for.
Bert de Beider (Belgium) gave a very comprehensive back
grounder on the US intentions for its pre-emptive attack on
Iraq and the continuing resistance of the Iraqi people. US troops
now get 70 attacks per day. Because of this, the US is forced to
consolidate its military installations to just four from the fifteen
they have at present.
What stood out during the conference was the fact that sto
ries of imperialist oppression of the people by the military in
the different countries (Ecuador, Philippines, Colombia, Iraq, El
Salvador, Nicaragua and Palestine) are not complete without
stories of resistance and of national liberation movements that
fight for the people's right to a peaceful life.There is hope.
The forum ended with a final slogan, "The people united, will
never be be defeated".
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DEFBENDA LOS DERECHOS
DE LOS CABALLOS’’!
Un empresario entra a un bar y compra una cerveza. Des
pues de pocos sorbos, el busca al Presidente Bush en la televi
sion. El grita, "Este es el trasero de caballo mas grande que yo
jamas haya visto".
Un cliente camina hacia el empresario y lo empuja. El empre
sario cae y se sienta en la barra otra vez.
Unos pocos minutos mas tarde.cuando el empresario termina otra cerveza, la senora Bush aparece en la television. "Ella es
un trasero de caballo tambien," dice el empresario.
Esta vez, otro cliente camina al empresario, golpea de su taburete y lo hace caer.
"Esto debe ser el pais de Bush!" exclama al empresario, sacudido, tratando de pararse.
"No," dice el camarero. "El pais de caballo!"
Y hablando de caballos...
DEFEND THE [RDGHTS OF
HORSES!’!
A traveling businessman walks into a bar and orders a drink.
After a few sips, the businessman looks up, sees President Bush
on the television, and yells, "Now there's the biggest horse's ass
I've ever seen!"
A customer walks over to the businessman and slugs hm
The businessman stands, brushes himself off, and sits back at^B<
bar.
A few minutes later, as the businessman is finishing another
beer, Mrs. Bush appears on the television. "She's a horse's ass,
too," declares the businessman.
This time, another customer walks over to the businessman
and knocks him off his stool.
"This must be Bush country!" exclaims the businessman,
shaken.
"Nope," the bartender zings. "Horse country!"
And talking about horses .......
Tres cirujanos de Tejas jugaban el golf y discutir las cirugias
que habian operar.
Uno de ellos dijo"Soy el mejor cirujano en Tejas. Un pianista perdio 7 dedos en un accidence, yo los reconnecto y 8 meses despues, el toca en un concierto de gala para la Reina."
Uno de los otros dijo: "Eso no es nada. Un joven perdio sus
brazos y piernas en un accidence y 2 anos luego, el gan6 una
medalla de oro en las Olimpiadas.
El tercer cirujano remato: "Ustedes son amateurs. Hace va
ries anos que un hombre que aspiraba cocaina y bebia alcohol
mientras cabalgaba un caballo,perdio la cabeza al chocar con un
tren a 80 millas por hora. Le puse el culo del caballo por cabeza
y encima un sombrero de vaquero.Hoy es el Presidente de los
Estados Unidos.
Three Texas Surgeons were playing golf together and dis
cussing surgeries that had performed.
One of them said, "I'm the best surgeon in Texas. A concert
pianist lost 7 fingers in an accident, I re-attached them, and 8
months later he performed at a gala concert for the Queen".
One of the others said. "That's nothing. A young man lost
both his arms and legs in an accident, I re-attached them, an0,>
years later he won a gold medal in a field event at the
Olympics".
The third surgeon said. "You guys are amateurs. Several years
ago a guy who was high on cocaine and alcohol rode a horse,
head on into a train travelling at 80 Miles an hour. All I had left
to work with was the horse's arse and a cowboy hat. And today
he is President of the United States".
UNCLE SAM’S GLOBAL PEACE PLAN
PLAN DE PAZ GLOBAL DELTIO SAM
iNuestras vidas no so venden!
Felipe Vargas Ortiz
LaAsamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos, enfoco en su
segundo dia de debates, la comercializacidn de los medicamentos que resulta ser "el negocio mas rentable, despues del petroleo", segiin senala el salvadoreno Eduardo Espinoza.
Como ejemplo, Espinoza cita el caso de Brasil y Africa, que
ante los altos precios de la medicina para el SIDA, decidieron
romper con los acuerdos de patentes y producir los medicamentos genericos a bajos precios.
Con los precios de las multinacionales, la terapia antiviral
contra el SIDA, los palses pobres egresaban un promedio de 10
mil dolares por persona por ano. Con las medidas tomadas por
Brasil y Africa, los costos bajaron a 300 dolares por persona por
ano "Io que indica la desmedida ganancia que obtienen las mul
tinacionales", dijo el medico salvadoreno.
cambio la India puede producir toda la medicina que ne, a bajo precio, incluso para otros paises gracias a una ley
nacional de patentes, asegura el doctor Amitava Guha, de la In
dia.
LaAsamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos, en su segunda version, critica las altas ganancias de las multinacionales que
comercian "la vida de la humanidad".
Lo que preocupa a Guha es que los nuevos tratados de fibre
comercio vulneren la soberania de la India a favor de las paten
tes de las multinacionales, lo que detendria la produccion de
medicinas a bajo precio. Varios estudios indican que gran parte
de (a deuda de las familias pobres se debe al pago de altos pre
cios por las medicinas, indico.
De igual manera, cuestiono las investigaciones que realizan las
multinacionales, que van dirigidas a crear medicamentos para la
burguesla adinerada y consumista. LaAsamblea Mundial se pronunciara para que la investigacion farmaceutica priorice la busqueda de medicina para los pobres, especialmente de los paises
tropicales.
El Salvador es el unico pals de America Latina que tiene tro[l^^bn Irak y fue el primero que aprobo elTratado de Libre Co
A
mercio con Estados Unidos. El TLC amenaza la soberania ali
mentaria de El Salvador y pondra limitaciones en la produccion
de alimentos baratos para la poblacion, aseguro Espinoza.
Delegados de Venezuela aseguraron que su pais impulsa un
comercio justo, integracionista, ‘no libre’ en la comunidad latinoamericana. El proyecto es denominado ALBA (de corte bolivariano para America Latina) contrario a la iniciativa estadounidense ALCA..... 3
Felipe Vargas Ortiz
PHA2 participants from around the world on Wednesday
blasted global drug multinationals for constantly putting profits
before the health and well being of the people.
The pharmaceutical industry is "the most profitable business
after petroleum", according Dr Eduardo Espinoza well-known El
Salvadorean public health activist who pointed to the criminal
way in which drug corporations have charged outrageously high
prices for HIV/AIDS medication in some of the poorest coun
tries of the world.
These prices he said have come down dramatically in recent
years only due to the production of generic medicine by coun
tries like Brazil and India. From almost US$10,000 per year the
cost of anti-retroviral drugs for HIV patients had come down to
US$300, showing the exorbitant profits made by the multinatio
nals.
Dr Amitava Guha from India however expressed concerns
about the ability of Indian drug companies to produce generic
medicines for HIV/AIDS at low prices due to the Indian govern
ment amending the national law on patents and entering into
various Free Trade Agreements.
Several studies he said indicated that a great part of the debt
of most poor families is for the payment of high prices for me
dicines.
Delegates from Venezuela said that they were opposed to the
imposition of the US-backed Free Trade Agreement for the
Americas and wanted to promote an alternative concept of tra
de that would genuinely benefit all countries in Latin America.
US activist Jeff Conant denounced the war on Iraq by US for
ces and declared that "the war on terror goes accompanied by
a war against the poor people of the United States".
He pointed out how the lack of money for health and educa
tion in California was forcing schools to close down for several
months every year and underpay their faculty. "The entire so
cial security system is being privatized ", he said.
Participants at the PHA2 plenary session also condemned the
way drug multinationals carry out research only for medicines
that cater to the lifestyle diseases of rich people. They called
upon them to prioritize the health problems of the poor, espe
cially in tropical countries.
With just US$1 I billion dollars a year the world could pre
vent the deaths of over 30,000 children who die needlessly due
to lack of healthcare. This sum is less than I % of the amount
spent on armaments in the world.
Our lives art not for sale!
"HUMAN VALUES AND WISDOM CAN NEVER BE IMPRISONED"
Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha, Former Health Minister, Nepal
speaks to the PHA2 Media Team
PHM AND THE WAY FORWARD:
Some organizations within the Peoples Health Movement be
cause they are dependent on foreign funds prefer to remain on
neutral ground.The criticisms are not forthcoming and they re
fuse to challenge the deviations in the WHO.The fact is that se
veral UN institutions have also moved away from their initial in
tent. Their efforts are half-hearted which do not sufficiently ta
ke up issues of the poor and the weak, be it international pea
ce-keeping, human rights monitoring or other advocacy efforts.
United Nations today has allowed itself to be captive to so ca
lled global powers like the US.
PHM has to move forward.This is the time to work with the
people. I believe that the PHM should be courageous enough to
be part of the people and should rely on them for its develop
ment. If we rely on international funding and development agen
cies, we will be subservient to the imperialists’ agenda.We will
move forward but will not get very far.
ON WHO,WORLD BANK, IMF
The World Health Organization in its attempts to appease
the World Bank and other forces of capitalist globalization has
drifted far away from the spirit of its constitution. Civil society
organizations and networks including the Peoples Health Move
ment have not been courageous enough to question the WHO.
The criticism has not been strong or sharp enough.This...2
(from page I)
is the time to challenge the WHO in the International Court.
Drifting away from the constitution is a violation of the consti
tution.
International Financial Institutions (IFIs) including the WTO,
WB and IMF work in tandem with the transnational corpora
tions to increase profits at the expense of the people. The dis
parity between the poor and the rich in every country is increa
sing rapidly.Their attempt to deny poorer countries scientific in
formation and technology through patents and Intellectual Pro
perty Rights is despicable. Human values and wisdom however
can never be imprisoned.
HEALTH SITUATION IN NEPAL
The health system in Nepal has broken down completely be
cause the Nepali Government and the international agencies ha
ve drifted away from the Health For All concept.The health sec
tor today is privatized.This translates, as in every other part of
the world, into more expensive health care and medicines for
the poor.Access to these is in any case difficult for the poor.To
retaliate against the increasing Maoist control, the government
has blockaded roads and prevented the transfer of health wor
kers and essential medical equipment.
The Maoists claim that they follow a traditional system of
healing. They regularly train paramedics and had at one point
even started a medical college. Health has to be understood in
a holistic manner.What is there on earth which is not related to
life and living?
Traditional medicine is effective in some instances, scientific
methods in others. Nepal has a rich history of traditional systems
of medicine including ayurveda, naturopathy and many others. I
noticed that one system which we call ‘Dhami Jhankri’ is very si
milar to the system followed by the indigenous people here. I
don't deny that traditional methods of healing have a definite ro
le but what is essential is a multi-dimensional approach. Leaning
heavily towards modern medicinal concepts, which are largely
profit-oriented, is dangerous because health is treated as a com
modity. Neither health nor health care can be commoditized.
In Nepali rural areas, women say that they are using'modern'
medicines when in fact they are following traditional methods of
healing.That's because in traditional societies, people are taught
that what comes from outside is good. It is a colonization of the
mind. But this is not easily visible at all. Health researchers and
workers need to delve into the subject deeply to realize this,
simple surface observation will not do. There is an absolute
need to live with the people, to understand them and share
their experiences before treating them.
The King has formed the present government illegally and
outside the framework of the constitution. However, about 80%
of the area is controlled by Maoists while only 20%, mainly ci
ties and towns, is under the government’s control.
Extra-judicial deaths, rapes, disappearances, abductions are
common in Nepal since both the Maoists and the government
military forces are responding to the situation violently.The fact
remains however that the number of people killed by the go
vernment military forces are at least three times more than the
Maoists. I have spoken to soldiers, chief district officials and ot
hers who have been released by the Maoists. All of them have
told me that they were treated well.While there was no luxury,
they ate what the Maoists ate, slept where they slept. The
Maoists have abided by the Geneva Convention.They have trea
ted them courteously.
Thomas Gebauer,
Director Ejecutivo, Medico International, Alemania
jLa cooperation international esta de modal Mas que nunta, donando fondos taritativos a la gente que taigan victimas a desastres espettatulares esta estallando.
Todo el mundo, incluyendo los poderosos y los magnates, politkos, gerentes, y VIPs quieren partitipar en la imagen positiva que resulta de brindar donationes. Hasta a los militates les gusta crearse una aura de taridad detlarando que sus interventiones son humanitarias en tuanto a intention
en vez de militar.
Esto tiene tonsetuentias mayores. El grado al tual el poder se tamufla ton la moralidad, el enfoque en la responsabilidad por el sufrimiento globalmente se pierde.
Cuando los polititos del Norte con los musicos multimillonarios y las estrellas de la gran pantalla hacen una Hamada por "EnVivo8" y tres billones de personas por todos lados del mundo reclaman mas cooperation international para Africa, entontes el mundo ya no parete ser dividido entre los ricos y los pobres, los poderosos y los sin poder, los privilegiados y los humillados, pero so
lo entre los que quieren ayudar y los que netesitan ayuda. Y eso suena mas tranquilizante que el
poder y los privilegios. Despues de todo, jquien podria sentirse ofendido al ayudarles a los demas?
No obstante, quedan algunas votes criticas a estuthar. De hetho, la inflation attual de la ayuda in
ternational nos retuerda del boom de la "Nueva Etonomla" de los ultimos afios de los 90s. Como
todos sabemos, los suenos de muthos nuevos attionistas se disolvieron tuando se dieron tuenta que
este boom no tenia garantia. Hoy las organizationes de alivio humanitario son amenazadas por un
proteso paretido. Cuando llegue a ser obvio cuan pota intidencia tuvieron sus attiones en tambios
reales y hasta que punto las donationes han llegado a ser un fin en si para los que las brindan, la "Nue
va Solidaridad" tambien se esfumaran.
La transformation que vive la cooperaci6n international hoy es dramatica.
Cuando hablamos de la cooperation, ya
no realmente queremos detir superar la
privation y dependentia de modo sostenible, sino printipalmente aliviar esos danos
produtidos a los margenes de un mundo
basado en la desigualdad y la division.
La tooperation international entontes
tontribuye a la estabilizacion de la injustitia de dos maneras. Funciona tomo un
almacen de reparationes que proportiona soluciones solo hasta el punto en el
tual el sistema no llega a estar fuera de
tontrol. Al hater asi, la lutha por la justicia se disminuye a una buena obra consolandonos por la falta de justicia tomo la
norma reinante.
De repente, los que proportionan la
cooperation se encuentran en el papel
que en los tiempos del tolonialismo jugaban los misioneros. No obstante, los ayudantes de hoy no apoyan a las tonquistas
colonialistas, sino contribuyen a la globali
zation de un modelo economico que so
lo amplia la bretha entre los privilegiados
y los humillados.
La buena maxima de "dale a un hombre
un pescado, y Io has alimentado hoy; en-
they were treated well.
I believe that gun culture is very bad for the
well being of people. Gun makes the holder a
headless demon.They lose the capacity to dis
tinguish between right and wrong.There is a lot
of violence especially since the government
does not respect human rights. Innocent peo
ple are caught in between.
We need to remember that conflicts do not
arise in a vacuum. In a society where there is
social, cultural and economic injustices, where
disparities exist between the rich and the poor,
there will be conflict, sometimes armed con
CONFLICT IN NEPAL
LA COOPERACION INTERNACBONAL:
ESTABILIZANDO LA INJUSTIC1A
However, those arrested by the government
as suspected Maoists have talked of the tortu
re and violence they faced at their hands. I ha
ve not met a single person who can testify that
flict.
Nepal's conflict needs to be solved by poli
tical means not military methods.The conflict
cannot be resolved if the government increa
ses the military force by 10 or 20 fold. It is the
same with the Maoists. In the current situa
tion, they are only strengthening each other
and contributing to the violence. I believe that
the vicious circle can only be broken by politi
cal dialogue. We need to look at the roots of
the problem.We need to look for political, so
cial, economic and cultural transformations so that people will
win.
Although I do not subscribe to the Maoists' violent methods,
their political agenda is very relevant. It is in consonance with
the hearts and minds of the people.
senale a pesear, y le habras alimentado por toda una vida" que antes era muy de moda hasta hate
poco parete ser extranamente obsoleta. En el pasado era el concepto de un mundo diferentq^^e
motivaba a los trabajadores de la tooperation a actuar; ahora es meramente pragmatismo politito,
no-interferentia e impartialidad.
Esta forma de implementar la cooperation ha ya establetido su propia iconografia. El piloto de
helicoptero blanto que salva a un infante y su madre de un arbol tasi inundado simboliza el gene
ra de ayuda interventionista que flota desde afuera para adentro, que tarete de cualquier contexto de relevantia sotial.
La tooperacion, no obstante, no es un proceso tecnico, sino forma parte de un complejo de acciones sociales. En vez de mirar el verdadero objetivo de la cooperation, las agencias nacionales de
financiamiento y de modo creciente las organizationes implementadoras de esa tooperation atribuyen gran importantia a blantos burocraticos. Los metodos de tontrol neoliberales estan transformando sistematicamente la tooperation a un tipo de metodo sotial que se dirige mutho mas a
los ajustes (estrutturales) que a la liberation.
Mas alia, transformando la tooperation a una mertaderia ofrete la posibilidad de hater fratasar
esos programas que no son deseados por razones polititas: Se les etiqueta sentillamente ton un
asesoramiento economico negative. Si no hay rentabilidad, no hay ayuda. Pero ;c6mo se puede asesorar economicamente el proteso de retonstruir una tomunidad sotial organita en la tual las victimas de violentia y pobreza recien se sienten seguros? jPuede un plan basado en resultados ser
definido en la pizarra sin involutrar a los afectados?
Para muthas organizationes de tooperation international la tomplejidad de los eventos en*no a los catastrofes y crisis es tomo un laberinto politito que es mejor no entrar. En vez de^regurarse de las implitationes polititas de sus propias actiones, muthos trabajadores de la cooperati6n international insisten en una tooperation neutra, apolitita. Sin embargo, la idea de tai neutralidad es una ilusion peligrosa. La tooperation, tambien supuestamente la tooperation apolitica,
siempre interfere en las estrutturas existentes del poder.
Las tonsetuentias de despolitizar los asuntos humanitarios son signifitativas. Si la tooperation ya
no se entuentra dentro del contexto de la
responsabilidad sotial y los derethos tiviles, y que solo su lado moral tuenta, en
tentes la cooperation - tanto como la suplica por la protection de los derechos
humanos - llegara a ser propensa a la ex
ploration y la manipulation.
Tambien los que son responsables por
la privation y la exclusion de los pueblos
tada vez mas tapan sus attiones ton la tapadera de la moralidad y los derethos hu
manos. Todos nosotros somos testigos a
tomo las guerras geo-estrategicas son enmastaradas como intervenciones humani
tarias - y como aun las guerras preventivas, que son prohibidas por la normativa
internacional, son justificados al indicar
los derechos humanos.
La accion humanitaria que se separa de
todos los aspectos politicos solo puede
suavizar la exclusion de la gente y Io vemos todos los dias y un milion de veces
como en las favelas de Brasil o los campamientos de refugiados africanos.
Si la cooperation se limita a asegurar
una "vida minima", conllevara a un tipo de
gestion de privation. La cooperation ya
no cambiara nada, sino aportara a la esta
bilizacion del statu quo precario en el
mundo hoy.
PAGE
3
A FILM REVIEW
RESENA DE LA PELICULA
INNOCENTVOICES
VOCES INOCENTES
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
From 1980 to 1992, El Salvador was in the th
PAGINA
roes of a bloody civil war, which terrorized the
population and left nearly 75,000 people dead.
The civilians were caught in the middle of the
war, children older than 12 years were being re
cruited either by the El Salvadorian army or by
the guerillas. The movie'Innocent Voices’ focu
ses on the life of an II -year old, caught in the
middle of the war.
The film ‘Innocent Voices’, directed by Luis
Mandoki, is based on the real story of Oscar To
rres, who survived the civil war and later, esca
ped to the United States. The movie focuses on
children, who are both victims and participants
of the carnage.
The story revolves around the life of Chava, a
boy nearly 12 years old, who is left with the res
ponsibility of taking care of his family after his
father abandons them. Chava and his friends at
tempt to lead a normal life, even when the civil
war was at their doorstep.
As twelve is the age for recruitment to the
army, Chava spends his last year of innocence
seeing his friends being recruited by the Salva
dorian Army. The children then develop strategies to prevent
their own underage recruitment by lying on the roofs of their
homes while the soldiers come in search of them.
One of the most chilling scenes in the movie was that of the sol
diers executing a row of young children. Mandoki manages to
create touching scenes without too much melodrama or gore.
Mandoki handles the movie with great dedication to the most me
nacing side of a war, which takes children to the heart of the battl^and leaves them to choose which side to join; death being imi®bnt on either side. All the child actors give equally good per
Desde 1980 a 1992, El Salvador estuvo atrapado en medio
de una guerra civil sangrienta aterrorizando a los civiles y dejando cerca de 75.000 muertos. Los civiles atrapados en me
dio de la guerra, incluia nines mayores de 12 anos que estaban siendo reclutados por la armada salvadorena o por la
guerrilla marxista. La pelicula "Voces Inocentes" esta enfocada
en la vida de un nino de I I anos, atrapado en medio de la
guerra.
Dirigida por Luis Mandoki, Voces Inocetes esta basada en una
historia real de Oscar Torres, quien sobrevivio a la guerra civil
y luego escapo al extrangero. La pelicula enfoca el drama de los
ninos quienes son victimas y participantes de la matanza.
La historia gira en torno a la vida de Chava, un muchacho
de unos 12 anos de edad, quien se queda con la responsabilidad de cuidar de su familia despues que su padre los abandona. Chava y sus amigos intentan llevar una vida normal, incluso cuando la guerra civil estuvo en su umbral.
Como los doce anos es la edad ideal para el reclutamiento
en la armada, Chava desperdicia su ultimo ano de inocencia
viendo a sus amigos ser reclutados por la armada salvadore
na. Los ninos entonces desarrollan estrategias para prevenir
su propio reclutamiento a menores de edad al yacer en los techos de sus casas mientras los soldados vienen a buscarlos.
Una de las escenas mas escalofriantes de la pelicula fue que
los soldados ejecutan a una hilera de ninos pequenos. El direc
tor Mandoki crea escenas conmovedoras sin mucho melodra
ma o llanto. Maneja la pelicula con gran dedication al lado mas
amenazador de una guerra que Neva ninos al corazon de la batalla y los deja a escoger a que lado quieren unirse -la muerte es inminente en ambos lados-. Todos los ninos actores
muestran igualmente actuaciones buenas, tocando el corazon
de la audiencia. La pelicula gira en torno a una historia que ex
plore el triunfo del espiritu humano mas que un reconocimiento complejo de como la guerra y los intereses del imperio afectan a las familias centroamericanas por igual.
formances, touching the hearts of the audience. The movie turns
into a story which explores the triumph of the human spirit rat
her than a complex examination of how war affects families.
MOVIMIENTO DE SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS DEBERDA UNDRSEA LA CAMPANA GLOBAL DEL
TRATADO DE DERECHO AL AGUA
Un grupo internacional de activistas a favor del agua han sido
llamados hoy para juntarse al Movimiento de Salud de los Pueblos-MSP, y crear una nueva iniciativa para asegurar el derecho
de agua en unTretado de la ONU.
Anil Naidoo de Proyecto Planeta Azul de Canada, representa
a los Amigos del Derecho al Agua y esta en Ecuador para jun
tarse al MSP. Naidoo quiere comptometer a la MSP, en la Cam
pana para demandar este Tratado.
^^| derecho a la Salud y el derecho al Agua son indivisibles.Tiene mucho sentido para los Amigos del Derecho al Agua y para
el Movimiento de la Salud de los Pueblos, el trabajar juntos en
esta campana de los derechos fundamentales de agua y salud.
El agua es sagrada y esencial para la vida. El dano a nuestros
recursos de agua significa enfermedad y muerte para nuestras
comunidades. No importa los causantes de la contamination,
sean estas minas de oro, perforaciones petroleras, pesticidas, de
forestation u otras actividades industriales, la contamination de
agua es una violation a nuestros derechos.
Nuestro derecho comun al agua es sistematicamente violado
por las corporaciones que roban nuestra agua para luego vendernos sacando reditos economicos a su provecho. Cuando el
agua en Cochabamba, Bolivia fue tomada por Betchel Corpora
tion, los precios subieron dramaticamente. Cuando Coca Cola
construyo una planta en Plachimada, India, robandose el agua del
subsuelo, los pueblos locales sufrieron impactos severos en su
salud. Con historias como estas, <que esta sucediendo alrededor del mundo con el abuso de las fuentes de agua?, la respuesta se debe orientar en un Tratado para controlar la exploration
del agua. Este planteamiento es esencial.
Las comunidades indigenas y otros pueblos dependientes de
la agriculture, son las mas afectadas por infracciones contra el
medio ambiente y contra los derechos del agua. Sabemos que
nuestro problema es similar al de todos, dice Angel Valencia, de
Un tratado de las Naciones Unidas no nos dare agua limpia,
pero uniendo las leyes internacionales con mecanismos de reforzamiento puede ser una herramienta poderosa para apoyar la lu
cha contra la alteration, privatization y contamination del agua.
Debemos incluir la demanda por un Tratado de Agua en la
Declaration de Cuenca, y crear un grupo de trabajo para elaborar los derechos del agua, el MSP puede usar esta plataforma
en salud y asegurar agua para todos.
Este ano es el initio, de una Decada de Action de Agua para
la Vida, a nivel internacional. La gente en todo el mundo necesita desesperadamente acceso a un agua segura, suficiente y asequible. El MSP tiene ya redactado una declaration donde se apoya al movimiento de derecho al agua. (Visite www.righttowater.net). En el ASP2, con la representation de personas de todo el
mundo, estamos ante una oportunidad unica para asegurar este
derecho fundamental colectivo.
la nation Yaqui de Sonora, Mexico. Cuando nuestra agua es robada y contaminada, se esta violentando nuestros derechos. Un
Tratado de Agua apoyaria la lucha de la gente Yaqui y otros indi
genas en todo el mundo en la preservation de la culture, la dignidad y la salud.
(Viene de la pagina I) Por su lado, el representante estadounidense Jeff Conant se pronunci6 por
el inmediato fin de la ocupacion iraqul por Washington. "La guerra contra el terror va acompanada por una guerra contra los pobres", Inclusive los norteamericanos pobres: debido a la falta de fondos para la salud y education en California las escuelas se ven obligadas a cerrar el ano escolar dos
o tres meses antes y que el personal docente este recibiendo bajos salaries. "La seguridad social
se esta cortando y la privatization avanza", dijo.
En otro orden, representantes de la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos, se mostraron
escandalizados con las cifras de la production de armas frente a Io que requieren los paises pobres
para evitar que sigan muriendo 30 mil ninos cada dia. Todas estas muertes causadas por enfermedades previsibles por la inversion en salud.
Con solo I I mil millones de dolares al ano, pudieran prevenirse esas muertes (estimado de la
UNICEF), menos del I % de Io que se gasta en armamento en el mundo.
En el contexto de la II Asamblea por la Salud de los Pueblos,
sus dones se reconocen y rescatan de la prepotente sabiduna
LAS PLANTAS NOS CURAN
Y NOS PROTEGEN
occidental que cuestiona y desvaloriza otras practicas y culturas.
agradeciendo
PAGE
al DR. MAHLER
Julio Monsalvo
Setiembre de 1978... Chaco.Argentina
Ana Abad
"quienes estamos empenados por la salud de los pue
pagina
bios, deberiamos hacer una peregrination a Cuba .
Mercedes Chuma,‘Mama Michi’, como la conocemos quienes
sabemos de sus conocimientos y de su enorme dedicacion a
cuidar de la salud de la gente de su comunidad y de sus alrededores, es Yachac de la Union Provincial de Comunas y Coope
ratives del Cafiar. Heredera y custodia del conocimiento de sus
ancestros, aprendiz desde pequefia de la sabiduria de su bisabuela y de su tia, curanderas. Mama Michi, comparte con noso
tros desde hace mas de diez anos, su profunda y respetuosa re
lation con las plantas medicinales asi como todo su conocimien
to en la curacion del cuerpo, del espiritu y de la mente: "Solo
trabajo con medicina tradicional, no utilize pastillas, solo con
plantitas, con piedras euro, con cuy para ver el interior del
cuerpo de la persona, paso tambien huevo, soplo con agua
florida con traguito. Entre los ninos es mas el susto, el
ojo y si no le hacen limpiar viene poco a paco a
enfermarse mas. Para los mayores Io mismo y
si no se curan las enfermedades avanzan, atacan a los nervios.a la tranquilidad de la per
sona. En la vista, en las mejillas, en la orina
se ver la enfermedad".
Como tantas y tantos en mi pais. Argentina, estaba enel
‘exilio interna’... En plena dictoduro mihtar por drstrntas his
tories de Vida, muchos y muchos deadrmos quedarnos,
q e
Oblige a incursionar en procesos migratorios cuyos blancos
situaban en provincias y regiones aledanas.
Elegi el Oeste del Chaco y alii, sin negar los miedos de ca
da dia, recibi las mejores ensenanzas de des-aprendizajes y
aprendizajes en toda mi vida, conviviendo con el Pueblo Onginario Toba Qom.
4 este remoto lugar me /lego el texto ofiaal de la Decla
ration de Alma Ata, culmination de la Conference Internatio
nal deAtenaon Primaria de Salud que presidio Halfdan Mah-
ler, Director General de la OMS.
Sabia que mi pais la habia firmado y una luz de esperanza se encendid en mi corazon. Crei que firmar esa Declara
tion de tantos compromises politicos hacia lajusticia social, la
participation y la intersectorialidad.Algo iba a cambiar en mi
pais.
Casi de inmediato me advert! que habia sido sumamente
credulo: hemos visto de (rente el rostro de la negra noche de
k
terrorismo de Estado.
CURARNOS Y CURAR A LA MADRE
TIERRA
Diciembre 2000, Savar, Bangladesh
Participo del la I Asamblea Mundial de Salud de los Pueblos.Tomo conciencia
"Es una experiencia muy buena intercambiar conocimientos, sabiduria porque
todo eso nos permite hermanarnos, unirnos porque eso tambien es sanacion.
Queremos unirnos tambien para salvar a
nuestra Madre Tierra, a toda nuestra Madre Naturaleza porque hemos hecho un
gran mal, hemos deteriorado. Por ello esta
unidad de muchos pueblos del mundo significa
que vamos a por Io menos a comenzar componiendonos nosotros y posteriormente a nuestra Madre Tie
rra", afirmaYacu Arevalo, Yachac oriundo de las comunidades
cercanas a Cuenca.
Mama Michi y Yacu Arevalo, son parte de ese importance
y cada vez mas escaso grupo de sanadores alternatives de
nuestra medio.
que la Declaration y la personalidad de Halfdan Mahler, transmitida en name-
rosos escritos, habia sido una saludable fuente de energia contagiosa de entusiasmo para continuar, en el devenir de dos decadas, intentar en multivariados espacios de nuestro estar y hacer, aphear los principios fundacionales de la aten-
cion primaria de salud.
Atention Primaria de Salud que comenzamos a llamar "universal, comprensi-
va, integral", ya que durante la decada de los 80 y de los 90,con el auge del neoliberalismo, surge su "brazo sanitario", la atention primaria "selective".
4k j
Mi emotion es indescriptible, conocer "aunque de lejos", al Dr. Mahler, corrsu
dinamismo, su voz potente al dirigirnos encendidos discursos con claros concep
ts.
Muchas cosas nos dead Mahler, entre ellas, que quienes estamos empenados
por la salud de los pueblos, "deberiamos hacer una peregrination a Cuba"
"Nos fuimos de Alma Ata con estrellas en los ojos... sin embargo nos dimos
cuenta enseguida de que es mas facil firmar una Declaration que llevarla a ca-
bo".
Julio 2005,Tumipamba, Ecuador
DEGRADACION AMBIENTALY EFECTOS SOBRE LA SALUD.
Desbordado por intensas emociones, participo de esta II Asamblea, disfruto el
EN CONTRA DE LA DEGRADACDON AMBDENTAL Y SUS EFECTOS
NEGATIVOS CONTRA LA SALUD
Elisabeth Roig
En la plenaria del miercoles 20, las voces de dirigentes campesinos, de investigadores cientificos, de lideres medio ambientalistas, de victimas directas, se sumaron y coincidieron en denunciar drasticamente la problematica de la degradacion ambiental, y se centraron especialmente en el uso de agrotoxicos,
en las contaminaciones por petroleo, gas y desechos toxicos, y
deforestaciones.
En las voces de cada uno, al identificar responsables, se repitieron una y otra vez los mismos nombres: Estados Unidos, Plan
Colombia, Monsanto,Texaco, socios historicos de destruccion y
de muerte.
Se sucedieron las fotos de ninos expuestos a todo tipo de
contaminacion: el rostro de un nino de la amazonia ecuatoriana, con su casita junto a una piscina abierta de petroleo, enfermo de leucemia; la foto de Silvino Talavera, de I I anos, fallecido
en Edelira, Paraguay, victima del uso de agrotoxicos en las plantaciones de soja transgenica; la foto de un nino de Narino, Co
lombia con su piel toda ulcerada, expuesto a las fumigaciones
del Plan Colombia, con Glifosato + Surfactantes, que provoca
una accion corrosiva en las hojas de las plantas, como en la piel
y en los ojos.y expone a la poblacion a riesgo de muerte. Tam
bien los ninos volvieron a aparecer en la denuncia presentada
sobre el Barrio Ituzaingo de la ciudad de Cordoba, Argentina,
rodeado de cultivos de soja transgenica, en donde nacen ninos
con 6 dedos, con malformaciones de rifion, de corazon, y la poblacion padece indices sin precedences de anemia hemolitica,
cancer, etc.
A estos casos, entre otros, se suman datos no menos aterrorizantes: la criminalizacion de los campesinos que denuncian los
efectos del uso de agrotoxicos en el Paraguay; la violencia sobre
los pueblos indigenas en Colombia y en la amazonia ecuatoriana; la falta de compromiso de autoridades provinciales y nacionales en el caso de Cordoba, junto a la amenaza policial a los
pobladores afectados; los cientos de piscinas abiertas de petro
leo que siguen alii contaminando dia a dia las aguas de los rios
amazonicos; o los 150.000 muertes asociadas al cambio climatico que informa las UN en el ano 2000.
Y en todos los casos, encontramos una feroz coincidencia: no
se comprueba para los paises mencionados ninguna mejora en
terminos econdmicos ni sociales: en el caso de Colombia.se sabe que las fumigaciones (140.000 ha en el 2004, con amenaza de
fumigaciones hasta de los parques nacionales...) no son efectivas para frenar las plantaciones, sino que expande las plantaciones hacia nuevas direcciones y hacia el Ecuador.de modo que la
funcion de las mismas no se entiende si no es como excusa pa
ra la intervencion norteamericana.
En cuanto a los 30 anos de explotacion petrolera en la Ama
zonia, tampoco se constata que haya mejorado la economia
ecuatoriana, basta saber que en 1972 la deuda externa era de
200 millones de dolares, y en 1997 de 16.000 millones!
Y al parecer no hay Congreso, ni Cumbre, ni Declaration, ni
Carta, que pese a tantas buenas intenciones declaradas logre
cambiar la situation.Y no es que faltan investigaciones cientificas sobre los efectos de agrotoxicos, ni sobre las semillas geneticamente modificadas, ni sobre los efectos sobre la salud de los
mismos.Tampoco es que los gobiernos desconocen los efectos
de las formas irracionales de explotacion del petroleo en la
contaminacion ambiental, ni de las deforestaciones. Lo que falta
es la voluntad politica de cambio... y el compromiso social de
los pueblos.
La plenaria mostro una posicion undnime de oposicion al intervencionismo norteamericano, sus grandes companias petroleras, no alTLC. Y un pleno convencimiento de que esta situaci6n puede revertirse.y de que un mundo mejor es posible.con
salud para los pueblos, con desarrollo sostenible, agriculture
sustentable y justicia social.
Festival de Esperanza yAlegremia. La noche del lunes en el Coliseo, siento un nudo en la garganta y se humedecen mis ojos cuando veo a Halfdan Mahler pasar
al escenario.
Viste un hermoso saco rojo que resalta aun mas su hermosa y maravillosa
vitalidad ... comienza a hablarnos en fluido esponol.
Claudio Schuftan lo traduce al ingles.
El querido companero
Al dia siguiente nos encontramos frente a frente en uno de los pasillos... ytir
ve este Undo regalo de estrechar su mono, abrazarlo y expresarle mi gratitud por
todo lo que ha hecho por la humanidad en todos estos anos y todo lo que h»;
cibido en mi propia persona.
Esta gratitud la comparto con los asambleistas como un intento de contribuir
a la historic y a la memoria de estos sensopensares de millones y millones de
personas que son, estdn y hacen por lo salud integral de los pueblos y del Planeta.
Gracias Halfdan Mahler, companero y amigo!
PAGE
5
PAGINA
"WE MUST FIGHT AGAINST
VIOLENCE"
naci Lotto, Secretary of Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers, lived through the
savage dictatorships in Latin America of the 1970s. She attended the People’s
ea C . SS^m
to cor|demn the savage human rights violations of thousands of
peop e in rgentina. This Plaza de Mayo grandmother demands support from all
countries around the world to eradicate such attacks that still go on today.
Alba Lanci Lotto (Argentina)
Secretary of the Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers
I am here at the 2nd People’s Health Assembly to continue to demand the rights of
women that have been victims of different types of violence in countries around the
world. For example in my country, many young women were kidnapped, many with chil
dren in their arms, others pregnantThey suffered as many forms of torture as the men.
However, women in Argentina are still victims of violence; violence lived by many people
every day through poverty.They don’t have jobs nor can they take care of their children;
their families are destroyed from not having a job.
That is why poverty is a sin that attacks the wellbeing of many families, a consequen
ce of the unfair distribution of wealth in the world. So it is against those policies that we
must fight, because they support the violation of human rights that have been beaten
down by many leaders through the times.To have our demands heard in the entire world,
we participate in PHA-2; it serves as the arena in which we can expand this struggle as
well in Ecuador.
"TENEMOS QUE LUCHAR CONTRA
LA VIOLENCIA"
:...After many strong uprisings from the workers we got our
companies back and started to recuperate production”.
Dentro de las salvajes dictaduras ocurridas en America Latina en la decada de los anos 70, Alba
Lnaci Lotto, Secretaria de las Abuelas de Mayo, estuvo presente en la II Asamblea Mundial de la Sa
lud, para denunciar las salvajes violaciones a los derechos humanos que fueron objeto miles de per
sonas en este pais. La presencia de esta luchadora abuela de la Plaza de Mayo, pidio el apoyo de tolos paises del mundo para erradicar atentados aun existences.
Alba Lanci Lotto (Argentina)
SecretariA de las Abuelas de Mayo
Estoy presente en la II Asamblea Mundial de la Salud para continuar exigiendo los derechos para mujer que ha recibido todo tipo violencio en varios paises del mundo. Por ejemplo en nuestro pais varias jbvenes fueron secuestradas, muchas con bebes en los brazos y otras embarazadas, y sufrieron varias torturas
al igual que Io hacian con los hombres. Sin embargo, en Argentina las mujeres continuan siendo objeto de
violencia, uno violencia que se la vive dia a dia a traves de la pobreza que sufren y nos les permiten atender a sus hijos, a no tener trabajo y provoque la perdida estructural de la familia.
Es por todo esto que la pobreza es un pecado que atenta con las familias y que es consecuencia de la
mala repartition de la riqueza en el mundo. Entonces, contra esas politicos tenemos que luchar porque to
do esto es causa del atentado a los derechos humanos que ha sido pisoteada por varios representantes en
el mundo. Para conseguir que estas denuntias se hagan eco a nivel global, participamos de la II Asamblea
porque nos sirve como escenario para fortalecer nuestra lucha tambien en Ecuador.
I
“...Sin embargo, en Argentina las mujeres continuan siendo objeto de violencia, una
violencia que se la vive dia a dia a traves de la pobreza que sufren y nos les permiten
atender a sus hijos, a no tener trabajo y provoque la perdida estructural de la familia .
LET’S RECLASM OUR FACTORISES!
Dr. Jorge Khoen
Director, Area of Health and Work,
Universidad de Rosario, Argentina
We have come here to talk about the struggle of unemployed workers that has been strengthened now
after many years of confrontation with successive neo-hberal governments. Mobilizations to claim our
demands have been taking place since 1995 when the "Piquetero" movement, in the Patagonia as well as
in the North of the country, demanded measures by the government to help them get out of unemploy
ment After many strong uprisings from the workers we got our companies back and started to recuperate
production.
Today, this new system of production that is used in around 300 companies produces from farming trac
tors to health services. With respect to mid-sized enterprises, in the GATIC factory, a subsidiary of the
transnational "Adidas", more than 5000 workers succeeded in implementing this new system of production
that favors the workers. Even with these achievements, unemployed workers face many problems ranging
from depression to high levels of frustration, which has provoked drug addictions due to disillusionment with
finding a job. However, to mitigate these problems we, the workers, are fighting.
Some factories, still in the hands of elite businessmen, have been known to cause cancer, leukemia and
other deformities in the majority of the workers due to their high levels of pollution. The contamination also
affects the population close to the factories, such as in the San Lorenzo de Cordova neighborhood, the chem
ical substances used to produce Dosulfan, DDT, Malation and Heptachloro, have caused many diseases.
jA RECUPERAR NUESTRAS FABRICAS!
Dr. Jorge Khoen (Argentina)
Director del Area de Salud yTrabajo de la Universidad de Rosario
La lucha de los trabajadores argentinos, asi como la del resto de America Latina, ha logrado con
seguir importances demandas para el bienestar de este sectorAlgunas de las empresas han sido recuperados por los trabajadores Io cual a demostrado capacidad y eficiencia para el incremento de
la production que asegure una mejor calidad de vida.
Nosotros hemos venido para exponer la lucha de los trabajadores desocupados que actualmente se encuentra fortalecida despues de varios anos de enfrentamiento con los gobiernos neoliberoles de turno. Las
movilizaciones para buscar reivindicar nuestras exigencies, se desarrolla desde 1995 cuando en la Patago
nia como en el Norte del pais, el movimiento "Piquetero" reclamb medidas al estado para salir de la desocupacibn. Sin embargo, luego de fuertes levantamientos los trabajadores logramos recuperar nuestras em
presas y hemos empezado a recuperar nuestra production.
Hoy, esa nueva forma de production que se desarrolla con unas 300 empresas producen: desde tractores para el agro, hasta empresas de servicio y salud. Respecto a empresas medianas, en la fdbrica GATIC,
que es una subsidiaria de la multinational "adidas", mas de 5000 trabajadores consiguieron implemen
tor una nueva forma de production en beneficio para os trabajadores.
Pese a estos logros, los trabajadores desocupados atraviesan problemas que van desde la depresibn has
ta alto frustration Io cual ha provocado adicciones por la ilusibn de conseguir empleo. Sin embargo, para
contrarrestar estos problemas estamos luchando los trabajadores.
Hay fabricas que se encuentran aun en manos de estos empresarios y han provocado que la mayoria
de la gente sufra de cancer, leucemia y muchas mat formaciones. Esto se debe a la contamination que provocan estas empresas a los habitantes de los alrededores, como por ejemplo: en el barrio San Lorenzo de
Cordova, los quimicos que utilizan para su production son Dosulfan, DDT, Malation y Heptadoro, que han
provocado varias enfermedades.
PROBLEMAS DE COMUNICACION
INDIA = VACAS + KAMASUTRA
Satya Sivaraman
India = Vacas + Kamasutra. Esto en general es la ecuacion, incluso hoy, que define a los vastos,
antiguos y populosos paises de Asia del sur, para mucha gente de Occidente.
C6mo podria ser de otra manera, dado que el balance de poder entre la India y el Occidente, a
Io largo de los ultimos siglos, ha sido desviado grandemente a favor de este ultimo. Francamente,
no me molesta cuando confronto los estereotipos de Occidente ya que Io erroneo de cuatro si
glos de colonialismo no puede ser cambiado en tan solo cincuenta anos.
Pero tengo una razon para estar decepcionado cuando en mis viajes por America Latina, me encuentro con ciudadanos comunes impregnados con el mismo nivel de ignorancia que en mi parte
del mundo.
Quiero decir: espero de la gente que habita un mundo subdesarrollado, que enfrenta generalmente problemas similares, preste un poco mas de interes y aprenda mas de sus hermanos. Despues
de todo, si nosotros sufrimos juntos, debemos tambien compartir Io poco -o Io mucho-, que po
seemos.
Pero con las preguntas que me encuentro en cada esquina en Sudamerica es: "Por que no comen
res en India?; o. es verdad que muchos indus estan al tanto de los detalles del Kamasutra?
Hombre!, si hay un ejemplo de Io tergiversada que esta la Hamada Autopista Rapida de la Infor
mation Global, en nuestro mundo, este debe ser la carencia completa de information entre Asia y
Latino America.
(Preguntadas en espanol y contestadas en ingles las respuestas tipicamente se darian en unas pocas horas de conversation). Mis respuestas al tema de las Vacas, seria:
Muchos indues son tan pobres que no tienen ni siquiera la oportunidad de comer hierba.
Es solo una pequena minoria -las castas altas-, en India que no comen vacas por razones religiosas/culturales y estan en su derecho de no hacerlo.
Sin embargo, estos funcionarios controlan el poder y quieren que sus creencias personales scan
impuestas al resto del pais.
C) El resto de la India, compuesta por una variedad de castas, comunidades y grupos religiosos, felizmente comerian las vacas que esten disponibles, cocidas propiamente con los condimentos
adecuados, siempre que no sean importadas de Gran Bretana (los indues somos pobres pero no
estupidos).
A)
B)
Sobre el Kamasutra: Incluso si la mayoria de indus (o hindues) leyeran este manual ancestral de
sexo, que diablos harian con toda esta information extra, si la moral y las practicas sexuales de
muchos indus (y sudasiaticos en general) ha sido moldeada historicamente por tres grupos patriarcales, sexualmente conservadores, identificados en la historia como los asceticos branc
hings, los elitistas mughals y los victorianos
britanicos.
A momentos, me canso de exponer estos
argumentos e intento eludir las repetidas
preguntas de "Vacas y Kamasutra". Una respuesta fac'd que doy es que ..."las vacas hin
dues corren tan rapido que es muy dificil
atraparlas..."
Obviamente, tanto las vacas como el Ka
masutra, son objetos de curiosidad en Latino
America, sera que no existen otros temas
INDIA = COW
+ KAMASUTRA
Satya Sivaraman
lndia= Cow + Kamasutra.That in general is
the equation that defines this vast, ancient
and populous South Asian country even to
day for many people in the West.
And how could it be otherwise, given the balance of power between India and the West over the
past few centuries, heavily skewed in favor of the latter. Frankly, I don't get upset when I confront
Western stereotypes since the evils of four centuries of colonialism cannot be undone in a mere
fifty years.
But I have reason to be disappointed, when on trips to Latin America, I find the average citizen
there imbued with the same level of ignorance of my part of the globe.
I mean, I expect people from within the developing world, faced with broadly similar problems to
take a little more interest and learn about each other. After all, if we suffer together we must also
share together, whatever little we possess.
Instead what I get at every street corner in South America is:" Why don't they eat cows in In
dia? And is it true many Indians are well-versed with the details of the Kamasutra!"
Man, if there is any example of how screwed up the so-called global information superhighway
is in our world it has to be this complete lack of communication between Asia and Latin America.
Asked in Spanish and answered in English the answers would typically run into a few hours of
conversation. My responses to the Cow question:
Many Indians are so poor that they don't even get to eat grass, leave alone a full cow.
It is only a small minority of upper caste Hindus in India who don't eat cows for religious/cultural reasons and it is their right not to do so. However, these fellows also control the levers of
power and want their personal beliefs imposed on the rest of the country, so they have skewed
policies against all others getting access to any decent quality beef.
C) The rest of India, made up of variety of castes, communities and religious groups would happily
eat the cow provided it was available, cooked properly with the right spices and not imported
from Britain (many Indians are poor, but they are not stupid).
A)
B)
But at some stage I tired of sticking to facts and tried to duck the dreaded 'Cow and Kamasu
tra' questions. One facile answer I came up with was 'Indian cows run so fast that it is very difficult
to catch them'.
Obviously both the cow and the Kamasutra are objects of curiosity in Latin America because the
re is little else they get to know about a nation where one sixth of the planet’s population lives.The
lack of information and knowledge is mutual though, with most Indians/Asians clueless about Latin
que deseen saber sobre una naci6n donde habita la sexta parte del total de la
poblacion del planeta!. Pero, la falta de information y conocimiento es mutua:
la mayoria de indus tampoco tienen idea de la historia, cultura y sociedad de
Latino America, mas alia del estereotipo de "futbol', carnaval' y "tequila .
Entonces, ;que es Io que realmente impide a un latinoamericano promedio o a un asiatico-, coger un libro o mirar un documental y aprender mas a cerca
de otros continentes? ;Por que no estan hablandose el uno con el otro, mas
frecuentemente, visitando sus magicos pueblos y ciudades? <Por que solo suenan en ir a la Pony? Hay un buen porcentaje de la humanidad todavia sumida en
la ignorancia, ajena a su propias existencia, en plena era de information constante.
A primera vista la brecha de informacidn puede ser facilmente atribuida a las
barreras linguisticas. Los latinoamericanos hablan espanol, portugues, quechua.
y los asiaticos ingles, hindi, chino, tailandes, malasio; sin embargo esto no es obice. La barrera geografica que virtualmente aleja a Asia de Latino America, los
dos continentes se ubican en lados opuestos del planeta. Viajar de la India a
Ecuador por ejemplo, toma 38 horas, incluidas 25 horas de vuelo.
Las rutas de las aerolineas, no obstante, nos dan una pista para descifrar la fal
ta de comunicacion entre los dos continentes. Si uno mira a un mapa de acuerdo a Star Alliance por ejemplo, el planeta es esencialmente una red de destinos
sostenidos por solo unos pocos nucleos- Londres, Paris,Tokio, Los Angeles.
Para Hegar a Latino America de muchas partes de Asia, uno debe volar atravesando uno de estos centres de globalizacion corporativa, muchos de los cuales fueron tambien las capitales del mundo antiguo colonial. Las rutas de linea
aerea de nuestros tiempos son sobre todo una imagen especular de las viejas
rutas navales de pillaje colonial.
Desafortunadamente, tambien la information tiene el habito de fluir exclusivamente de una parte delTercer Mundo a otra, por medio de estas mismas.muy
usadas, rutas. Y no solo es Asia y Latino America que estan completamente desconectadas.
Este no es tan malo como el caso con Africa que permanece como'continente oscuro’ para mu
chos de nosotros, simplemente por que toda la luz que emerge de este, es transformada y silenciada en las rutas coloniales por las que pasa, antes de darse a conocer.
Las razones mas profundas para esta falta de comunicacion entre los paises subdesarrollados y
atrasados, se derivan esencialmente de la manera en que el colonialismo en Europa ha operado a
traves de la historia. Los colonialistas han tallado el mundo en Reinos deTaifas, estrechamente controlados en una manera que excluye todas las posibilidades para que la gente pueda interactuar libremente y que no haya contacto entre ellos.
Para io:
dacion ignorante, desconectada e ignorando Jbl
realidades
de prevenir la emergencia de una oposicion
da e insurgente contra su dominio imperial,
en las sociedades, culturas y continentes contiguos o distantes. No solo eso: la gente era
repetidamente puesta a enfrentamientos la
una con la otra, como un modus operand!
esencialmente neocolonialista.
Debido a que la explotacion hoy en dia es
global, las formas de oposicion tambien tienen
que ser globales. El dia en que los paises explotados realmente empiecen a comunicarse
unos con otros, habra parido el mundo una
resistencia global.
American history, culture and society beyond
the stereotype 'football', 'carnival' and 'tequi
la'.
So what really prevents an average La®,
American or an Asian from picking up a book
or watching a documentary and learning
about each other's continents? Why are they
not speaking to each other more frequently,
visiting each other's villages and towns? Why are such large parts of humanity still so starkly igno
rant of each other's existence in this age of constantly instant information?
At first glance the information gap can be easily put down as due to linguistic barriers. Latin Ame
rica speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Quechua etc., and Asia speaks English, Hindi, Chinese, Thai, Malay
and so on.
Distance is also another obvious barrier because Asia and Latin America are virtually on opposi
te sides of the globe.Traveling from India to Ecuador for example takes a whopping 38 hours, inclu
ding 25 hours of flying time.
Airline routes however give us a clue as to some of the real reasons for the lack of communica
tion between the two continents. If one looks at the map of the world according to Star Alliance
for example, the globe is essentially a network of airline pathways held together by just a few hubsLondon, Paris,Tokyo, Los Angeles.
To get to Latin America from most parts of Asia one has to fly through one of these former or
new centres of corporate globalisation, many of which were also the capitals of the old colonial
world.The airline routes of our times are mostly a mirror image of the old naval routes of colonial
pillage and plunder.
Information too, unfortunately, has a bad habit of flowing exclusively from one part of the Third
World to the other along these very same, well-worn routes.
And it is not just Asia and Latin America that are completely disconnected.This is even more so
the case with Africa which remains the Dark Continent to many of us simply because all light emer
ging from it is mutated or muted by the colonial routers its passes through.
The deeper reasons for this lack of communication between the developing countries are essen
tially linked to the way European colonialism operated historically.The colonialists carved out the
globe into tightly controlled fiefdoms in a manner that precluded all possibilities of the subject peo
ple interacting freely among themselves.
For the colonial powers keeping their subject populations ignorant of each other was a way of
preventing the emergence of a united opposition to their rule across societies, cultures and conti
nents. Not just that.The subject people were repeatedly pitted against each other, an essential mo
dus operand! of colonialism.
Simply put, since exploitation today is global, the pathways to resistance too have to be global.
The day the exploited start truly communicating with each other will be the birth of the new glo
bal resistance too.
PAGE
7
PAGINA
EXISTE UN VINCULO VITAL ENTRE LOS BOSQUES Y LOS PUEBLOS
Anthony Diamantidis de el Movimiento
Mundial por los Bosques Tropicales, habla al
equipo de prensa del ASP2
ACERCA DEL MMBT:
El movimiento Mundial por los Bosques
Tropicales.es principalmente una organizacion
de red formada en Malasia, hace mas de 16
anos. La idea original era unir las organizaciones de los pueblos y los movimientos que luchan contra las pollticas relacionadas con Bos
_____
tm'
ques y proyectos del Banco Mundial y otras
Instituciones Financieras Internacionales (IFIs).
La iniciativa del Bosque Mumbai de Porto
Alegre, iniciada por el MMBT, este ano, tiene
ya alrededor de 100 organizaciones socias, a
mas de iniciativas particulates que tambien
nos apoyan. La organizacion incluye el Foro
Nacional de la gente de los Bosques (India),
WALHI/Amigos de la Tierra (Indonesia), Censat Agua-Viva (Colombia), FASE (Brasil), Accion Ecoldgica/Oilwatch.Fundacion Kondorloma (Ecuador) y muchas otras.
Los IFIs a menudo olvidan que los seres humanos siempre hemos sido parte del ecosistema forestal y nuestra presencia no
es perjudicial al ambiente en Io absolute. ;Entenderan ellos el
eslabon organico entre gente y bosque?
Los bosques proveen a la gente alimento, medicinas, materiales de construction para sus casas, tambien es la habitation de
sus dioses. (Entendera alguna vez el Banco Mundial esto? El hecho es que su tentative de desalojar a la gente de los bosques
es parte del orden del dia para servir intereses corporativos.
Un ejemplo clasico es la aparicion de las plantaciones de arbol geneticamente modificadas o los desiertos verdes: en sus
tentativas de maximizar ganancias de la produccion de madera
y pulpa, las corporaciones transnacionales introdujeron arboles
de General Motors. Arboles con follaje reducido, troncos directos de una calidad de madera particular, altura, diametro, etc. Es
te es un desastre que espera desplegarse. ;Quien puede predecir que sucedera con las mutaciones geneticas al pasar del tiempo? Las implicaciones ecologicas incluso la reduction severa de
recursos de agua, la aparicion de plantaciones de monocultura,
la destruccion de la biodiversidad rica es solo una dimension del
problema.
China es el primero, y actualmente el unico pais, que tiene
Plantaciones de Arboles geneticamente modificados para la co-
mercializacidn. Sin embargo los examenes practices estan siendo conducidos en varies paises, incluso en Chile. El Protocolo
de Kyoto los respalda y acepta como alternativas a bosques naturales. Hay una peticion en linea en donde hemos comenzado
a solicitor una prohibicion global de arboles geneticamente mo
dificados - http: // wrm.org.uy/index.html
;PORQUE ESTAMOS AQUI EN LA IIASAMBLEA
MUNDIAL DE LA SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS?
Creemos que la destruccion de ecosistemas forestales tiene
implicaciones de salud severas para los pueblos que dependen
de los bosques para sus vidas y sustentos. La lucha por el dere
cho a la salud es una parte organica de su lucha por la vida y
el sustento.
Los problemas estan combinados por la carencia de la voluntad politica, una respuesta negativa por parte de los poderios
de reconocer el problema y actuar. Si somos capaces de convenir en principios basicos, nosotros podemos trabajar juntos y
apoyarnos el uno al otro. Hay una necesidad de unir las voces
dispares de la lucha. Por ultimo no podemos esperar que los go-
biernos proporcionen soluciones. Esta en la gente ejercer sus
derechos y movilizarse contestatriamente.
NUESTRA VISION DE LA CONSERVACION
DE LOS BOSQUES
A traves de los anos, nuestra perspectiva se ha movido mas
alia de una demanda unidimensional de la conservacion forestal.
La lucha para la conservacion de bosques es intrinsecamente
unida a los derechos de las personas cuyas vidas giran alrededor
de los bosques.
Tenemos que reconocer que los pueblos indigenas y las comunidades locales tienen derecho a vivir en los bosques y, Io
es mas importance, tienen derecho sobre la produccion fo~Wtal. Este es una aseveracion politica. El WRM esencialmente
apoya su lucha para defender sus vidas, sustentos y ecosistemas
forestales contra registro comercial, presas, mineria, plantaciones, granjas de camaron, etc.
"THERE IS AN ORGANIC LINK BETWEEN PEOFLE AND FORESTS"
Antonis Diamantidis from the World Rainforest Movement
talks to the PHA2 Media Team:
ABOUT THE WRM:
The World Rainforest Movement is primarily a network or
ganization formed in Malaysia more than 16 years ago.The idea
was to link peoples’ organisations and movements fighting
against forest related policies and projects of the World Bank
and other International Financial Institutions (IFIs).The Mumbai
rto Alegre Forest Initiative initiated by the WRM in January
05 has already over 100 partner organizations besides many
supportive individuals. The organizations include the National
Forum of Forest People (India),WALHI/Friends of the Earth (In
donesia), Censat Aqua-Viva (Colombia), FASE (Brazil), Accion
Ecologica/Oilwatch (Ecuador) and several others.
«
where their gods live. Will the World Bank ever understand
that? The fact is that their attempt to evict people from the fo
rests is part of their agenda to serve corporate interests.
A classic example is the emergence of the genetically modi
fied tree plantations or ‘green deserts’. In their attempts to ma
ximize profits from pulp and timber production, transnational
corporations introduced GM trees.Trees with reduced foliage,
straight trunks of a particular wood quality, height, diameter, etc.
This is a disaster waiting to unfold.Who can predict what gene
tic mutations will lead to over time? The ecological implications
including severe depletion of water resources, emergence of
monoculture plantations, destruction of the rich biodiversity are
only one dimension of the problem.
China is the first and currently only country which has com
mercial genetically modified tree plantations. However field
tests are being conducted in several countries including Chile.
Kyoto Protocol endorses and accepts them as alternatives to
natural forests.There is an online petition we have started as
king for a global ban on genetically modified trees (http://wrm.org.uy/index.html).
WHY ARE WE HERE AT THE PEOPLES HEALTH ASSEMBLY2?
We believe that the destruction of forest ecosystems has se
vere health implications for the people who are dependent on
the forests for their lives and livelihoods.The struggle for right
to health is an organic part of their struggle for lives and liveli
hoods. The problems are compounded by the lack of political
will, a refusal by the powers that be to acknowledge and act. If
we are able to agree on basic principles, we can work together
and strengthen each other.There is a need to unite the dispara
te voices of struggle. Ultimately we cannot expect governments
to provide solutions. It is about people exercising their rights
and mobilizing themselves.
OUR VIEW OF FOREST CONSERVATION:
Over the years, our perspective has moved beyond a unidi
mensional demand for forest conservation.The struggle for con
servation of forests is intrinsically linked to the rights of the
people whose lives revolve around forests.We need to recogni
ze that the indigenous peoples and local communities have a
right to live in the forests and, more importantly, over the forest
produce.This is a political assertion. WRM essentially supports
their struggles to defend their lives, livelihoods and forest
ecosystems against commercial logging, dams, mining, planta
tions, shrimp farms, etc.
IFIs often forget that human beings have always been a part
of the forest ecosystem and their presence is not detrimental
to the environment at all. Will they understand the organic link
between the people and the forests! Forests provide the peo
ple with food, medicines, building materials for their houses. It is
SENTIRES Y PENSARES ALEGREMICOS
Dos companeras del grupo ’Patios Solidarios’ del Distrito Aguablanca, Cali, Colombia, nos han
expresado sus ‘sensopensares’, luego de participar en el Taller Alegremia.
"Agua!, parte noble de nuestras entranas...madre y senora de fuentes, Iagos, rios grandes.rios
pequenos, de los Iagos y de los mares...
Amada y reconocida por,grandes y chicos...
jGrandiosa, eres fuente maravillosa de la vida!
Isabel Navarro
"Hemos descubierto con este taller de la Alegremia que la alegria que corre por nuestras venas es el mismo amor que corre por nuestro cuerpo.
Cuando consumimos Alimentos sin quimicos estamos aportando a la salud, a la Naturaleza, alimentando el alma.
Sintiendo Amor por la vida, por nosotras mismas y por los demas estamos sintiendo Salud, es
tamos sintiendo Alegremia.
Cuando respiramos el Aire junto con la Naturaleza estamos respirando inspiration y salud.
El manantial de la vida es el Agua ya que sin ella no podemos ser felices, no sentiriamos esto
que se llama Alegremia yAmor.
Todo esto significa la Alegremia que corre por mi sangre y de esta manera lograremos mucha
Paz".
Maria Eugenia Bano! Gonzalez
DOCUMENTARY VIETNAM
DOCUMENTAL DE VIETNAM
Award-winning documentary on Agent
Orange (Chemical Warfare) in Vietnam
and the Struggle for justice.
Un documental premiado sobre el Agente
de la Naranja ( Guerra Quimica) en Viet
nam y la lucha para la justicia.
"BATTLES POISON CLOUD
“NUBE DELVENENO
DE LAS BATALLAS”
When:Thursday, July 21,2005
Time: 4:00 PM
Where: Room No. I Postgraduate Building
Medicine Faculty (first floor,Video room)
Cuando: Jueves 21 de julio de 2005
Tiempo: 4:00 P.M. de la tarde
Donde:Aula No. I Edificio de postgrado
de la facultad de medicina (primera planta)
(Sala de Proyecciones)
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
On June 6, Dr.Ahmad Maslamani was arrested at the dead of
night in his Jerusalem home, in front of his children. Over a
month later he is still detained. It is an experience shared with
many other Palestinians who do not wish to hide their concern
for the well-being of their people. But Dr. Maslamni is not just
anybody. He is the director of the Union of Health Work Com
mittees (UHWC), an organization providing health services th
roughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories and one of our
partner organizations.
To add insult to injury Dr. maslamani doesn't even know why
he was arrested by the Israeli special forces. Although he was
brought to court already four times, no charges have been filed
yet. Apparently, the Israeli authorities prefer to leave him in lim
bo in order to break his morale.
They might be waiting in vain. Since his arrest, solidarity with
Dr. Maslamani is snowballing. People from all over the world are
sending him solidarity messages. We had hardly informed our
other partner organizations or Dr. Eleanor Jara,Ahmad's collea
gue from the Philippine Council for Health and Development,
wrote us: "Please include us among the peoples of the world
who are asking the Israeli government to free the good doctor
now." Organizations from Nicaragua, Iran, France and the Uni
ted States quickly followed suit.
Also individuals from countries as divers as Iceland, Senegal
and Israel expressed their solidarity. "My solidarity with Dr. Mas
lamani comes from the bottom of my heart because I know the
consequences of his imprisonment are heavy for the Palestinian
people," writes Agnes Machiels.
Others put Dr. Maslamani's arrest in its political context. En
rique Ferro writes: "I am concerned with Dr. Ahmad Maslama
ni's plight, and I wish him a quick release. For all my experien
ces in Palestine, and after some time following the events in the
occupied territories, and spreading on a daily basis news and
analyses about all that, I cannot still come to terms with all the
injustices suffered by the Palestinian people, whose only guilt
appears to be their existence, and the fact that they are the le
gitimate inhabitants of Palestine...”
In Belgium, many people relayed their concern to the Belgian
minister of foreign affairs and to the Belgian embassy inTel Aviv.
As a result, the Belgian ministry of foreign affairs assured them
that they would monitor Dr. Maslamani's case closely.
The current wave of solidarity with Dr. Maslamani appears to
be far from over. Several websites have copied the call for soli
darity messages. Some people are asking for more addresses of
agencies they could involve and a big US human rights organiza
tion requested more information so they could launch an ur
gent action alert.Whatever happens to Dr. Maslamani, the world
is watching closely.
Write a solidarity satement and send it to
uhwc@pa|netcom
PAGINA
Please contact: + 593 9196 1712
+ 593 9156 2953
+593 9453 0115
_ ,__
"WAR HAPPENS BECAUSE
PEOPLE DO NOT LUSTENTO
EACH OTHER"
Wim De Ceukelaire
PAGE
E mail: media@phmovement.org
■
RELEASE DR. MASLAMANI NOW!
Published in Cuenca.Published by - PHA 2,
Media team. Printed: Atlantida. Design: the
cat. Corrector de prueba: Efren
Sempertegui-Mata. Translations: Daniela
Garcia,Tamara Trownsell, Estefanla Tello, Kristi
Smith, Audrey Morot, Monique Sanchez,Viviana
Rodriguez, Tess Lanning,Juan Lagarto, Nancy,
Kristi Smith, Sowbhagya, Gloria Bermeo.
Editors: Fabiola, Sanjana, Julio, Jorge, Satya and
UnnL
■lustrations: Rafael Carrasco. Fotos: PHA2
Media Team
Copy left: .Please feel free to circulate and
reprint
Copy @
www.phmovement.org
www.iphcglobal.org
Alejandra Isch.a 13 year old native of Quito, says she is atten
ding the People’s Health Assembly because her parents are. She
came to see the inaugural ceremony, liked what she saw and de
cided to stay. Alejandra is a young activist who is interested in
working on issues such as health and human rights.
Alejandra feels that the Assembly is a good opportunity for
people from various parts of the world to meet and discuss so
mething as imperative as health. She believes that without good
health, one cannot live a happy life. Alejandra feels that the cu
rrent health situation in the world is a result of peopled ignoran
ce and apathy towards the health of others. According to her.
"LAS GUERRAS SE DAN
PORQUE LA GENTE NO SE
ESCUCHA UNA A LA OTRA"
Sowbhagya Somanadhan
Alejandra Isch, una quitena de 13 anos, dice que esta participando en la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos porque asi hacen sus padres. Vino a ver la ceremonia inaugural. Le
gusto Io que vio y decidio quedarse. Alejandra es una activista
joven a la cual le interesa tratar temas como la salud y los de
rechos humanos.
Alejandra siente que la Asamblea es una buena ocasion para
que la gente de varias partes de mundo se reunan y hablen so
bre algo tan importance como la salud. Cree que sin la buena
salud, uno no puede vivir una vida feliz. Alejandra opina que la
situation de salud actual en el mundo resulta de la ignorancia de
la gente y la apatia hacia la salud de los demas. Segun ella.el Presidente del Ecuador gana mas de $10,000 por mes mientras ancianos viven con una pension de $10 mensuales. Cree que la
equidad en terminos de sueldos y acceso a la atencion medica
the President of Ecuador earns more than
$10,000 a month whereas old people recei-
!■■■
ve a pension of $10 a month. She believes
that equity in terms of income and access to
health care will decrease some of the present health problems.
Alejandra is a member of the National Forum for Children
and Adolescents and regularly coordinates activities for the
group. The group aims to discuss issues of child rights and its
violation and lobby for change in laws. Being a young rights ac
tivist, she feels even more strongly about war, which she says
happens when people do not listen to each other.
"When Bush was going to attack Iraq, the world protested, but
he did not listen to anyone and this resulted in killing of innocent
people, especially children, because of the personal interests of
some people in the US" she says angrily. She feels that the he^n
and living conditions of the children orphaned by the war is
being neglected. She believes that this issue should be discussed
further and aid should be provided to the helpless orphans.
podria disminuir algunos de los problemas actuales de salud.
Alejandra es socia del Foro Nacional de los Ninos y Adoles
cences y regularmente coordina actividades para el grupo. El
grupo busca tratar de los temas de los derechos de los ninos y
la violacion de ellos y hacer el lobby para cambiar la normativa.
Una activista joven por los derechos, opina aim mas fuercemente sobre la guerra, que, segim ella, suceded cuando la gente no
se escucha. Cuando Bush iba a atacarle a Iraq, todo el mundo
protesto, pero no le escucho a nadie. Esto resulto en la matanza de gente inocente, sobre todo los ninos, debido a los intere
sts personales de alguna
gente en los USA. Ella cree
que no se presta bastante
atencion a las condiciones
de salud y bienestar de los
ninos huerfanos de la gue
rra. Opina que se debe tra
tar de este asunto mas a
fondo y que se deberia
brindar ayuda a los huerfa
nos indefensos.
{JUNTO AL PUEBLO, ADELANTE EL MOVIMIENTO!
"Nosotros tenemos que veneer /os desafios que hemos afrontado
y tomar al Movimiento por la Salud de los Pueblos, para el futuro.
Tambi'en debemos revitalizar la Salud Primaria en todo el mundo".
Qasem Choudhury, Bangladesh
"We have to overcome the challenges we have faced and take the
People’s Health Movement further. Also, we have to revitalize Pri
"Hay muchas cosas buenas protagonizadas hoy, por el Movimien
to por la Salud de los Pueblos. No obstante, necesitamos crear un
movimiento que pueda traer una action politico global. Necesitamos
mover las estructuras existentes y crear algo nuevo, un nuevo camino de vida para todos. Tenemos que ser conscientes de la forma de
tratar el uno al otro y la necesidad de acomodarnos a cada una de
nuestras diferencias, el respeto personal y diferencias organizacionales para llevar al movimiento hacia delante. Esto es algo aterrador y
"There are many things to be done in the People’s Health Move
ment now. We need to create a movement which can bring about
global action and lobbying. We need to move beyond the existing
structures and create something new - a new way of living together.
We have to be conscious of the way we treat each other and need
to accommodate each others’ differences, respecting personal and or
ganizational differences to take the movement forward. It is somet
hing both frightening and exciting!"
Mary Murray, Australia
excitante".
Marry Murria,Australia
"Pienso que el PHM se ha movido hacia delante en una interesante direction desde Savar, tomando posiciones mas claramente conect^jas con la lucha de las personas. Pero pienso que hay todavia alcamino para ir a Io largo de la carretera y desearia ver mas par
ticipation de trabajadores y organizaciones campesinas, porque ellos
son los principales actores del cambio social con los cuales nosotros
tenemos que contribuir como parte del Moviendo por la Salud de los
Pueblos".
Bert de Beider, Belgium
"Pienso que el futuro del
PHM es permanecer descentralizando, reforzando a
los sectores locales y regio
nales. Ahi es en donde la
action estd y ellos deberian
ser quienes decidan la for
ma y direction del movi
miento".
Ghassan Issa, Lebanon
"La II Asamblea Mundial por la Salud de los Pueblos se ha vuelto
un evento y alii parece estar una notable falta de interes en el movi
miento. Debemos incrementar el impulse y no permitir que el entusiasmo decrezca. Tambien siento la necesidad por una evaluation
participatorio, la cual nos ayudara a planificar mejor para la proxi
mo Asamblea. PHM necesita mejorar la comunicacibn y enfocar la
capacidad humana de construction de diferentes regiones".
Prem John, India
mary Health Care worldwide."
Qasem Choudhury, Bangladesh
"I think PHM has moved forward in
an interesting direction since Savar, ta
king positions more clearly connected
with people’s struggles. But I think
there is still some way to go along that
road and I would like to see more in
volvement of workers and peasants or
ganizations, because they are the
main actors of social change to which
we have to contribute as part of the
health movement"
Bert de Beider, Belgium
"I think the future of the PHM lies in decentralizing and strengt
hening the local and regional chapters. That is where the action is
and they should be the ones who decide the shape and direction of
the movement"
Dr. Ghassan Issa, Lebanon
"The PHA 2 has become an
event and there seems to be a mar
ked lack of interest in the move
ment We must increase the mo
mentum and not let the enthusiasm
decrease. I also feel the need for a
participatory evaluation, which will
help us tplan better for the next As
sembly. PHM needs to improve
channels of communication and fo
cus on building human capacity of
people in different regions."
Prem John, India
BACK TO THE PEOPLE, FORWARD TO THE MOVEMENT!
“WE CAN PROVIDE HEALTH CARE ONLY FOR THE LIVING
Unnikrishan
Five year old Palestinian refugee Ahmad (literally meaning
Thank God) Halimeh in Lebanon's Shakila camp had his initia
tion into the ways of the world, one summer evening near his
small cloth tent. He had stood and watched three men being ta
ken struggling to a large tree and hanged, the wind playing with
the bodies long after they stopped twitching.
The three twitching ropes had seared deep into his little
heart-Ahmad cried for many days.And 52 years later, the wound
hasn't quite healed.
Ahmad, who is at PHA 2, is like survivors everywhere : an or
dinary human being with extra ordinary determination.
He talked about his life, work, hopes and despairs. And just
why he is here.
“I was born in the Shatila refugee camps in 1953,5 years af
ter my parents moved into the camps. When they left their ho
mes in 1948, everyone hoped to return in 15 days. It was a long
walk- 6 days over tough terrain, until they found a car to take
them." But for Ahmad and his kin, the trudge for survival conti
nues.
"These remind me of my childhood", says Ahmad, waving at
the PHA tents. "I was born in a tent, grew up in it".
Ahmad had started going to school when he was six. “I was
the eldest of eight siblings, and was keen to go into school to
escape the boredom of looking after my brothers and sisters”.
The teachers came from the other tents, and not many were
scholars in the strict sense.
The tents, perched on the slopes, were peaceful in the early
days. No guns, and no fights. But by the time he was seven, they
began peeping out of the tents. “The first firefight I remember
was in 1958, Lebanese shooting down Lebanese”, he recalls.
“Going to school was great. I walked in holding my grand fat
her's finger. I had new khaki clothes, a new bag and new shoes...9.
(Viene de la pagina I)
"El PHM necesita la influencia de la OMS Comision de Determinantes Sodales y continuar involucrando a indigenas en este trabajo.
Y por supuesto, tenemos que trabajar Io mas fuerte posible para conseguir nuestras metas".
Maija Kakis, Canada
driamos mirar por metodos de union de las personas de diferentes
partes del mundo e identiflcar estrategias politicas para nuestras
agendas. PHM tambien necesita focalizar sobre entretenimiento y
apoyo de jovenes activistas en el movimiento .
Miguel San Sebastidn, Sweden
"Yo pienso que nos hemos vuelto mas ingeniosos en estrategias
"Tenemos que crear algunas resoluciones, hemos sido capaces de
crear consciencia, la cual es un tipo de movilizacion. Por Io que respecta a las consecuencias de las acciones, esa es la izquierda de los
poises individuales".
Mary Sandasi, Zimbabwe
para el futuro.Aqui han habido muchas discusiones y criticas, pero es
te es el tiempo de delegitimizar al capitalismo y neoliberalismo. Debemos propagar la palabra a otros y solamente asi veremos las dife-
"EL PHM tiene mucho potencial como mecanismo de cambio.
Triunfaremos en este proceso hasta el punto que nosotros nos acep
temos el uno al otro mas alia de nuestras tradiciones y creencias. El
PHM podria volverse mas diverse en terminos de cultura, regiones,
lenguajes y genera
Laura Suriano, USA
mas discusion participatoria".
Fran Baum,Australia
"El Movimiento por la Salud de los Pueblos, deberia tratar de im
plementor las recomendaciones para la II Asamblea Mundial por la
Salud de los pueblos y tambien incrementar contactos. Nosotros po-
(From page I)
"The PHM needs to influence the WHO Commission on Social De
terminants and continue to involve indigenous people in its work. And
of course, we have to work as hard as possible to achieve our goals!"
Maija Kagis, Canada
"We have not created any resolutions, but what we have been able
to do is create awareness, which is a type of mobilization. As for what
the consequent actions should be, that is left to the individual coun
tries. "
Mary Sandasi, Zimbabwe
"The PHM has a lot of potential as a mechanism for change. We
will succeed in this process to the extent that we are open and ac
cept each other beyond our traditions and beliefs. The PHM should
become more diverse in terms of cultures, regions, languages and
gender."
Laura Turiano, USA
"Nosotros hemos mejorado y aprendido mucho
desde el inicio del movimiento. El movimiento ne
cesita direcciones para agrandar las determinantes
sociales y politicas de salud. Esos temas no tienen
limite. Las estrategias varian de pais a pais, no
obstante necesitamos unificar estrategias".
mandas".
Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador
"PHM should try to implement the recommendations from PHA 2
and also increase networking. We should look for methods to unite
people from different parts of the world and identify strategies to
lobby for our agendas. PHM also needs to focus on training and sup
porting young activists in the movement"
Miguel San Sebastian, Sweden
"I think we have become more clever in terms of strategies for the
future. There has been a lot of discussion and criticism, but it is time
now to delegitimize capitalism and neoliberalism. We must spread
the word to others and only then will we see the differences in the
ballot boxes. Of course, we also have to start planning for PHA 3,
where I suggest that there are less speakers and more participatory
discussions."
Fran Baum, Australia
"The PHM should try to influence people and communities and
not only governments. We should believe in people’s ability to orga-
2
PAGINA
Thelma Narayan, India
"El Movimiento
deberia
enfocar
mas sobre desarro
llo de la salud glo
bal y dar menos
importancia a Io
que diga la OMS.
Necesitamos confrontar al imperio y
sus aliados, quienes
estan influenciando
el estado de salud
rencias en las casillas de votes. Por supuesto, nosotros tambien tene
mos que comenzar el planeamiento de la III Asamblea Mundial por
la Salud de los Pueblos, donde sugiero que se hable menos y haya
"La PHM podria tratar de influenciar en las personas y comunidades y no solamente en los gobiernos. Nosotros podriamos creer
en la habilidad de personas para organizarse ellos mismos y construir sus comunidades. Podriamos ayudar a la movilizacion de per
sonas quienes puedan presionar a los gobiernos a cumplir sus de-
page
hoy".
Dr. Ghassan Hamdan., Palestine
nize themselves and build their own communities.
We should support the mobilization of people who
can then put pressure on governments to fulfill their demands."
Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador
"We have improved and learnt a lot since the beginning of the Peo
ple’s Health Movement The PHM needs to address broader social
and political determinants of health. These issues do not have natio
nal borders. The strategies for doing so will vary from country to
country, but we need to connect these strategies."
Thelma Narayan, India
"The PHM should focus more on developing the global health
vement and less on being a mere lobbying body in the corridors of
the WHO. We need to confront the bigger players who are influen
cing the state of global health today."
Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, Palestine
"VALORES HUMANOSY SAB1DURIA NO PUEDEN SER NUNCA ENCARCELADOS"
Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha, Ex Ministro de Salud, Nepal hablo con el equipo de prensa de la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud
de los Pueblos.
ASAMBLEA MUNDIAL DE SALUD DE LOS PUEBLOS,
A CONTINUACION:
gente. La disparidad entre pobres y ritos en tada pais se incrementa rapidamente. Su intento de denegar informacioin tecnologica y tientifica a traves de patentes y de los Dereehos de Propiedad Intelettual es despreciable.Valores Humanos y sabidurla
no pueden ser enoarcelados.
SITUACION DE SALUD EN NEPAL
Algunas organizaciones dentro del Movimiento de Salud de
los Pueblos prefieren permanecer en terreno netural porque
ellos dependen de fondos extranjeros. Las criticas no son pr6ximas a ellos y niegan desafiar los alejameintos a QUIEN CORRESPONDA. El hecho esta en que varias instituciones de las
Naciones Unidas han sido alejadas de su intencion inicial.Sus esfuerzos son mitad intuidos Io que no eleva suficientemente los
temas en relation a los pobres y debiles, con el objetivo de ser
un conservador de la paz internacional, monitoreando los dere
chos humanos y otros esfuerzos de apoyo. Hoy en di'a las Na
ciones Unidas se ha permitido asi misma ser cautiva de los llamados grupos de poder globales como Estados Unidos.
El Movimiento Mundial de los Pueblos tiene que ir hacia adelante. Este es el momento para trabajar con la gente.Yo creo
que el Movimiento Mundial de los Pueblos debe ser Io suficien
temente valiente para ser parte de la gente y debe confiar en
ellos para su desarrollo. Si nosotros confiamos en los fondos internacionales y en agencias de desarrollo, nosotros seremos
serviles a la agenda imperialista. Nosotros iremos hacia delante
pero no Hegaremos muy lejos.
A QUIEN CORRESPONDA, BANCO MUNDIAL,
FONDO MONETARIO INTERNACIONAL
La Organization Mundial de la Salud y sus intentos de apaciguar al Banco Mundial y otras fuerzas de globalizacidn capitalista
se han alejado del espiritu de su constitution. Organizationes de
la Sotiedad Civil y redes intluyendo el Movimiento de la Salud de
los Pueblos no han sido Io sufitientemente valientes para pre
guntar a QUIEN es el responsable. La critica no ha sido Io sufi
cientemente fuerte o aguda. Es momento de desafiar a QUIEN
CORR.ESPONDA en la Corte International. Alejandose del ob
jetivo de la tonstituoi6n es una violatidn de la misma.
Institutiones Internationales Finantieras intluyendo la Orga
nization Mundial de Comertio, Banto Mundial y el Fondo Monetario International trabajan en tonjunto ton torporaciones
transnationales para intrementar las ganantias a expensas se la
El sistema de salud en Nepal se ha roto tompletamente por
que el Gobierno del Nepal y las agentias internacionales se han
alejado del tontepto de Salud para Todos. Attualmente el settor de la salud esta privatizado. Esto significa, tomo en tualquier otra parte del mundo, que la asistencia medica y las meditinas son mas taras para los pobres. Acceso a las mismas en
tualquier taso es dificil para los pobres. Para responder al intremento de tontrol Maoista, el gobierno ha bloqueado las vias
e impedido el traslado de trabajadores de la salud y material
medico esential.
Los Maoistas reinviditan que ellos siguien el sistema traditio
nal de turation. Ellos regularmente entrenan paramedicos y han
empezado hasta oierto punto una universidad medita. La Salud
deber ser entendida desde una forma holistica.Que existe en la
Tierra que no este relationado eon la vida y el ser viviente?
La meditina traditional es efitaz en algunos tasos, metodos
tientifioos en otros. Nepal tiene una historia rita de sistemas
traditionales de la meditina intluso ayurveda, naturopatia y muthos otros. Note que un sistema que llamamos 'Dhami Jhankri'
es muy similar al sistema seguido de la gente indigena aqui.
No niego que los metodos tradioionales de tura tengan un
papel definido, pero Io que es esential es un atertamiento mul
tidimensional. La gran intimation hatia tonteptos meditinales
modernos, que son en gran parte orientados por ganantia, es
peligrosa porque la salud es tratada tomo una materia. Ni la sa
lud ni la asistentia medita pueden ser tommoditized
En las areas rurales en Nepal, las mujeres dicen que ellos usan
meditinas 'modernas' tuando de hetho ellos siguen metodos
traditionales de turation. Esto es porque en sotiedades tradi
tionales, ensenan a la gente que Io que viene desde fuera esta
bien. Esto es una colonization de la mente. Pero este no es fatilmente visible en absolute. Los investigadores de salud y los
trabajadores tienen que tavar en el sujeto profundamente para
realizar esto, la observati6n superfitial simple no Io hara. Hay
una netesidad absoluta de vivir ton la gente, entenderlos y compartir sus experientias antes de tratarlos
CONFLICTO EN NEPAL
El Rey ha formado el gobierno presente ilegalmente y fuera del
marto de la constitution. Sin embargo, aproximadamente el 80 %
del area es controlado por Maoistas mientras solo el 20 %, principalmente tiudades y ciudades.esta bajo el tontrol del gobierno.
Muertes extrajudiciales, violationes, desaparitiones y raptos
son tomunes en Nepal ya que tanto los Maoistas tomo las fu4r)
zas militates del gobierno responden a la situation violentamente. El hetho permanete sin embargo, por que el numero de la
gente matada por las fuerzas militates del gobierno es al menos
tres veces mas que los Maoistas. He hablado a soldados, funcionarios de distritos printipales y otros que han sido liberados
por los Maoistas.Todos ellos me han ditho que ellos fueron tratados bien. Mientras no habia ningun lujo, ellos tomieron Io que
los Maoistas tomieron, dormido donde ellos durmieron. Los
Maoistas han tumplido ton la Convention de Ginebra. Ellos los
han tratado cortesmente.
Sin embargo, aquellos detenidos por el gobierno tomo Maois
tas sospethosos, han hablado de la tortura y violentia que ellos
afrontaron en las manos del gobierno. No he entontrado a una
sola persona que puede detlarar que ellos fueron tratados bien.
Creo que la cultura de arma es muy mala para el bienestar de
las personas. El arma hace al que la porta un demonio sin cabeza. Ellos pierden la capacidad para distinguir entre Io bueno y Io
malo. Hay mucha violencia, sobre todo porque el gobierno no
respeta los derechos humanos. La gente inocente es atrapada
entre la espada y |a pared.
mos que recordar que los conflictos no se levantan sin
ase. n una sociedad donde hay injusticias sociales, cultuI
hC°nk°?«s’ d°nde las disparidades existen entre el rico
El conHi’" 7 Mnf,iCt°’C°nflicto a veces armado.
politicos nn ° ■ 6 j epal tiene qUe Ser soluci°nado por medios
to si el eobi
militareS’E' C°nfliCto no P^de ser resuelPasa Io ?
° aU,menta la fuerZa militar en 10 o 20 pliegues.
IcXZ rn ?S MaO!StaS' En la SitUaci°" *«ual, ellos soel circulo vicioso ^61 °tr° \ contribuXen a la violencia. Creo que
tico.Tenemos que mi^Nas*
de,StrU'do por el dialogo poH'
buscar transformaciones
I*
Problema-Tenemos que
rales de modo que la gente gane"’ S°C'aleS' eCOn6mkaS X
Maoistas, sJorden^el dUSCr'^ 3 '°S rnbtodos violentos de los
la consonancia con In
P° 'tlC° eS muy relevante. Esto esta en
s corazones y las mentes de las personas.
PAGE
3
PAGINA
Volunteers
Lorena Barreto, Andrea Prodo, Maria Jose Haequez, Ruth
Espinoza, Diana Guerrero, Ca
rolina Montenegro, Pamela
Cartuche, Catania Siavianay,
AngelicaVasquez, Mauricio Pesantez, Patricia Gonzalez, Jose
Luis Fajardo, Ivan Pachhari,
Daniel Inamagua, Tahlia Alva
rez, Cristian Zhimnay, Fernan
do Novillo, Jessica Jaramillo,
Karina Machuca, Diana Astudillo, Luis Leon, Carlos Lopez,
Jose Luis Rosario, Nelson Pi
nos, Samantha Vasquez, Johana
Molletero, Cristian Alvarracin,
Fabian Leon, Priot Zalamea,
Wendy, Andrea, Virgilio Medi
na, Efren Sempertegui-Mata.
Food/ Cafeteria
Esperanza Sococfuirin, Maria
Crespo, Blanca Pacheco.
Sincere thanks to the follo
wing to make the PHA 2 pos
sible.
Secretariat
Arturo Quizhpe, Prem John,
Jorge Quizhpe, Fabiola Zavala,
Patricio Matute, Kleber Calle,
Silvia Bernal, Maribel Castillo,
tva Crespo, Marla de Lourdes
Ordonez,Vicente Ochoa, Juan
Pablo Ordonez, Melina Gauzhima, Maria Isabel Carrasco,
Servio Zapata,Agustin Cuesta,
Gloria Bermeo, Israel Idrovo,
Gabriela Landazuri, Oscar Villapaute
Translators
Andrea, Maria Augusta, Juan
Cordova, Daniela Garcia, Ta
mara Trownsell, Estefanla Te
llo, Kristi Smith, Audrey Morot, Monique Sanchez, Viviana
Rodriguez, Tess Lanning,Juan
Lagarto, Nancy, Kristi Smith,
Sowbhagya, Gloria Bermeo,
Fernando Ona, Edison Solis.
Eliana Bojorque.
Website
Nand Wadhwani, Paul Delga
do , Esteban Juela , Nisha Su
san, Lalit Narayan, Abraham
Thomas, Prasanna Saligram.
MediaTeam:
Sanjana C, Julio Monsalvo, Sat
ya Sivaraman, Sowbhagya Somanadhan, Unnikrishnan
ISRAEL’S WAR ON CHILDREN
Amal Daoud and Joan Jubran
On July 19 2005, while PHA2 delegates in Cuenca continued
with their discussions on the state of health in the world, faraiway in Gaza City an Israeli leftover ordnance killed a nine-yearold Palestinian girl and injured two of her brothers.
The ordnance exploded while the children were playing in
the Sabra suburb. On the same day in a different part of the Oc
cupied Territories, Israeli soldiers opened fire on civilian cars as
they attempted to by-pass the closed Abou Holly checkpoint in
Gaza. 14 year old Ragheb Al-Masri was killed. He was on his way
south and had been waiting for a long time when the incident
occurred.The teargas canisters which were thrown injured ot
her Palestinians around as well.
Surrounded by incidents like this,growing up in a war-like en
vironment, Palestinian children are expected to accept peace
and harmony. Under the existing UN conventions, blatant vio
lations of the rights of children are a common occurrence.
Between September 2000 and June 2005,703 Palestinian chil
dren under the age of 18 were killed. 60% of these by live bu
llets, 27% by ground or air attacks and 2% by mine or bullet ex
plosions. In the same period, 39 infants died at checkpoints. So
me 15000 children have been injured - 45% sustaining injuries in
the upper part of the body and an estimated 500 children per
manently disabled.
Various rights guaranteed under UN conventions are also
being breached daily. States are obligated to ensure an adequa
te standard of living, access to health care and education and
freedom of movement. Of over 1,000 children arrested in the
past 18 months, 9% are under administrative detention "without
charge or trial". On a frequent basis, children are beaten, depri
ved food, sleep and health care and denied family visits. Over
100 schools have been attacked, 316 shelled, while 43 schools
were used for military purposes.
Again under the UN Conventions, children’s rights are viola
ted if the rights of their dependents are violated.The excessive
us offeree by the military against the civilians is common know
ledge. Collective punishment is often imposed on Palestinians
including children. The cumulative impact of the violations of
rights experienced by Palestinian children will take decades to
overcome.
“UN DIA, SEREMOS CAPACES DE
INVITARTEA NUESTRA TIERRA
LI BE RADA’’
Querido amigo y colegas de
la II Asamblea Mundial de los Pueblos,
“ONE DAY WE WILL SOON BE ABLE TO HOST
YOU IN PALESTINE, HOPEFULLY IN A FREE
PALESTINE”
Dear Friends and Colleagues at
the Second People’s Health Assembly,
It is a great honor for me to be able to address you today. |
Es un gran honor para mi dirigirme a ustedes el dia hoy.Yo quisiera iniciar agrandeciendoles a todos ustedes por su gran apoyo, entusiasmo y solidaridad con el pueblo de Palestine. En nuestra lucha por
la libertad e independencia vivimos bajo condiciones muy dificiles en
un pais con un obstaculo politico, principalmente por la ocupacion y
el cierre y con un muro, que estd
siendo construido por los israelies,
el cual estd obstruyendo la habilidad de la gente para vivir teniendo
un sistema de comercio, economic,
salud y education.
Esta situation es la causa central
de pobreza, ha sido la ocupacion
politico que ha durado mas tiempo
que cualquier otra en el mundo
contemporaneo, treinta y ocho
anos de ocupacion, y especialmente
con mucha gente sufriente, pobre y
marginada.
Yo quiero agradecer por su ayuda y apoyo, y pedirles mas de eso,
porque probablemente la situation
de Palestine en este momenta, es
aquella que representa la mayor necesidad de solidaridad y apoyo en
el mundo, y que se ha vista afectada terriblemente por la desinformacibn, por un comportamiento pobre, insistiendo en la discrimina
tion, contra los pobres y Io no privilegiados.
Yo espero que la II Asamblea Mundial de los Pueblos tomara la
decision apropiada y estoy seguro que asi sera, esto ayudard a gen
te que estd en gran necesidad por un mejor sistema de asistencia
medico a nivel mondial. Yo estoy seguro que su gran trabajo funcionard por si mismo en el future, y quiero tambien agradecer a los co
legas de origen Palestine y del mundo drabe quienes estan trabajando con usted. El Pueblo de Palestina estd muy consciente del gran tra
bajo de la gente de la Asamblea Mundial de la Salud y estan siguiendo de cerca Io que ustedes estan hatiendo.
Una vez mas gracias por su ayuda, apoyo, y entusiasmo y yo es
pero que algun dia cercano nosotros podamos recibirlos a ustedes
aqui otra vez en Palestine, y que ocurra en una Palestina Libre.
conditions in a country with political obstacles, mainly occupa
tion, siege, closure and the
headwall being built by Is
rael, which is obstructing
people’s ability to live, to ha
ve economic trade, health
and education.
It’s the situation where the
main cause of poverty is a
political one, being occupa
tion which has lasted longer
than any other occupation in
the modern world - thirty
eight years of occupation and
suffering, mainly lots of suffe
ring of underprivileged, mar
ginalized and poor people.
I want to thank you for
your help and support and
ask you for more of that, because probably the Palestinian situa
tion at this very moment is the one that represents the greatest
need for solidarity and support in the world which is effected
terribly by misinformation, by poor performance, by discrimina
tion against the poor and the underprivileged.
I hope that the Second People’s Assembly will make proper
decisions and I’m sure it will help the people who are in great
need for better health care system worldwide. I’m sure that
your great work will affect itself in the future, and I want to
thank the colleagues who are working with you from Palestine
and from the Arab world. The Palestinian people are very much
aware of the work of the great health movement assembly and
they are very much following what you are doing.
Thank you again for your help and support and enthusiasm
and I do hope that one day we will soon be able to host you
again in Palestine, hopefully in a free Palestine.
Mustapha Barghouti
Mustapha Barghouti
want to start by thanking all of you for your great support, ent
husiasm and solidarity with the Palestinian people. In our strug
gle for freedom and independence, we live under very difficult
LA GUERRA DE BSRAEL
CONTRA LOS NUNOS
Amal Daoud y Joan Jubran
El 19 de julio de 2005, mientras los delegados en Cuenca
continuaban sus discusiones sobre el estado de salud en el mun
do, en la franja de Gaza, la artilleria Israeli asesino a una nina pa
lestina de 9 anos, hiriendo a ademas a sus dos hermanos. Sucedi6 mientras jugaban en los suburbios de Sabra. El mismo dia en
un sitio distante a Los Territories, los soldados israelies abrieron fuego a carros civiles que intentaban pasar los ‘puestos de
control’, asesinando a RaghebAI-Masri, un muchacho de 14
anos, mientras las bombas ‘teargas canisters’, eran lanzadas hi
riendo a mas ninos palestinos que jugaban en la calzada.
Rodeados por incidences como los narrados, creciendo en un
ambience de guerra, los pequenos sufren violacion de los dere
chos de los ninos todos los dias. El articulo 6 de la CRC, el de
recho inherence a la vida del nino, es talvez es mas violado. Entre septiembre del 2000 y junio del 2005, setecientos tres ninos
menores a 18 anos.fueron asesinados. El 60% de estos, por balas vivas, 27% por ataques por aire y tierra.y el 2% por minas y
explosiones. En el mismo periodo, 39 infantes murieron en los
‘puestos de control'. Si consideramos que el numero de ninos
heridos, el numero asciende alrededor de 15.000. 15.000 ninos
heridos - 45% heridos sostenidos en la parte superior del cuerpo y un estimado de 500 ninos permanentemente incapacitados.
Otros derechos garantizados por las convenciones de la UN,
son incumplidos diariamente. Los Estados estan obligados a asegurar un standard adecuado de vida, de acceso a la asistencia de
salud, y la educacion y la libertan del movimiento. Mas de 1.000
ninos arrestados hace 18 meses, el 9% bajo detention sin cargo
o juicio. En una base frecuente, los ninos son golpeados, privados de alimento, del sueno y del cuidado de su salud y negados
de visitas de sus familiares. Cerca de 100 escuelas han sido atacadas directamente, 316 bombardeadas, mientras que 43 escue
las fueron usadas para propositos militates.
Una vez mas, bajo las convenciones de UN, los derechos de
los ninos son violados si los derechos de sus dependientes son
violados. La excesiva violencia de la milicia ejercida contra los ci
viles, es de conocimiento comun. El castigo colectivo es frecuentemente impuesto sobre el pueblo palestino, incluyendo ninos. El
impacto acumulativo de las violaciones de los derechos experimentados por ninos palestinos llevara decadas en superar.
OF PRISONERS AND PIRATES
lestine and/or an Iraq Health Watch?) and of strong solidarity
CONCRETE PROPOSALS TO
DEFEND PEOPLE’S HEALTH
campaigns. Regarding Palestine, the workshop proposed the cam
paign to free Dr. Ahmad Maslamani.the campaign to stop the Wall
Bert De Beider
and the organization of international solidarity missions. For Iraq,
the top priority is to defend the health workers in the perfor
mance of their duty, against all US military interference.The fate
of the thousands of Iraqi prisoners who are illegally held by US
Wednesday afternoon, some 30 PHM activists discussed cam
paign proposals in the workshop on ‘Building Campaigns and
Collective Initiatives'. The challenge was clear: move on from
analysis to action.As an introduction, Bert presented the Health
NOW framework, which stands for ‘NO War, NO WTO, Fight
for People’s Health’. Health NOW was conceptualized in Mum
bai and launched internationally, by some 20 PHM member or
ganizations from 10 countries, on the first anniversary of the
war against Iraq in March 2004. Health NOW sees militariza
tion, war and occupation on one hand, and trade liberalization,
privatization and commercialization on the other, as today’s
main obstacles to health. This framework - and the website
www.health-now.org - can be the umbrella for many of our cu
rrent and future, local and international campaigns and activities
(contact: info@health-now.org).
Workshop participants identified the dissemination of infor
mation on the health effects of occupation, in Palestine as well as
in Iraq, as a vital task.Thousands of people should know the po
werpoint presented byAmal and Joan from Palestine, and the ho
rrifying images and stories brought by Dr. Salam from Iraq. Such
hard evidence can be the basis of strong reports (why not a Pa
forces and are often denied medical care, needs our urgent at
tention, too. As health activists, we cannot remain passive as US
ONDAS DE RADIO
PARA EL RESCATE
preparados y llevados a cabo por la misma gente desplazada!
"Deseamos que las personas tengan muchos conocimientos
sobre la estacion de radio y sobre la informacion que sacan al
aire" dice Vichien, quien es tambien el coordinador de la federa
tion de las estaciones de la radio en Tailandia. La difusion de los
programas incluye una mezcla de las noticias, informacion sobre
el saneamiento, salud e higiene, cuentos y miisica populates asi
como sermones religiosos por Budistas y Musulmanes.
La federacion ha instalado siete estaciones de radio en las comunidades en las partes afectadas por el tsunami en la Tailandia
meridional. Desempenan un papel importante no solo por informar noticias sino tambien por que realizan un foro para que
la gente afectada exprese sus opiniones, contacte con otras per
sonas y consiga la informacion sobre una variedad de temas.
"Al principio cuando hablamos de la creation de estaciones
de radio en las aldeas habia muchos escepticos. Finalmente los
aldeanos pueden tener sus propias estaciones", dice Vichien.
Las estaciones de radio de la comunidad comenzaron a difun
dir su serial, a finales del 2001, sobre estrictos controles del gobierno sobre las ondas de radio.
Cuesta alrededor de USS4000 abrir una estacion con alcance de alrededor de 30 kilometros.
Estas estaciones, segun Vichien, funcionan sobre una base no
comercial e independiente de influencias del gobierno o partidos politicos y son llevados a cabo, en gran parte, por volunta
ries. Hoy, hay mas de 100 estaciones en todo Tailandia.
VICHIEN KUTTAWAS,
Coordinador de la comunidad federal de radio deTailandia.
Cuando el tsunami asiatico golpeo las orillas de Tailandia, el
pasado diciembre, habia al menos una persona en el pais que sabfa exactamente que hacer. Vichien Kuttawas, un activista de la
radio comunitaria, quien conocia que en toda situation de desastre la comunicacion es vital, decidio intervenir a favor de los
damnificados, en las areas devastadas.
Este tailandes, de 33 anos, presente en la IIAMSP en Cuenca,
recuerda como apenas una semana despues de la catastrofe,
miembros de su red intervenlan con su estacion de radio mdvil, desde un campamento de refugiados.
"Encontramos un panorama totalmente caotico y la gente no
tenia informacion basica sobre los planes que se llevaban a cabo para la rehabilitacion” recuerdaVichien. Su equipo de programadores de radio enfatizo asuntos de interes para la poblacion
desplazada. En muchas areas distribuyeron equipos de radio a la
poblacion local, para mantener coordination en estos casos de
intervencion en crisis.
Por la manana, el equipo de la radio de la comunidad, invito
a lideres de los refugios para instruir sobre el trabajo requerido. En el segundo mes de la operation, la estacion comenzo a
invitar a los damnificados a sumar sus esfuerzos. jAl tercer mes
casi todos los programas que se difundian por la estacion eran
and other health professionals are involved in torture in Guanta
namo Bay and in other illegal detention camps where US terro
rism rules. Finally, we can help Iraqi medical students graduate
and serve their people by sending them medical books and CDs.
On the issue of trade and health, workshop participants sin
gled out Hong Kong as ‘the place to be’ in December.The Mi
nisterial Summit of the World Trade Organization should hear
our loud and clear rejection ofTRIPS and GATS. Edgar sugges
ted that the PHM endorse the call to also reject the Free Trade
Agreement that Ecuador, Colombia and Peru are negotiating
with the US. But it is also time to go beyond ‘denouncing’ and
’rejecting'. Unni proposed a campaign of civil disobedience visa-vis the entire patent system and ‘people's piracy’.
Finally,Todd presented the Save Unicef campaign (against the
new US Director and hardcore agribusiness fan Ann Veneman),
while Jeff got a consensus on his proposal for PHM to endorse
the ‘Human Right to Water’ campaign. Now the task remains to
fit all these action proposals into the Global Right to Health Ini
tiative that PHM is launching.
RADIO WAVES TO THE RESCUE
VICHIEN KUTTAWAS, Coordinator,The Federal of Community Radio of Thailand
When the Asian tsunami hit the shores of Thailand last December killing thousands and injuring
an even larger number there was at least one person in the country who knew exactly what to do.
Realizing that in every disaster situation the commodity that is most valuable and yet extremely
Traduccidn:Juan Fdez de Cordova
LILIANY
MANYAMA
Cuando los nines Lilian y Manyama.de trece y once anos respectivamente, dejaron sus
hogares en Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, una gran
responsabilidad recayo sobre ellos: debian
presentar los problemas de salud de miilones
de ninos de Africa, en el marco de la Segunda Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pue
blos.
Manyama fue el delegado mas esperado
en nuestra Asamblea, es que se trata de un
competence musico que forma parte de un
grupo de I I percusionistas que han desfilado
en escenarios de Africa y Europa. Y se presentara en los actos culturales de la Asam
blea.
Que les cuento de Lilian?,es muy entusiasta, muy madura para su edad y solo recordamos su edad cuando vemos su forma de caminar. Ella practica cuatro depones. Io que le
acerca a la actividad y a la vida, y sin embar
go tiene un conocimiento profundo sobre la
muerte y el sufrimiento de
los ninos de Africa.
La escuela Mwasama, situada en Dares-Salaam, admite a ninos enfermos y
contagiados con el SIDA
cada ano. Con demasiada
frecuencia nuestros dos
personajes han asistido a la
terrible experiencia de ver
morir a sus amigos. (Lilian,
habia elocuentemente so
bre la necesidad de proveer
medicina a la gente infectada con SIDA).
De acuerdo a la UNICEF,
la poblacion de huerfanos
con SIDA ha crecido a
15'000’000 en el mundo.
Alrededor de 12’000'000
de ellos viven en el Sub-Sahara, Africa. La OMS dice
que el surgimiento del SI
DA es directamente responsable del 60% de la
muerte infantil en Africa.
Cuando le preguntamos
que esperaba conseguir
Mwasama de la Segunda
Asamblea Mundial de la Sa
lud de los Pueblos, simplemente contesto "deseo
que la gente piense un poco en nosotros...".
scarce is good quality public information Vichien Kuttawas, a community radio activist decided to
do something about it in the tsunami-affected areas.
Vichien who is attending the PHA2 in Cuenca as part of a seven member Thai delegation reco
llects how just a week after the tsunami members of his network were on the spot with their mo
bile radio station moving from one refugee camp to the other disseminating vital information.
We found that the situation was totally chaotic and people did not have basic information about
any of the relief work going on or about plans for rehabilitation" recollects Vichien. His team of trai
ned radio programmers set about collecting and broadcasting news on topics of critical interest to
the displaced population working long hours from morning to night.
In many areas they had to distribute radio sets to the local people because they had lost almost
everything they possessed in the tsunami.
The community radio team started inviting leaders of the refugee camps to tell people what was
happening, details of relief work and information on what to do next. By the second month of ope
ration itself the station began inviting older people, youth and even children from the camps to join
their program. By the third month almost all programs broadcast by the station were being prepa
red and run by the displaced people themselves!
"We want people to have ownership over both the radio station and the information they put
out" says Vichien, who is also the Coordinator of the Federation of Community Radio Stations in
Thailand. Programs broadcast include a mix of news, information on sanitation, health and hygiene,
folk tales and music as well as religious sermons by both Buddhist and Muslim clergy
So far the Federation has set up seven community radio stations in the tsunami-affected parts of
southern Thailand.They play an important role not just by disseminating news but also a forum for
affected people to voice their views, connect with other people and get information on a variety of
subjects.
"At first when we talked of setting up radio stations in the villages there was a lot of skepticism
Finally through some patient work the villagers realized they can actually run the station entirely on
their own" says Vichien.
1
Community radio stations began broadcasting in Thailand in late 2001 following relaxation of
tight government control over radio waves.Typically it costs around US$4000 to set un a station
and they have a range of around 30 kilometers.
‘
These stations, according to Vichien, are operated on a non-commercial basis and independent
of influence from government or poht.cal parties and is largely run by volunteers. Currently there
are more than 100 such stations all over Thailand.
7
(From page /)...! was happy. I was too young to know there could be a world ot
her than the one we were in at the camp”'.
“My grandmother used to work with UNRWA (United Nations Relief and
Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). I remember her going
around distribute milk for the kids in the camps. She used to force me to drink
milk, to help to fight malnutrition. But I hate milk, even today. I don't like to be
forced to do anything, not even drink milk".
Years rolled by. 1967, and the conflict began between Arabs and Israelis. “It
was a nightmare. It was soon getting obvious that the dream of returning to Pa
lestine was ebbing away, like the sun beyond the hills”.
But it offered newer dreams too. “Many eager youngsters joined the Palesti
nian Liberation Organisation (PLO). I was 14 and wanted to do it too. But I was
turned away, saying I was too young, it was so disappointing then", Ahmad smi
les. But his uncle joined, and immediately became his childhood hero.
1970, and a bunch of Palestinians who used to be in the camps earlier retur
ned to Shatila and other camps in Lebanon.“They would sneak in during night.
One of them, along with my uncle, entered our family tent and slept with us.
Then they started training us to fire guns".
Ahmad can t forget the first time he picked up a Kalashnikov assault rifle, and
a Borsaid (a small Egyptian-made gun).”l was thrilled. I didn't want to attack or
kill anyone, but the gun in my hand meant protecting my family and our camp,
defending ourselves. I couldn't hold a Kalashnikov steady for a minute, anyway”.
Those days, he went to school during day and prowled the camp borders lug
ging a rifle, with other youngsters, looking for attackers.
His romance with the gun did not last long.”One day I suddenly had fleeting
visions of the three men being lynched, and it kept coming again and again. It was
nightmarish, unbearable. I couldn't hold a gun any more, couldn't think of my
gun killing someone”', he says.
So he decided to take up college full time.
Ahmad was keen to learn Physics (“because my school teacher could never teach me any phy
sics"). He went in to the Lebanese University, came out qualified to teach physics, which is what he
still does.
“I lost a year at the university because of student strikes in 1972. So I worked as a house pain
ter, with my uncle as my boss. One day the lady of a house that we were painting asked me why I
worked at that age. I said I wanted to raise money to continue studies. When we left, I had two 25
lira notes that she gave me, in my pocket. My uncle was paid only ten liras.The lady told my stun
ned uncle that the money I was given was to build a future, the money he was paid was to eat maoroni”, Ahmad laughs.
^^hmad got married in 1978 and now has four children.The five years from 1985 and 1990 was
Living out a lifetime in a refugee camp is not easy.”We had our quarrels, but the inmates remai
ned bonded deep down by a sense of unity, vital for survival. One night, the two year old son o our
doctor died. I had the task of burying him, and had to take him to the mosque. Artillery shells whiz
zed all over and we were in the crossfire. So the 200 metres journey took more than 30 minutes.
I and a friend dug the pit, lowered the little body and then a sheet of tin over it to frustrate hun
gry dogs who might try to get at it It wrenched my heart out. I couldn t stop crying .
"In 1985, under siege, we set up‘The Popular Aid for Relief and Development in Lebanon. A small
bunch of us contributed 5 % of our salary for start up costs. A few joined over the next few days
and many more in the next few months.A few international Non Governmental Organisations chip
ped in with much needed resources”.
Ahmad and his men had a vision.“We began by distributing detergents and toilet cleaning mate
rials. Later added under garments for women and clothes for children.There was nothing medical
about it, but refugees need these primary materials to keep living with their dignity intact; and re
main healthy. Health means different things to different people, particularly if you are a refugee he
shrugs.
Pan to 1990, and the first Intifada. Ahmad traveled to Geneva to speak on the worsening plight
of Palestinian refugees in the camps camps. Many years and many countries later, Ahmed still flits
around the globe occasionaly, arguing, sensitising people about what being a refugee involves.
“I am genuinely happy to be here with the people of the world fighting for health for all. 1 was
very moved by the special PHA press conference held by children today. I was almost in tears.Wat
ching them, and their honest convictions, one could be sure that there is still hope for this world.
I say this because for refugees like me, there is only one thing that can keep us going : HOPE”.
a seamless nightmare for him. I was a teacher with UNRWA when hostilities began between the
two sections of Lebanese militia.The camps were sealed and our movements restricted. We were
under siege and I had to become the camp manager, looking after 450 families (nearly 2500 people)
remaining in the Shatila camps.
But those five painful years also honed Ahmad into what he is today. A tough, no-nonsense man
who would weep when talking about his eldest son who became severely disabled, after an accident.
"THIS IS THE FIRST CONFERENCE IN WHflCH U CRSED"
Professor Michael Marmot is the Director of International Centre for Health and Society, UK. He is also the Chairperson of the
Commission on Social Determinants of Health, a new initiative of the World Health Organisation. Prof. Marmot is at the PHA and he
spoke to PHA 2 media team. Excerpts from an interview.
The wide range of experiences and the participation from various parts of the world has been enriching. I am here because Prof.
Fran Baum suggested that this may be a good opportunity to interact with frontline health workers and others involved in the Peo'e’s Health Movement.
WHO’s definition of health is widely accepted. However, in practice, it is the physical and psychological health that gets attention. To
day, the social determinants of health also need attention.
We can’t make a difference only by our existence. We need to advocate strongly and we hope to do it with the PHM and its cons
tituents. We can’t change institutions like the World Bank and IMF overnight. But we want to move the agenda of health in such insti
tutions.
1 have been listening and learning.The testimonies were telling.This is perhaps the first medical conference in which I cried.
"THE REAL MOVEMENT IS ON THE TOWNS, VILLAGES AND NEIGBOURHOODS"
Maria Hamlin Zuniga, Convenor, PHA2 speaks to the PHA2
Media Team
ON PHA2
On the last day of the event as we approach the end of the
Assembly we are meeting with many different people from
countries around the world who have come to express their
emotions and happiness with the event despite all its difficulties.
This experience in Cuenca far surpasses their expectations be
cause of the diversity of people and the quality of presentations
made. It is very exciting for them to be here and make contacts
with people from other parts of the world.The overriding ques
tion that has come through is how do I become part of the mo
vement? This is exactly what we want that they belong to and
be part of in the future of our movement.That is the challenge.
Where do we go with this enlarged movement? How do we
convert this diversity into a organization that will make a diffe
rence at the grassroots?
One of the things that is clear is that because of the diversity
of not just languages and geography but also because of the kind
of specific problems people have in their own contexts we need
a movement that is flexible and allows freedom for everyone.
We cannot have recipes but only broad guidelines based on the
Peoples’ Health Charter.
FUTURE ACTION
People need time to digest their experiences here at PHA2.
There are many here who attended PHA I in Savar but there
(From page I) are also hundreds who are learning about the
movement for the first time. In Central America we are planning
to have a regional meeting in October this year to think about
strategies and the plan for the next two to three years. This is
what different groups in other parts of the world will have to do
i.e.go back to their bases and share information. It is time to look
critically at the issues and decide what to do at the local level.
Globally we will have recommendations, the Cuenca Declaration
and so on but the real movement is at the grassroots levels.There we have a tremendous amount of work to be done.
WORKING WITH OTHER GLOBAL MOVEMENTS
I think that that is one of the things that we have to do mo
re actively. We have stated our opposition to war and the WTO
repeatedly.There are conflicts in all of our continents, there are
Free Trade Agreements being signed in in all continents. We ha
ve to be aware of that and these should be issues that draw us
into an alliance with other groups .
We have a very strong presence here of people from the far
mers, indigenous peoples and environment movement. Just as
they see a relation of their issues with our issues we should al
so be open to new linkages with other groups.
FUTURE OF THE GLOBAL PHM SECRETARIAT
Wherever the global secretariat may be the real movement is
in the towns and villages and neigbourhoods, where the people
are fighting for another world and where health is right for all.
Out of this wonderful event we have to prove that that the slo
gan of Health for All is possible and not just a utopia.
NURSES IN CAPETOWN CLINICS
tXPERIENCETHE HIV EPIDEMIC
Uta Lehmann and Jabu Zulu
lie health
^r'ca’s'nce tbe governments decision to introduce Anti-Retroviral Therapy in pub-
HIV/AIDs' ltleS’ reSearch and debate has focused almost exclusively on the delivery of ARVs.
(yCTx
Care encomPasses a range of programs, including Voluntary Counseling and Testing
Cc
’ P ®ventlon of mother to child transmission (PMTCT), health education, nutrition and psyo-social support, treatment of opportunistic infections and staging.
^ ... .St
th® essential HIV/AIDS services are rendered or supported by nurses at primary care
Pr'mary care nurs'n8 is in danger of being seriously undermined in Africa by an acceldra'n
nurses, decreasing productivity, lack of skills, and overwhelming anecdotal
vidence of burnout and low morale amongst nursing staff.
A study was conducted with thirty nurses and managers in Cape Town. The most dominant
’
erne in all interviews was the dramatic increase in stress and anxiety that has transformed their
wor ing life with the advent of HIV/AIDS, which manifests itself as the fear of injury and disclo
sure. Occupational exposure contributes greatly to tensions of nurses, fuelled by fear and stig
ma. Despite the fear of infection, most were clear that, if given a choice, they would not test nor
disclose their status.
The health workers feel a great impact of stress on their family life, feeling hopeless and guilty.
Many said that they had chosen the nursing profession to heal whereas they now had to watch
clients die without being able to help or at least alleviate suffering. Most nurses have an over
whelming feeling of hopelessness in the face of the sheer size of the challenge confronting them.
They feel the lack of appropriate skills to deal effectively with HIV/AIDS clients.
While these are the voices of only a few nurses, experience tells us that they speak for many
others in the country. Ignoring these voices presents a serious danger to primary health care in
"WHEN TWO BIG ELEPHANTS FIGHT,
THE GRASS SUFFERS"
Children from Mexico, Tanzania, Bangladesh, United States and Ecuador unani
mously condemned the wars taking place in different parts of the world during a
PHA-2 press conference organised here in Cuenca, Ecuador.
"Children should not undergo the consequences of the wars created by the
adults," said Carlitos Padilla, a 12 year young boy from Mexico. Carlitos played the
role of Chava, the protagonist of the film Innocent Voices. The film captured the
effects of the 70s civil war in Ecuador on children.
PHA-2 and events like the Childrens’ Film Festival taking place at the Assembly
provided children and adults alike the chance to meet people from different coun
tries and cultures.
Andrea Prado, from Cuenca, found the experience of communicating with people
despite obvious language barriers quite exciting. She said, "We are not here by obli
gation, but because we like to help others."
Children at the PHA 2 were making a declaration of peace.
Alejandra Isch.from Quito was however more concerned about childrens’ rights
to attend schools and to play, to access medical care and to live with their parents.
"We think that wars in Iraq and around the world should stop because children are
the ones who suffer the consequences."
PAGE
6
PAGINA
most under-serviced areas in South Africa.
WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF ACTION REQUIRED?
• Expanded training programmes in a wide range of clinical and support skills to strengthen
capacity and instil confidence
• Strengthening of management support, including supervision and prompt access to counselling
and debriefing
• Building community support Support from community structures and mutually respectful staff
client relations impact dramatically on the environment within which staff operate (and clients
access services)
"WB/WTO OUT OF HEALTH
calling for cuts in public spending on education, social security
and welfare expenditure, and health-care provisions also have
disproportionate impact on women.
ACCESS ASSURED
TO MARK RESPECT TO THE
DELEGATES,THE MAYOR HANDED
OVER THE KEYS OF THE CITY TO
THE REPRESENTATIVES OF PHA 2
bring out the essence that people are doing these actions in a
united manner and the action itself is happening in all parts of
the world at all levels.
Dr.Vineeta Gupta
WHY GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION (GDA):
The World Bank (WB) and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) are meeting in Washington DC on September 25, 2005.
The neo-liberal economic model is implemented globally th
rough World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF)
and World Trade Organization (WTO). Governments around
the world are pressurised to adopt policies advocated by the
governments of a few powerful countries.
The WTO stands for the ‘right to profit’ of the pharmaceuti
cal companies' over people's right to health.After resisting for
many years the Indian government amended its Patents Act this
year under pressure from WTO, a move which further jeopar
dizes the access to affordable medicine. It affects not only poor
people in India but people in about 250 other poor and develo
ping countries. Thousands die every day because of lack of ac
cess to medicines.
The WB promotes healthcare as a commercial activity, thus
advancing the underlying philosophy that those without money
will not receive treatment. People are dying because they can’t
afford treatment for even the most basic conditions. The com
bined effect of the policies creating increased disease burden
and polices making access to health care difficult is a serious th
reat to the right to health.
The international financial institutions have a vast impact on
domestic policies and governance in the countries through their
programs, projects and policies. The World Bank builds up the
national debt of developing countries in the name of 'helping
and then the same debt is used to twist the arms of the govern
ments to change their domestic policies. Structural adjustments
PEOPLE must communicate
and here is how....
Abraham Thomas
Like water, languages are absolutely essential. While waters
flow, languages haven’t got to flow well enough over barriers in
the People’s Health Movement. In the movement there have
been efforts to make communications a major thrust area for
many years. However, communication has been restricted by
language, culture, travel restrictions, technology, and by the suaeriority of colonial languages. These have disconnected the
southern nations, making communication look difficult and also
seemingly impossible.
Little is known about the cultural and traditional richness of
the global south because of the biases that continue to bog
down the south, portraying it as ignorant, disorganized and vio
lent.
®To increase visibility of devastating effects ofWB/IMF policies
on health, health care and access to medicines
©To send a warning to theWB/IMF - People are joining hands
in solidarity to stop their nefarious designs and to make voi
ces from local struggles heard at the global level
HOW WE CAN START IT:
Please feel free to email me with your ideas and insight. We
can start an email group to coordinate on how to go about it.
Let us have this action as continuation of our energising mee
ting here in Cuenca.
o To strengthen the solidarity of people’s movements and net
works based on actions
©To stop international financial institutions from pushing profits
over people
WHAT WE CAN DO:
o Protests Events: rallies, marches, picketing or any other
form of protest. On the same day we can hold any of these at
local, national or international level. Idea is to hold it as a
coordinated effort so that our actions are in solidarity of each
other and have ripple effect and resonate at the seat of power
in the U.S.
o Reports: We can release reports, again at various levels. Re
ports may have case studies, analysis, and write-ups using the
Health for All concept and analysing the devastating effects of
neo-liberal policies.
• Press releases and conferences:We can hold press confe
rences or issue press releases
The whole effort needs to be a collective effort and it should
In order to make communications ‘people-centered’ and in
formation accessible to the last person.it is necessary to first
ly recognize the constraints that have retained our ignorance
about each other. It is then essential to tackle them with a mul
ti-dimensional strategy with the strengths of a selected group
of communications. It is not about a few being connected well,
but its many or most people knowing about each other re
gardless of geography, gender, connectedness, language, or re
ligion.
Closing the gap between people and intellectuals, communi
ties and workers, and between research and action can become
a global phenomenon only when more such people become
part of a larger team that works to make people stand and fight
together.
The Movement definitely needs to develop a team that would
help, if not eliminate, simplify these barriers of communications
to share knowledge, exchange ideas, work together, sing toget
her, and surely speaking together in one voice.
Pijuano
THE MARCH OF BARBARISM
Salam Ismael
On 7 May this year there was a car bomb that went off near a hospital, in Hadeeth, a
town in the west of Iraq while the US forces were carrying out their Operation Matador.The explosion was aimed at a US convoy but it also affected the hospital itself.
The city of Hadeeth had been sealed for five days already. The US claimed the insur
gents were inside the hospital and they laid siege to the hospital from 9 in the night
and started throwing sound bombs.They cut off the electricity to the hospital; snipers
started shooting randomly; they announced on loudspeakers that all who leave the pla
ce will be shot; one was actually shot; after 12 in the night the hospital was raided and
all equipment was smashed; they started blowing up everything in sight.
In the random shooting they killed one of the patients (Saeed Jabbar, 35); patients had
to leave their beds and crawl to safety; the US troops burnt the medical store in the
hospital which is the main referral center for all of western Iraq. The store burnt for
9 hours destroying US$300,000 dollars worth of medical equipment.
On May 29th the hospital was attacked again. Whatever had been rebuilt since the first
attack using donations from the people was again destroyed.
el problema de la salud, no es de ordentecnico ni juridico, es politico
Entrevista a Goretti Jdcome y Octavio Rojas, de Servicios Piihlicos Internacionales
PIJUANO: <Cual es la conexion entre el servicio internacional
publico y el movimiento nacional de la salud, en el marco de es
ta Asamblea?
Octavio Rojas: Como institucion sindical.su enlace mundial se
ha dado primeramente entre organizaciones de base. Ahora
busca cumplir las expectativas de la IOCP para celebrar alianzas con otras formas organizativas. Conocemos que en el mundo existe una multiplicidad de organizaciones dedicadas a la
proteccion de la salud, y si esta institucion coincide con los objetivos de la IOCP.de considerar la lucha del sector salud, entre
sus pilares fundamentales, ya esta siendo parte de la construccion de la red IOCP.
Goretti Jacome: Creo que la conexion es total entre principios
y objetivos de nuestra organizacion, con los compromisos de la
Segunda Asamblea Mundial de Salud de los Pueblos, con Io que la
Internacional de Servicios Publicos, hace mas de 40 anos viene
A GROCERY OF THE PEOPLE
Brahm Ahmadi ( www.peoplesgrocery.org) of People’s
Grocery talks to the PHA2 Media Team
WHAT IS PEOPLE'S GROCERY ?
People's Grocery is a grassroots organization developed in
response to the food insecurity crisis facing West Oakland, a
low-income, inner-city community in California USA. This pro
blem of food insecurity (which we often refer to as food injus
tice) has left the community without sufficient access to healthy
food options (one grocery store for 30,000 people) and faced
with an epidemic of diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabe
tes, high blood pressure, and heart disease (the leading cause of
death). Simultaneously, West Oakland has a very high rate of
unemployment (40%) and poverty (65%) and is in need of new
innovations in economic development and job creation.
People's Grocery works to connect the need for access to
healthy food with the need for local jobs by: I) growing food lo
cally through urban gardens and greenhouse operations that
employ local people 2) developing micro-enterprise projects
that distribute foods at low-cost and train local youth to run bu
sinesses, 3) developing educational programs on nutrition, diet
and cooking that train and employ residents to become educa
tors. We chose to use the word "people" in our name because
we work with the poorest population of our community (pre
dominantly African-Americans and Latinos) who have been mar
ginalized by an inequitable food system. We are for the people,
while corporations are for profit.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA AND WHAT
CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH OF YOUR
ORGANISATION >
I have lived in low-income, inner-city communities in the Uni
ted states for most of my life and all of the communities I have
lived in have suffered from the same issue of food insecurity and
unemployment. However, being from an Iranian family, good
food has always been an important value to me. So when I saw
that West Oakland was suffering from the same food injustice I
decided to respond in a creative way that not only addressed
the local health issue, but also integrated an economic and so
cial justice component by focusing on the core systemic inequa
lities that leave West Oakland disaffected. Our growth has come
largely from our strong community base and from the innovati
ve nature of our projects that are multi-issue and systemically
oriented.This has attracted a lot of attention to our model and
has challenged status quo approaches to food insecurity that do
not truly empower communities to solve their own problems.
FOOD MEANS SEVERAL THINGS TO SEVERAL
PEOPLE- HOW DO YOU DEFINE FOOD?
We approach food from a perspective of human rights and as
sert that every person, regardless of socio-economic status, has
the right to foods that are health promoting, affordable and lo
cally-based. We use the term food justice to convey that insuffi
cient food systems are rooted in social and economic inequali
ties that negatively affect both producers and consumers alike.
In the United States there are essentially two food systems one for the wealthy and one for the poor. The food system of
the wealthy is represented by the organic food industry which
is growing at 20% a year and is earning substantial profits th
rough high premium prices.The food system of the poor is re
presented by the processed foods of corporate industrial agri
trabajando por el rescate y observacion de la dignidad humana,
contra la pobreza e inequidad en todos los procesos de exclusion
social (economicos o culturales). La IOCP tiene alrededor de 7 lineas o fuentes de trabajo armonicamente encausados para con
verger a la conquista y a la exigibilidad del derecho a la salud.
PIJUANO: jCual ha sido el impacto neoliberal en las politicas de
seguridad, acaso ha vulnerado los derechos del trabajador?
Octavio Rojas: Si los ha vulnerado, su impacto es tremendo,
catastrofico: en primer lugar el sistema capitalista neoliberal,
pretende apoderarse de las organizaciones mas debiles del
mundo, y el sector salud es uno de los mas sensibles, sabemos
tambien que los gobiernos estan en la obligacion de cubrir la
atencion de la salud, y el estado no puede descuidarlo por ser
su obligacion cubrir esta necesidad. Estamos opuestos a que la
salud se convierta en mercancia; luchamos para que no se celebren elTLC entre los EUU y nuestros paises, sabemos los obje
tivos de mercantilizacion de la salud ,que esconde el tratado en
marras, liberando, cambiando la normatividad regulativa de cada
culture which are high in saturated fats, fructose corn syrup and
artificial additives and are essentially deficient in any nutritional
qualities. People's Grocery works to dismiss these unhealthy
products as non-food items and promotes "whole food" - foods
that are as close to their natural, unprocessed form as possible.
We also work to challenge the organic food industry to res
pond to its obligation of supporting the human right to healthy
food by developing an infrastructure that makes these foods
available to poor people and an alternative price point.
CORPORATE TAKE OVER OF THE FOOD AND FOOD
HABITS IS PROFOUND AND DISASTROUS. WHAT
CAN REVERSE THE PROCESS?
People's Grocery promotes locally produced food as a means
to increase the abundance and quality of foods available, to sup
port local economies, to create local jobs, to support small far
mers and to, ultimately, address the crisis in global industrial
agriculture through a locally-based food system.
By "food system" we mean the chain of agricultural and eco
nomic activities that take food from seed to table. We believe
that there are multiple opportunities to enter into a food sys
tem and replace global processes with local ones, including food
production, food processing, distribution and food retail. By lo
calizing the food chain and replacing global producers and sup
pliers with local ones, we can begin to reclaim control over our
food systems and assert self-reliance in food.This is particularly
important for low-income communities that are often margina
lized by the corporate food system and most vulnerable to its
failures.
Changing food habits is an equally intensive effort of popular
education and grassroots marketing or "guerrilla marketing"
that can counter the intensive marketing efforts of large corporations.The advantage in grassroots marketing is the availability
of culture as a tool of communication rooted in local values something corporations can not utilize. For example, People's
pais, para mercantilizar la medicina. Sin medicina no hay salud, no hay vida.
Goretti Jacome: "Estamos claros que el
problema de la salud, no es de orden tecnico
ni juridico, es politico.Y la organizacion inter
nacional de servicios publicos en ese contexto, ha mirado con angustia pero tambien ha
propuesto estrategias de trabajo para combatir los efectos negatives como la flexibilizaci6n laboral, el irrespeto absolute a los dere
chos laborables, la tercerizacion de los servi
cios publicos, y las pretensiones importantisimas de privatizarlos. En el Ecuador, por ejemplo, el estado es el principal ‘desocupador’ y
‘desempleador’ de los-as trabajadores. Sobre
los efectos negatives del pretendido tratado
de libre comercio, sobre el trabajo femenino,
hay que denunciar que el sector social esta
completamente feminizado y la mujer es la
que mas se va a pauperizar en este proceso".
Grocery organizes block parties that feature local rap and reg
gae artists and also build upon the movement legacies of orga
nizations such as the Black Panthers. This draws people away
from the empty and glamorized food advertising of corpora
tions towards something more meaningful.
ONETHIRD OFTHE PEOPLE ON PLANET EARTH
GO HUNGRY TO BED EVERY NIGHT.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO FILL THEIR STOMACHS
WITH NUTRITIOUS FOOD?
Since the advent of the "green revolution" that was pror^J
ted by the World Bank and the IMF many communities across
the world have lost their independence in food production. Lo
cal food systems were supplanted by industrialized, mono-cultu
ral food production of commodity crops for export.
Thus, many rural farming communities and urban communi
ties are now without any ability to grow foods that they can
themselves consume. As a result, hunger is on a continuous ri
se, pointing to the dramatic failures of neo-liberal economic po
licies that once professed that hunger would be resolved by the
wonders of petro-chemicals and industrialized agriculture. Si
multaneously, programs such as food banks that were once de
signed to only be temporary, emergency responses to hunger
have now become permanent institutions that perpetuate de
pendency on food aid without an end insight.
The obvious solution to this crisis is to dismiss the false neoliberal promise and reclaim our food systems at all ievels.This a
daunting task in the face of deadly and urgent hunger and will
certainly not become a reality over night. However, with a lon^
term perspective and incremental steps in recreating local focJP
systems we can again realize the abundant and nutritious food
independence that our ancestors knew.
PAGE
9
PAGINA
ROMPIENDO EL SILENCIO
LO POBRE DE LOS
ESTADOS UNIDOS
Unirse con la Lucha Global por
el Derecho a la Salud
DE PRISIONEROSY PIRATAS
PROPUESTAS PARA
LA DEFENSA DE LA SALUD
DE LOS PUEBLOS
Bert De Beider
La Campana de los Derechos Humanos
Economicos de la Gente Pobre- PPEHRC (por
sus siglas en ingles), esta comprometida unir a
los pobres por medio de llneas de colores, pa
ra que tomen el liderazgo para un amplio movimiento tendiente a abolir la pobreza en los
pueblos del mundo. La campana para lograr es-
te cometido, impulsa acciones a craves de los
‘progresivos derechos economicos humanos’
como se los llama en la Declaration Universal,
tales como el derecho a la alimentation, al
agua, vivienda, salud, education, comunicacion
y empleo digno.
Sabemos que los Estados Unidos es el modelo de las violaciones de los derechos huma
nos y el PPEHRC, agresivamente denuncia y
desafia estas violaciones.
Uno de los mayores problemas que activamente confrontamos en los Estados Unidos.es
la violacidn del derecho a la salud. Por otro lado, en los Estados Unidos - el pals mas rico del mundo - la gen
te esta muriendo porque los programas de salud para los po
bres y enfermos ha sido desmantelado, a favor de corporaciones econ6micas beneficiarias.
Un ejemplo es Tennessee: En el programa medico para 1.3
milliones de pobres, discapacitados, ancianos, adultos y ninos, el
Gobernador Phill Bredesen,trabaj6 con la administration Bush,
para eliminar el amparo official por la salud para 323.000 enfer
mos, incluyendo aquellos con enfermedades terminales. Los
restantes 700.000 estan severamente empobrecidos y han tesu asistencia de salud severamente reducida. La gente mis
ma se ha organizado para ocupar la oficina del Gobernador en
protesta a estas violaciones. La ocupacion a la gobernacion de
Temmesis, comenzo el 20 de junio.
Exponer la verdad de las violaciones de los derechos huma
nos de los Estados Unidos equivale a unirnos con nuestros hermanos y hermanas internacionalmente para recuperar estos de
rechos. "Por favor unamonos en junio del 2006", cuando la Comisi6n Nacional deVerdad, haga escuchar su voz en los Estados
Unidos, para concitar la atencion international a las violaciones
economicas de los derechos humanos. Para mas information
sobre este evento, por favor visite nuestra sitio web a la www.economichumanrights.org .
mo fuertes campanas de solidaridad.
Sobre Palestina, el taller propuso la campana para la libera
tion del Dr. Ahmad Maslamani, la campana para detener el Mu
ro y la organization de misiones internacionales de solidaridad.
Para Irak, la principal prioridad es el defendere a los trabajadores de salud en el ejercicio de sus labores, en contra de cualquier interferencia militar por parte de EEUU. El destino de mi
les de prisioneros iraquies que estan siendo detenidos en forma
ilegal por parte de las fuerzas de EEUU, y a quienes a menudo
El miercoles por la tarde, treinta activistas del Movimiento
se les niega el cuidado medico, tambien necesita de atencion urpara la Salud de los Pueblos, en un taller discutieron acerca de
gente. Como activistas del area de la salud, no podemos permalas propuestas para nutrir la campana jSaludYAl.y otras similanecer pasivos mientras EEUU y otros profesionales de la salud
res. El desafio era claro: pasar del analisis a la accion.A manera
se involucran en tortures en Guantanamo, asi como otros cam
de introduction, Bert presento el marco de la campana jSalud
pos de detention ilegales donde el terrorismo de EEUU, actua
YA!, y su propuesta
con impunidad. FinalNO a la guerra, NO a
mente,
podemos
la OMC, y lucha gene
asistir a los estudianral por la Salud de los
tes de medicina ira
Pueblos.
quies a graduarse y
jSalud YA!, nacio co
servir a su pueblo
mo concepto en Mum
mediante el envio de
bai, y fue lanzada a nilibros y CDs.
vel internacional por
Sobre el tema de
unas 20 organizaciones
comercio y salud, los
miembro del MSP, de
participantes del ta
10 paises. Coincidio su
ller escogieron a
creacion con el primer
Hong Kong, como luaniversario de la gue
gar de reunion para
rra contra Irak, en
este diciembre. La
marzo de 2004. jSalud
Junta Ministerial de la
YA!, identifica como
OMC, deberia escu
<
IASI
>
obstaculo a la salud, la
char nuestro fuerte,
ESTA fAUCWO
militarization, la guerra
claro y categdrico
y la ocupacion; tambien
rechazo a TRIPS y
la liberalization del coGATS. Edgar, sugirio
mercio, la privatization
que el MSP, apoyara
y la comercializacion
el llamado a rechazar
desigual. Este marco -y
el TLC, que Ecuador,
el sitio web wwwColombia y Peru ne.health-now.org-, puegocian con los EEUU.
den ser el paraguas pa
Tambien es el me
ra muchas de las Cam
mento de ir mas alia
panas y actividades lo
del rechazo y la de
cales e internacionales,
nuncia. Unni, propuso
actuales y futuras (para
una campana de desobediencia y protesta civil y paci'fica bis-a-bis
information: info@health-now.org).
contra el sistema de patentes y la “pirateria de los pueblos”.
Los participantes del taller, identificaron como una tarea vital,
Finalmente.Todd, presento la campana “Salvemos a UNICEF”
la importancia de informar sobre los efectos negatives en la sa
(en contra de la nueva directora norteamericana y conocida falud, causados por la ocupacion israeli en Palestina, y de los
natica de la agroindustria Ann Venenqman), mientras Jeff obtuvo
EEUU y aliados, en Irak. El mundo deberia conocer la presentaun consenso acerca de su propuesta para que el MSP apoye la
cion en powerpoint, de Amal y Joan, de Palestina, asi como las
campana def’Derecho Humano al Agua”.Ahora la tarea es in
escalofriantes imagenes e historias traidas por el Dr. Salam des
troduce todas estas propuestas en la Iniciativa Global para el
de Irak.Tai evidencia puede ser la base para fuertes reportes (y
Derecho a la Salud, que el MSP esta lanzando.
por que no una vigilancia de la salud en Palestina & Irak), asi co
BREAKING THE SILENCE!
THE POOR OF THE
^NITED STATES
Lori Smith
Unite with the Global Struggle for the Right to Health
The Poor People’s Etonomic Human Rights Campaign
(PPEHRC) is committed to uniting the poor across color lines
as the leadership base for a broad movement to abolish po
verty. We work to accomplish this through advancing economic
human rights as named in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, such as the right to food, water, housing, health care, edu
cation, communication and a living wage job.
We know the United States is the model for human rights
violations occurring internationally and PPEHRC is working ag
gressively to challenge these violations in our country and
around the world.
One of the major problems we are actively confronting in the
US is the violation of our human right to health care. Across the
US -the richest country in the world- people are needlessly suf
fering and dying because health care programs for the sick and
poor are being dismantled while corporations continue to profit.
One example is in the state ofTennessee:TennCare is the me
dical program for 1.3 million poor, disabled, elderly and uninsurable adults and children. Tennessee’s head government official,
Governor Phil Bredesen, worked with President Bush's adminis
tration to eliminate health care for 323,000 of the sickest peo
ple including those with terminal illnesses such as cancer. The re
maining 7000,000 are severely impoverished and have had their
health care severely reduced. People organized themselves to
occupy the Governor’s office in protest of these violations. The
occupation started on June 20th and protestors are refusing to
leave despite the Governor’s denial of food and water.
We think it is extremely important to expose the truth of US
human rights violations and are working to unite with our brot
hers and sisters internationally to reclaim those rights. Please
join us in June of 2006 when we will hold a national Truth Com
mission violations. For more information on this upcoming event,
please visit our website at www.economichumannghts.org
8NFORME ALTERNATIVO
SOBRE LA SALUD EN
AMERICA LATINA
El informe, como iniciativa, surgio con el apremio de tener un
analisis alternative, frente al hecho de que en las ultimas decadas, apenas se han conseguido logros modestos en los indicadores promediales del estado mondial de la salud de los pueblos.
Las voces de protesta se multiplicaron, exigiendo informes
mas veraces, con interpretaciones integrales elaboradas por or
ganizaciones que no representen la mirada del poder, que lancen propuestas y surgieran independientemente de las estructuras del poder como la OMS y que pudieran explicar las condiciones sociales por las cuales se generan esos indicadores de
salud, en los que no se omitan claves como la concentracion
economica, la exclusion social, la institucionalizacion de la violencia y la agresion; la desregulacion legal que desprotege la vida de los ciudadanos y de los trabajadores para ponerla al servicio de los grandes negocios, la perdida de derechos humanos
para convertirlos en mercancias; la agresion e imposicion cultu
ral; la destruccion de la biodiversidad y la apropiacion de recursos vitales (agua, energla, recursos genericos).
El Informe Alternative sobre la Salud en America Latina, recupera este tipo de categorias y relaciones para que los pueblos
puedan disponer de herramientas de anilisis que penetren las
raices de su propio sufrimiento, para que los pueblos puedan
construir una estrategia trasformadora, para alcanzar otra salud
posible. La idea de un informe alternativo culmind con la construccidn de un Observatorio Mundial de la Salud,coordinada in
ternacionalmente por Global Equity Gauge Alliance y Medact,
proyectandose a grupos de trabajo en todos los continences
que convergieron para el lanzamiento del Primer Informe Alter
nativo de la Salud Mundial, durante la II Asamblea, en Cuenca,
frente a delegaciones de todos los continences y replicando simultaneamente en 10 ciudades de cinco continences, en los cua
les se presento complementariamente el Informe Alternativo. Se
reconocio el valioso aporte de la region andina, en investigation,
y en programas alternatives en salud.
La responsabilidad de coordinar el diseno y elaboration de
este reporte, asi como su lanzamiento, ha recaido en el Centro
de Estudios y Asesoria en Salud (CEAS) con sede en QuitoEcuador, institution vinculada a la construction de un pensamiento critico y al impulso de una salud emancipadora. Este in
forme es portador de una critica a las estructuras de poder y
propone un cambio en las mismas, como via esencial para la
conquista de ese otro estado de la salud que anhelan los pue
blos; Io que a su vez presupone un paradigma critico del conocimiento y una vision transformadora de la intervention en sa
lud.Este informe pretende cumplir con sus dos propositos que
Io inspiraron. Ser parte de nuestra memoria colectiva en el sentido progresista, es decir, una memoria que mira al future, y en
segundo lugar aclarar la diferencia entre una retorica conservadora y la logica emancipadora.
LOS INVISIBLES DE LA ASAMBLEA
Published by - PHA 2, Media team.
Editors: Eliana, Fabiola, Sanjana, Julio, Jorge,
A vees no nos damos cuenta de aquellas personas que aportan su grano de arena a la organization de algun evento, y ese granit
ode arena, aunque ustedes no Io crean.se hace importance a la hora de evaluar objetivamente el trabajo del equipo organizador.
La Asamblea no escapa a ello, por Io que ahora presentamos a tres de aquellos "invisibles", esas personas que no se ven, pero que
Satya and Unni.
■lustrations: Rafael Carrasco.
Fotos: PHA2 Media Team
Translations: Daniela Garcia, Tamara
Trownsell, Estefania Tello, Kristi Smith,
Audrey Morot, Monique Sanchez,Viviana
Rodriguez, Tess Lanning,Juan Lagarto,
Nancy, Kristi Smith, Sowbhagya, Gloria
Bermeo.
Proof’s corrector: Efren Sempertegui-Mata.
Design: El gato.
Printed: Atlantida.
Published in Cuenca.
Copy left: .Please feel free to circulate and
reprint
Copy @
www.phmovement.org
www.iphcglobal.org
con su aporte nos permiten trabajar muchisimo mejor que si ellos faltaran.
Jose Sanchez, guardia de seguridad, nos cuenta que ha sido novedoso participar en la II Asamblea porque ha podido ver personas,
vestimentas, lenguajes y cultures "en vivo y en directo", haciendo mencion a la corta vision que presentan en television de otros pueb
los en otras latitudes del planeta.
" Pienso que la guerre es fea y aquellos palses que estan o hacen la guerre , deberlan aprender de Ecuador, que esta en paz con sus
vecinos. Nosotros somos un pueblo pacifico".
"Si me preguntan, pienso que elTLC no es bueno para nosotros porque ya no podriamos exportar productos y si nuestra economia
no es buena, con elTLC se jode".
Lourdes Ordonez, secretaria voluntaria de la Asamblea, es otra de las "invisibles". Cree que su voiuntariado ha sido pagado con creces, porque la experiencia de trabajar en la II Asamblea ha sido totalmente nueva.
"Conocer otras cultures, otras formas de pensar, de sentir me ha permitido darme cuenta que mi realidad se ampli'a, que conocerlos en persona a tantos extranjeros me hace mas solidaria, porque es muy diferente verlos en television que verlos aqui.
Me gusta la gente de la II Asamblea, porque es gente con ilusion, con esperanzas, con suenos y eso se me ha contagiado; hora me
siento mas libre y a la vez mas unida todos para hacer posible muchas cosas.
En esta semana he vivido dos mundos, el rutinario y el de la Asamblea; cuando me voy a casa me gustaria que el ambiente de la
Asamblea Io encontrara tambien en mi barrio, en mi ciudad, en todo el mundo. Por eso, a todos los dlegados les deseo que sigan adelante con sus proyectos, con sus suenos, que tengan muy buena suerte. GUD LUC"
Please contact: + 593 9196 1712
+ 593 9156 2953
+593 9453 0115
E mail: media@phmovement.org
Don OscarVillapaute, nuestro diligence conserje, Io que mas le impresiond fueron las formas de comunicacion, los lenguajes, la gente.
Y el tiene muy claro para que es la II Asamblea:
Ojala que en esta II Asamblea Mundial de la Salud de los Pueblos (asi con todas sus letras) se saquen conclusiones positivas para
mejorar el nivel de la salud del pueblo y hacer una peticion mundial a los gobernantes para considerar a la salud como primera
obligation. Si un nifio esta desnutrido y se muere, ipara que sirven los otros derechos?
Palabras sabias de un hombre humilde.Todo comentario esta demas.
THE UNSUNG HEROES OF PHA 2
El gato
At times, one does not give credit to the people who help to or
ganize an event, which is important at the time of evaluating the
work of the organizers. This holds true for the People’s Health As
sembly as well. We present three of these unsung heroes, who are
not seen, but whose work has helped the Assembly immensely.
Jose Sanchez, a security guard, tells us that it has been a novel ex
perience to participate in the PHA 2 because he has been able to
meet and learn from different people, clothes, languages and cultu
res: He feels that what he has seen at PHA 2 is much more than the
vision he had seen on television shows.
"I think the war is ugly and the countries who are at war with
each other should learn from Ecuador, a country at peace with its
neighbors. We are a peaceful nation. If you ask me, I think thatTLC
is not good for us because we cannot export products and our eco
nomy will be messed up."
Lourdes Ordonez, volunteer secretary of the Assembly, is another unsung hero. She believes that her voluntary work has been paid by her experiences, which have been completely new to her.
"To know other cultures, other thought processes has increased my knowledge and expanded my reality. And meeting so many foreigners has increased my solidarity because it is so different from see
ing them on television. I like the people at the Assembly because they have dreams and hopes that are contagious; at this time I feel free as well as united with others to achieve as much as possible. This
week, I have lived two lives; my routine life and the one at the Assembly. At home, I feel the atmosphere of the Assembly should spill into my neighborhood, my city and the rest of the world. Therefor^J
wish all the delegates the very best in achieving their projects and dreams. Good Luck!"
Don OscarVillapaute, our diligent caretaker, was most impressed by the numerous forms of communication, languages and people attending the Assembly. He has been able to understand the reasons
for the Assembly:
I hope that in this PHA 2, positive solutions are found to improve the standard of living of people around the world and make a global petition to governments to make health a primary concern. If a
child dies of malnutrition, what use are other rights?
These are wise words of a humble man.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
For all delegates who are wildly taking pictures of the As
sembly, here is some good news. After you have gone ho
me and every one at work and home have seen your pho
tographs three times over and are refusing to look at
them again, do not fall into a deep depression.The PHA2
website will be soon create a form for you to upload pho
tographs so that the world can see what you did at the
People’s Assembly 2. Do check your mail for an announ
cement from the web-editor.
All of you looking for appropriate souvenirs to carry back
home, there will be a set of three CDs on sale, carrying
photos and music from the inauguration ceremony and
other proceedings from PHA 2. The set costs $10 and
will be sold near the Post Graduate building of the Faculty
of Medicine.
PHM regrets that the Agent Orange documentary could
not be screened owing to video imperialism of the NTSC
video system which will not accept European PAL system.
AH delegates from Colombia and Venezuela have another
chance to see the video in August. It will be screened in
Bogota and Caracas. For more details, please contact Tom
Fawthrop, e-mail.TomFawthrop2004@yahoo.co.uk.
- Media
PHA NUMERO 1 TO 6.pdf
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