Dear sisters,
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We welcome you with a warm embrace and want to share an exceptional, rich and meaningful experience that can include all of us.
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The Peoples' Health Assembly, held in Bangladesh from December 4 to 8, 2000, brought together about 1500 people from almost 100 countries around the world. I was privileged to be one of the 30 participants from 10 Latin American countries in this great event.
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Over a period of 10 years, eight NGOs have pooled resources to create, organize, coordinate and sponsor this unusual opportunity to bring together, from all corners of the Earth, life lovers, committed to the fight for justice and peace: health for all.
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For the first time, an international platform was opened for unprecedented grassroots voices. Many professionals and specialists from different areas were invited to hear these voices and respond, such as health, education, economics, ecology, agronomy, biodiversity, social analysis. And even politicians from some governments. The presence of women was remarkable. It was a colorful and inspiring meeting, that gave rise to exchanges between different cultures and religions around the world. All continents were represented.
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The dynamics and exchange of experiences exceeded the limits of time and imagination through the impressive awakening of global consciousness from local experiences.
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Very anxious to make a synthesis of all the questions, I would just like to share some of the results that apparently touch on the mission of Notre Dame everywhere:
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- Previously unanswered questions (at national or international level) were heard, obtained appreciation, response and guidance
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- More than 400 testimonies, stories and presentations from around the world were recorded.
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- Indigenous, refugees, landless, victims of the racial and caste system, physically mutilated, community health workers, farmers, workers and unemployed were revealers in their expressions of suffering, as they struggled to create methods of survival and health promotion programs in communities. Health systems fail and do not foresee the poorest populations. Therefore, their calls for international support were heard.
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- A commitment was made to unite all local efforts in a global force to alleviate the injustices concerning both the economic system and the health system, such injustices, that oppress the poor in all countries. Empowering grassroots movements provides energy and courage for full-time community participation
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'Disunited we beg; united we demand'.
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- The Assembly marks the beginning of a new international movement of solidarity for change. The creation of an International PHA Center to continue the process started is in progress.
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- Health is a human right: everyone, regardless of color, ethnic origin, religion, sex, age, abilities, sexual orientation or class, has the right to a LIFE with dignity.
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- Emphasis on 'People, Not Profits'. The negative impact of the actions undertaken by the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips), the World Bank, the IMF and Transnational Corporations (TNC) is clearly emphasized, with its trade agreement that will produce medicines completely out of reach of the world's poor, as well as other negative implications on people's health.
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PHA is committed to requiring changes to the Trips agreement in order to ensure that all individuals have access to the necessary medication.
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- The important improvement of education, which leads to a better understanding of the causes of oppressive health systems, will be part of the ongoing process, so that the strategies developed in the transformation process can result in permanent benefits for the poor in the South and North.
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'Philosophers only interpreted the world; the question is to change it'.
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- People's Power:
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'History teaches us that, whatever the changes that occurred, they occurred through the people'.
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'We achieve this (social change) not by conventional methods, but through grassroots mobilization'.
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'The community must be a participatory actor in the health system, as it is both designed and directed towards it'.
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Ani C. Wihbey, SND (Brazil) PEOPLE'S HEALTH ASSEMBLY - 2000
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GONOSHASTHAYA KENDRA BANGLADESH
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