___..._....._...__.._._,. _, .. .

“Human Rights & Public Health:
A New Dynamic for Social Change”

‘BY CAREY V. JOHNSON,
Cu_i/£vIli:~i'.r1i:iIMi'I:C~z !’I'zv;1:':1Ir:Cimrilimiiur

Lastiune I attended a fas-
cinating week-long seminar at
Harvard's School of Public
Health, ”Human Rights and
Health: A New Perspective in
Public Health," presented by
Sofia Gruskin, an expert in in-
ternational human rights law
and practice, and Dr. Jonathan
Mann, founding director of the
World Health Organization's
Global Program on AIDS and
the current director of the
Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Cen-
ter for Health and Human
Rights at Harvard's School of
Public Health. Founded in
1993, the Center is the world's
first academic institute to focus
exclusively on health and hu-
man rights.

Many of us, as gay men‘
facing the community-wide
challenges of HIV/AIDS or
women fighting for improved
breast cancer research and
treatment, for example, pos-
sess an intimate, painful un-
derstanding of the ways our
health needs are affected by
social conditions that would
deny or limit our equal rights.
Facing a century of global con-
flict, genocide and epidemics,
an increasing number of pub-
lic health officials and human
rights activists are seeking to
reframe the way we address
public health needs and hu-
man rights issues. Simply put,
public health and human
rights are inextricably inter-
connected.

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Ginger Williamson
30 Main St.
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 869-9660
(802) 865-2137

0) DEAN WITTER

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The World Health Orga-
nization defines ”health” as ”a
state of physical, mental, 8: so-
cial well-being” (note that
”spiritual” has yet to be incor-
porated), and public health
”ensures the conditions in
which people can be healthy.”
But what are these conditions?
Ironically, Rudolph Virchow, a
pioneer of the public health
movement a century ago, iden-
tified socio—economic factors
such asipoverty as key ele-
ments impacting disease, dis-
ability, and premature death.
However, by their very nature

public health programs are ex—'

tensions of the state, and have
too often participated in the
perpetuation of the social con-
ditions that contribute to poor
health. V

The modern concept of
human rights provides a vital,
coherent framework for analy-
sis and response to the root-
societal causes of preventable
disease, disability and prema-

ture death. Health profession-
als, human service providers
and anyone interested in posi-
tive social change have at least
three primary reasons to be in-
formed about and engaged
with human rights:

1) The health policies and
programs we design and
implement can either burden
or promote human rights.

2) Providers and activists
who are informed about hu-
man rights can help identify
health impacts of human rights
violations and thereby contrib-
ute to informed public discus-
sion, knowledge, and action.

3) As we become more
aware of this interrelationship,
we become profoundly aware
of our individual and collec-
tive dignity and its value in a
healthy society.

In commemoration of
October as Vermont AIDS
Awareness Month and October
11th as National Coming Out
Day, I will be presenting ”Hu-

from toilet seats.
m coffee cups. You
‘ ’ ps in aschool

‘Vermont A

OUT IN THE MouNTAINs — OCTOBER 1997 — 17

r R r

Triangle Ministries AVAVAVAV
A Center For Lesbian 81 Gay Spiritual Development
14 white Birch Lane, Williston, VT 05495
802-860-7106 or Email: revcsl@aol.com

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November 28 — 30, 1997
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December 19-21, 1 997
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A Valentine's Retreat For Lesbian Couples
February 13 - 1 6, 1 998

Contact for ratesxegistration, 8r further information
Or visit TM web page http://members.aol.com/revcsl

man Rights and Public Health:
A New Dynamic for Social
Change” Tuesday, October 14,

the practical applications of
modern human rights to the
challenges of health promo-

tion, disease prcvention, and
positive social change. FMI call
me at (802) 254-4444 or e-mail:
careymsm@sover.nct

OITM

1997 7 PM at Everyone’s
Books, 23 Elliot Street,
Brattleboro. The interactive
evening will provide an intro-
duction to modern human
rights thinking and practice,
including the core human
rights documents, and explore

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According to the,_Su rgeon General,‘ .
your best pro V _ction“against AlDS,l
barring abstin  c_e, is use ofa condom.
For the fa ‘bout AID... "cw ‘ he
Hotline. ‘ ‘

SH LIl\lE.:1-

V StateDepartme
0 Main Street, PO

»”i~ieait_h, Divisiorliof E

Burlington, Ve, mo t I