What are the values that bring us together as a community of global health experiential educators and learners? How do we take action in accordance with our values in the face of uncertainty?
As the role of the United States on the global stage shifts in response to a presidential transition, it is a pivotal moment for the CFHI Global Team, university collaborators, donors, alumni, and other stakeholders to define who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
For over 30 years, CFHI has been dedicated to global health education, navigating highs and lows and global political and economic changes along the way. Through challenges and opportunities, we have remained firm in our commitment to our values, adapting and growing with resilience. This moment is no exception- we will move forward with the same dedication and purpose that has defined us for decades.
What do we believe?
We believe that every human life is equally sacred, equally important.
We believe that distribution of healthcare resources needs to happen in intentional ways, cognizant of health inequities, bias, social drivers of health, indigenous traditions, and sustainability.
We believe that global health and international development are pursuits that have had damaging colonial influences which need to be recognized, unlearned and refined.
We believe that while critical dialogues in global health and international development are essential, the world is better when we are all, including the United States, collaboratively engaged rather than isolated, grappling with complexity, and building partnerships to optimize human thriving across the planet.
We believe that we all benefit when we approach challenges with curiosity rather than force, when we learn from each other, appreciate our differences, find points of connection, and practice cultural humility.
We believe that differences are not a threat; they are an aperture to growth, learning, celebration, and the foundation of so much of what is joyful and delightful in our world.
We believe that our planet is the basis of everything we know and love, and deserves protection and care.
There is so much fear and uncertainty at the current moment. Many of the shifts in the United States government’s funding, moral compass, and institutional frameworks create impacts that are deeply tangible and immediate – including threats to the professional futures of government employers, elimination of core higher education inclusivity initiatives, lifesaving healthcare supply chains provided by USAID, and other essential services removed, denied, or in limbo; livelihoods lost; years of environmental sustainability work undone in weeks; families, individuals, and communities being abandoned by entities they trusted and relied on.
The actions of the prior two weeks are not only problematic in their intention but also in their process. The swiftness and lack of nuance undermines programs and supply chains that public and private collaborators have based their global health and planetary health efforts on for decades.
CFHI commits to continuing our global engagement programs that offer opportunities for students and professionals to build the skills necessary to create a globally connected and empathetic world. We commit to expanding gathering spaces to strengthen those who align with our values, as well as those who want to engage in critical dialogue about global health, higher education, and community development.
How can we stay connected at this time?
-Join our newsletter and stay connected to the global health education ecosystem.
-Join our free webinar on February 5, 2024 at 5pm PST/8pm EST which will be both a gathering space for processing the current moment and a discussion about how colonialism shows up in global health and what we can do to counteract it.
-Connect with us at upcoming conferences.
-Raise awareness about ethical, sustainable global health immersion opportunities. Do you have learners in your life who would benefit from widening their worldview and building cross-cultural skills? Let them know about CFHI opportunities to learn about health realities through the eyes of local communities in 10 countries.
-Build sustainable global health engagement partnerships at your university, school, or post-graduate training program, through an affiliation or partnership with CFHI. There is no financial cost to schools to partner – learn more about our Academic Partnerships
-Support CFHI with a donation. As government-sponsored programs shutter, non-profits who are offering transformative educational and community-building opportunities are essential. You can support scholarships for students who would otherwise not be able to access a global education, you can help us advocate for health equity and justice, and you can support our research that fortifies decolonized approaches to international development.
-Connect to discuss challenges and opportunities you are experiencing in your pre-departure training and global health curriculum. CFHI has developed online modules and we also partner with institutions to co-create customized virtual classrooms to meet learning objectives. Contact Robin Young ([email protected]) to connect.
The values that we share of kindness, equity, and cultural humility have never been more necessary or important. We recently remembered Martin Luther King, Jr., and his reassurance that “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” May we all find our points of connection, community, and leadership at this historic moment.
