CFHI is committed to making Global Health Education opportunities available to learners of all identities and backgrounds. We strive to break down explicit and subtle barriers that oppress and limit the ability of learners from underrepresented identities and communities globally to participate in CFHI’s programs. We offer robust scholarships, include equity and inclusion training in our virtual programs and Pre-Departure Training, ensure diverse and inclusive leadership at all levels of our organization, look to our alumni for input and feedback on how we can improve and make our programs and curriculum more inclusive, and more. We recognize that if we do not intentionally incorporate an inclusive, anti-oppression, anti-colonial approach to our work, then we will reproduce these harmful power structures.
CFHI’s entire Central Leadership and Global Team worked together to develop the following Team Norms in 2022, which guide us in all we do to support each other and our program participants.
On our team, we demonstrate commitment to:
- Respect: for ourselves, for our cultures, for our identities, for our differences, for our shared commitment to our work. We are equal in our shared humanity and we have deep solidarity on our team.
- Continuous learning and academic rigor: As educators and practitioners, we approach our work with curiosity, a commitment to continuous growth and learning, and a genuine desire to remain informed about new developments and research, publications, partnerships, case studies, and other examples that inform our work. We maintain a commitment to ethical approaches to global health education, holding ourselves and each other to high standards, because we believe deeply in the value and importance of our shared work together.
- Safe work environment: we build an environment and team culture that is characterized by celebration of our diverse identities and cultures. We show consideration, offer courtesy, build harmony, and afford dignity to each other through our actions and interactions. We recognize that we all have internalized belief systems that will unintentionally cause each other harm at times; we commit to recognizing these, making amends, learning, and moving forward with new information and approaches.
- Authenticity and transparency: we strive to represent CFHI’s work and approach to global health education with accuracy and integrity to ourselves, our team, and all of our collaborators and stakeholders. We are transparent about what we offer and cannot offer as an organization that is grounded in our ethics and values.
- Honesty, kindness, and empathy: We kindly, clearly, and directly communicate to address our challenges and miscommunications. We assume good intent on the part of our colleagues, we ask questions, and we give clear feedback to each other when needed. We know that these conversations help us to stretch and see each other’s point of view, find common ground, and establish a path forward.
- Courage and resilience: We face challenges together and we emerge stronger.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion: Everyone’s opinion, voice, and feedback are important, welcome, and valued. In order to make the best decisions for our team and organization, we invite our entire global team and central leadership team to provide input on organizational decisions and future directions, and we are transparent about how decisions will be made and who the final decision-makers are. We strive to continually build diversity and global representation on our central leadership team. We meet regularly as a team to ensure we have opportunities to connect, collaborate, express solidarity, share experiences, and communicate.
- Accountability and vulnerability: we hold ourselves accountable to continual growth and learning. In this process, we all make mistakes. We commit to discuss our mistakes and challenges with vulnerability, honesty, kindness, and respect. We do not make excuses, but rather we face and share our truths transparently and earnestly seek solutions that are healthy and best for ourselves and CFHI.
