Thu, 04/15/2010 to Sat, 04/24/2010

International People’s Health University (IPHU) and People’s Health Movement (PHM) in association with ASECSA – Association of Community Health Services and the Regional Committee for the Promotion of Community Health, member of the PHM Latin America, announce "Intercultural Health: Perspectives from the Indigenous and African Peoples of America" a short training course from 15 to 24 April 2010 in Chimaltenango, Guatemala.

Announcement Brochure

Download Announcement Brochure in Spanish and English and distribute widely. 

Application

APPLICATION CLOSED

• Apply on-line here (in Spanish).
• If on-line access is difficult a downloadable application form is available here (in Spanish).  Download, complete and return to iphu-chima@phmovement.org.  

Timelines

• Applications close: 28 February, 2010
• All the applicants will be advised regarding the outcome of their application.  

Venue

The course will be held at:

ASECSA – Association of Community Health Services

6a Calle 4-70 Zona 1, Quinta Los Aposentos 1

Chimaltenango, Guatemala

Apartado Postal No. 27

Contacts: 502-78393997, 7839-1332, 7839-5853, asecsa1[at]intelnet.net.gt

Language

The course will be taught in Spanish. 

Program

More about the program for IPHU-Chimaltenengo here. 

Fees & Scholarships

• Registration fees*: USD 50
• Tuition fees**: --
• Accommodation fees***: USD 25/night

* Mandatory - Cover all training materials; lunch and coffee breaks during the training days.

** Supported by the PHM-IPHU for all participants.

*** Fixed rate per night for subsidized accommodation in shared facilities.

A limited number of scholarships for travel and accommodation will be available for applicants from Central and South America. Applicants should seek financial support from sponsors in their own countries in the first instance. 

Objectives

The IPHU short courses are to enable younger health activists to make new connections, share experiences and study together. They aim at strengthening the global network of people’s health activists. 

Who is this course planned for?

• Younger health activists and practitioners working in health programs among indigenous peoples and Afro-American communities of the Americas and concerned with the intercultural issues related to health, gender and human rights and particularly including those involved in the People’s Health Movement (PHM) in Latin America (LA).
• Applicants should have completed secondary school or have a university degree or equivalent and be fluent in Spanish.
• Priority, with respect to enrolment, will be given to:
  • ­Younger members of indigenous or Afro-American communities
  • Persons working with indigenous peoples or Afro-Americans and interested in the PHM.
  • Persons involved in primary health care and public health programs with indigenous peoples.
  • Indigenous persons involved as activists in organizations involved in promotion of human rights.
  • Persons who have contact with or are involved in organizations which are part of the PHM-LA.
• A total of 50 participants is expected.
• The enrolment policy aims to achieve:
  • ­geographical balance of indigenous and Afro-American activists from Latin America;
  • gender balance;
  • diversity of involvements: community based organizations, health care agencies, NGOs, universities, government officials, etc; and
  • diversity of skills, interests, experience and educational backgrounds.  

­Curriculum

The course will be conducted from an intercultural and human rights approach to the problems faced by multicultural and multiethnic societies.

The curriculum includes:

• the struggle for health: challenges, strategy and practice, achievements and new directions;
• working with communities and with grass roots people’s organizations;
• social determinants of health: poverty, oppression and hierarchy; alienation and exclusion; racism, sexism and materialism);
• comprehensive primary health care: achievements, challenges, lessons and new directions;
• the political economy of health: imperialism and globalisation, the international financial institutions and the UN system; local issues and global pressures;
• health system strengthening; the politics of health policy, including traditional health systems;
• the right to health: principles, achievements and new directions;
• people’s health and the environmental struggle;
• research: part of the problem and part of the solution. 

Approach to learning

• Start with the struggle for health
• Teach and learn in partnership
• Knowledge is imbued with purpose
• New ideas must be used
• Activism is an ethical commitment
• Learn new ways of being (as well as new facts and theories)
• Refresh, enquire, research
• Nurture leadership: judgment which inspires confidence; integrity which creates trust and the courage to take risks
• Learn to listen to learn; learn to teach; teach to learn
• Steer our own learning; grow the skills and habits of life long learning
• Build our community of activists
• Stay with the struggle for health

The course will involve: pre-reading; lectures, small group discussions, debates, workshops and follow up study.  Resource materials will take the form of hard copy readings, lecture notes and websites. 

Faculty

Faculty members will be a mix between high-profile academic personnel and health activists of a sound experience, in addition to a number of PHM resource persons, from the region. The persons designated to participate as faculty members will have direct experience with the intercultural and human rights approach or with Indigenous peoples and Afro-American communities. 

Contacts

For inquiries, please contact the IPHU-Chimaltenango Organizing Team at: iphu-chima@phmovement.org