Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Rhetoric
We [politicians] need to stop throwing suggestions about freely like feces, but assert them backed with the guarantee of action. It's unsettling watching these videos and flipping through these images of haunting sunken eyes and swollen bellies. We read literature after literature on the issues and solutions, but I really am clueless on where to start. How can I make a difference? How do we teach these people to fish? How do we eliminate these disparities? How do we face opposition? What rights do these people have? Is there a hierarchy to these issues; a pressure point? Where does the causal chain start? What changes will produce what effects? I just purchased Jeffrey Sachs' "The End of Poverty" for enrichment and will hopefully find better insight and solace for my frustrations of my incapacity. Every second of hesitation and procrastination results in an unbelievable number of deaths. We are all victims of the bystander effect, standing by, watching souls dissolve. We need to stop sticking bandaids on all these problems and attack the underlying issues. HOW ABOUT SOME INITIATIVE?
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10 comments:
passionate post lawrence. and i agree, lets do something...just as soon as i get my college loans paid off. i share similar understandings with you and i feel somewhat powerless. this course, and courses of study like it, as well as a little experience in the political arena should give us the power to make change and save lives. " it's always easier to take the low road, but if we get everyone on the bus maybe you and I can drive 'em up the high road." -Jordan Esraelian.
Lawrence nice blog. Initiation starts from us as INDIVIDUALS and also US AS HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
As I have mentioned before working together globally and making connections with health sectors of different countries can be a good start. Educating people, citizens via media, school and other methods is required as well to better understand the condition of challenge.
At the end I really like what Jordan had written on your wall!
I feel just like you. Sometimes, I feel helpless in trying to help others because money, and having lots of it, seems to be the key. But, I do have a voice and I can spread the word. We all can. Together we can make a difference.
Nice post... sometimes I wonder if I should actually go into politics to make the real changes in health or stay in public health and work with band aids.
Maybe we can achieve both as liasons?
hey lawrence, i agree with your post...it can be so frustrating. i think about how much i consume and how much i give, and it's not even the 90/10 rule...more like 99/1.
but a couple of heartening things i've noticed:
1)like payam said in our last class, we have access to funds. grad students and phd students who have well-written grants can get them funded for projects if they have a good idea--not just for research but for interventions.
2)institutions have money. we just have to convince them we're the right people to give it to to solve the problems that, most likely, they already know exist but b/c of inertia are doing nothing about it.
3)i think we can start small. pick a community that has dire needs, design some sort of intervention (eg, yunus & microcredit). see if it works for them. write up about it. refine it. send it to key ppl at the DOH. if it works, and translates well to other settings/communities, then we've made an important contribution and have learned something for next time.
4)like jordan said we have to work together. we're so much smarter and more effective when we cooperate. #3 can't be done alone. maybe that's the problem...lots of people have to come together in public health to acheive one goal and that almost never seems to happen unless there's a lot of money to be made.
what do you think?
We need to eradicate the apathy that exists in the West about what is going on in the rest of the world and our government's role in it, which more often than not is negative, as I'm discovering in this class and from other sources. One thing I know that works is staying active and knowledgeable about current affairs, becoming an advocate on issues we care about and contacting our representatives, what little good that may do in today's polarized government.
maybe working in public health policy area we can make a difference.
I think thats the way to have an impact in helping everyone have a better health condition and a happier life.
hi lawrence,
i agree with your perspective. i think i get caught up in the thought that because worldwide health problems and disparities are so overwhelming, it doesn't matter what i do. i think our action can begin from the place where we realize that our efforts do matter, no matter how small scale. i think you're in the right place and that you're on the path to action. continue to challenge the norm of inactivity and continue to inspire others to think as you do and we'll make it.
hi lawrence,
i agree with what you are saying. i sometimes get caught up in the thought that because worldwide health problems and disparities are so great, it doesn't matter what i do. but action begins when we realize what inaction does. i think you are in the right place to act on what you are passionate about. continue to inspire action and i think we'll make it.
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