Latin America

This article introduces Comprehensive Participatory Planning and Evaluation (CPPE), an approach to community participation and empowerment developed from the work of Rifkin, Laverack, Pérez, and others. More than just a methodology, CPPE is an approach which encourages comprehensive analysis and participation by various actors at local, regional, and national level in the planning and evaluation of health actions.

In his work, Juergen Kraus, summarizes PHM Ecuador´s work, starting from the Second People´s Health Assembly. This is an important and well-done accomplishment. Ecuador is a country of where there are large social and political conflicts. These confrontations involve the organized popular movement on one hand, and on the other, forces of capitalism of domestic and foreign origin, engaged in the implementation of neoliberal policies. At this stage, the desire for change is expressed in the struggle for change.

Todas Juntas, Todas Libres

(From the women of Nicaragua)

Soy una mujer normal,
no me mires mal que yo soy libre
De andar de aquí pa´ allá
Y de hacer todo lo que me pique.
Si vos te me arrimás,
Somos la grande mayoría.
Sólo quiero igualdad.

Todas juntas, todas libres

Ecuadorian University Student Federation President, Marcelo Rivera, jailed for over ten months in the García Moreno prison, declared today that he was beginning an open-ended hunger strike, to pressure the government and the courts, in demand of his freedom.

The student leader decided to take this extreme measure to push for a favorable ruling from the Third Division of the Criminal Trial Court, presided over by Dr. Gladys Terán Sierra, during the trial scheduled for 22 October.