participate> vox populi

Over 1500 people came to the Assembly, all active, all vocal. What did they have to say?

 Read Jeff Conant's blog

A detailed and moving account of the Assembly with excellent photos

Read Sudha Nagavarapu's blog

Elaborate reports with a link to photos

From your emails

Excerpts from emails after the Assembly

WHO DG's address to the Assembly

"We have to overcome the challenges we have faced and take the People's Health Movement further. Also, we have to revitalize Primary Health Care worldwide."
Qasem Choudhury, Bangladesh

"There are many things to be done in the People's Health Movement now. We need to create a movement which can bring about global action and lobbying. We need to move beyond the existing structures and create something new - a new way of living together. We have to be conscious of the way we treat each other and need to accommodate each others' differences, respecting personal and organizational differences to take the movement forward. It is something both frightening and exciting!"
Mary Murray, Australia

"I think PHM has moved forward in an interesting direction since Savar, taking
positions more clearly connected with people's struggles. But I think there is still some way to go along that road and I would like to see more involvement of workers and peasants organizations, because they are the main actors of social change to which
we have to contribute as part of the health movement."
Bert de Belder, Belgium

"I think the future of the PHM lies in decentralizing and strengthening the local and regional chapters. That is where the action is and they should be the ones who decide the shape and direction of the movement."
Dr. Ghassan Issa, Lebanon

"The PHA 2 has become an event and there seems to be a marked lack of interest in the movement. We must increase the momentum and not let the enthusiasm decrease. I also feel the need for a participatory evaluation, which will help us to plan better for the next Assembly. PHM needs to improve channels of communication and focus on building human capacity of people in different regions."
Prem John, India

"The PHM needs to influence the WHO Commission on Social Determinants
and continue to involve indigenous people in its work. And
of course, we have to work as hard as possible to achieve our goals!"
Maija Kagis, Canada

"We have not created any resolutions, but what we have been able
to do is create awareness, which is a type of mobilization. As for what
the consequent actions should be, that is left to the individual countries."
Mary Sandasi, Zimbabwe

"The PHM has a lot of potential as a mechanism for change. We
will succeed in this process to the extent that we are open and accept
each other beyond our traditions and beliefs. The PHM should
become more diverse in terms of cultures, regions, languages and
gender."

Laura Turiano, USA

"PHM should try to implement the recommendations from PHA 2
and also increase networking. We should look for methods to unite
people from different parts of the world and identify strategies to
lobby for our agendas. PHM also needs to focus on training and supporting
young activists in the movement."
Miguel San Sebastian, Sweden

"I think we have become more clever in terms of strategies for the
future. There has been a lot of discussion and criticism, but it is time
now to delegitimize capitalism and neoliberalism. We must spread
the word to others and only then will we see the differences in the
ballot boxes. Of course, we also have to start planning for PHA 3,
where I suggest that there are less speakers and more participatory
discussions."
Fran Baum,Australia

"The PHM should try to influence people and communities and
not only governments. We should believe in people's ability to organize
themselves and build their own communities.
We should support the mobilization of people who
can then put pressure on governments to fulfill their demands."
Eduardo Espinoza, El Salvador

"We have improved and learnt a lot since the beginning of the People's
Health Movement. The PHM needs to address broader social
and political determinants of health. These issues do not have national
borders. The strategies for doing so will vary from country to
country, but we need to connect these strategies."
Thelma Narayan, India

"The PHM should focus more on developing the global health movement
and less on being a mere lobbying body in the corridors of
the WHO. We need to confront the bigger players who are influencing
the state of global health today."
Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, Palestine