What is it? The International People’s Health Council is a worldwide coalition of people’s health initiatives and socially progressive groups and movements committed to working for the health and rights of disadvantaged people . . . and ultimately of all people. The vision of the IPHC is to advance toward health for all people—viewing health in the broad sense of physical, mental, social, economic, and environmental well being. We believe that:

  • “Health for All” can only be achieved through PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY (decision-making power by the people), EQUITY (equal rights and meeting everyone’s basic needs), and ACCOUNTABILITY of government and leaders, with strong participation of people in the decisions that affect their lives.

  • The policies of today’s dominant power structures—tied as they are to powerful economic interests— have done much to precipitate and worsen humanity’s present social, economic, environmental, and health crises. Those who prosper from unfair social structures are resistant to change. They also have vast power and global reach. Today, changes leading toward a healthier world order must be spearheaded through a worldwide grassroots movement that is strong and coordinated well enough to force the dominant power structures to listen, and finally to yield.

The IPHC intends to facilitate sharing of information, experiences, methods, and resources among a wide range of persons and coalitions involved in community healthwork oriented toward empowerment and

self-determination. Its goal is to contribute toward a broad base of collective grassroots power which can have leverage in changing unfair and unhealthy social structures at local, national, and international levels.

Who can participate? The IPHC has no formal membership. It is an informal coalition of persons and groups who identify with its objective and wish to participate. Although most of the founding members of the IPHC are from the ‘South,’ we feel the IPHC should be a South-North network, including grassroots struggles for health and rights among the growing numbers of poor and disadvantaged people in the overdeveloped countries as well.

If you want to learn more about the IPHC, its plan of action, future meetings, publications, or the addresses of the regional coordinators—or if you want to join the network or help out either on projects or with donations, please contact:

David Werner, Northern Coordinator, IPHC

Healthwrights

c/o Jason Weston

3897 Hendricks Road

Lakeport CA 95453 USA

 

info@healthwrights.org