Thursday, August 11th, 2011
Rennie Qin, a 2nd year student from the University of Auckland blogs about her experience in PreGA on climate change and health at IFMSA August Meeting 2011 in Copenhagen.
After 26 hours of flight, 4 stop-overs and a day trip to Sweden, the New Zealand delegation to IFMSA August Meeting is finally safe and sound in Copenhagen, in time for Pre-GA.! These Pre GAs are small-group, interactive and skill-building workshops focused on advocacy, medical education, student professional and research exchanges and human rights. I am attending the Think Global Pre GA on the effect of climate change on health, advocacy and campaigning.
‘Climate change is the biggest threat to public health in the 21st century’ – despite hearing this Lancet quote time and time again, only now have I begun to fully grasp its significance. The head of climate change at the WHO explained to us that climate change will not only kill millions from crop failure, extreme natural disasters, changing patterns of infectious diseases, but more importantly, it also puts the most vulnerable at most risk. It is really, at least scientifically, not difficult to convince people of the seriousness of climate change! As future doctors, we have the responsibility of preparing health system for climate change and also use health effects as a powerful tool in climate change negotiation. Partly, because, there has just simply been a lack of political action.
The workshops open each day with videos of YOUNGO (youth orientated NGO) doing flash-mobs, demonstrations and delivering passionate speeches at Cop (conference of parties – not the parties that you are thinking of – its where world leaders come together to sign deals on climate change plans!). Danny, Usman and Nick, our trainers from UK, Norway and Australia shared their experience at Cop16 where world leaders adopted a whole page of policy statements drafted entirely by youth. It is amazing how much youth can affect change at the highest of high level decision making.
We also learnt about practical skills of campaigning and advocacy in which, the techniques of personal narrative and storytelling strike me in particular. A participant from inner Mongolia, China, told the story of how the long grass that he used to play hide and seek in as a child is now disappearing. Enrique from Spain also shared with us how winter temperature in his hometown has changed from -15 celsius to above zero in his life time.
Again, it reminds me of the diversity of the world we live in and how privileged I am to come from New Zealand. NZ is clean and green by geographical location and there are already many conscious groups actively campaigning against climate change. However, I also realize the lack of medical student campaigning from a health perspective in NZ and the absolute need for it. It is not only because we care about our future patients in 20 years, 50 years, but also because we simply CAN. Indeed, when I asked Danny about his reasons behind climate change campaigning, he said he does it because he can, because we as youth possess the time, passion, idealism and energy – because it is our world in the future, because we will be its leaders.
Of course, the most wonderful aspect of this experience is seeing 30 extremely talented young people from all parts of the world, Asia, South America, North America, Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa , through three days of brainstorming and idea exchanging, bond and form friendship over future’s most pressing challenge. The ambition and energy among us was just amazing – each of us personifies the commitment ‘we will make it happen’. Medicine, at its core, is about social justice, about caring for the future of our patients, future of humanity. At the end of these 3 days, tears were flowing and hugs were exchanged. Danny played a video of YOUNGO at Cop which ended with a youth saying that climate change action is all about love. This summed up the 3 days perfectly. Medicine is about love. And we, as medical students of the world, have broken borders over love, social justice and the future of humanity.
- Rennie Qin
