Reflecting on her global health and peace course, Bethel Aklilu, a second-year MPH student in Health Promotion with a Global Health Emphasis at the University of Toronto, pursued a creative method to express her new understanding of global health.

For her final assignment in the course Health: An Engine for the Journey to Peace, Aklilu wrote a free verse poem illuminating the interdependency of global health and peace. The poem explored a wide range of global health issues, including food security, violence against women, infectious disease, unethical mining and climate change. The following is an extract from the poem.
 

The Unseen Vulture

ONE, two, three, four.
Ten, twelve minutes or more?
How long have you been lying?
Little girl!
How long have you been crying?

D' you know that land is dry?
D' you know food's scarce?
D' you know there's not enough?
And wars are all around you?

Men fight for land, for oil, and power!
Nobody fights for you. 

A vulture lurks behind you
Waiting for you to die.
You cry devoid of hope
No one comes to help

A greater vulture
Encompasses the globe
Savouring misery and calamity 

In the unethical development
Of mining and forestry
Exploiting the Peruvians'
Land and wellbeing.

Evil ignores...
....

BUT humanity has the ammo
To defy the vulture's shadow
The fight will never cease
For the right to health and peace
....

Health is more than biology
It's social, mental and spiritual harmony.
The social determinants of health are at play
Gender, race and SES (b) also have a say

Peace goes beyond conflict resolution.
It is forgiveness, trust and reconciliation.
Peace goes beyond an argument won.
Health and peace are truly one.

All of this is meant to say
The greater vulture won't have its way.
The fight for our rights won't cease;
Peace is health and health is peace. 

• 27th September, 2017
• 14th December, 2017
• 8th February, 2018 

Growing Businesses of Scale in Sub-Saharan Africa: Job Creation, Innovation and Industrialization

When  : 11th September, 12.30 - 14.00
Where : Chatham House, London
Web    : This event will be streamed and can be joined on line 

What   : Governments and the private sector must work together if the inclusive and sustainable growth and employment objective of the Sustainable Development Goals is to be achieved, and the needs of a rapidly urbanizing and expanding young population are to be met. Widespread job creation requires the creation of new businesses and industries, but most importantly it depends on the ability of small- and medium-sized enterprises to scale-up. Larger companies are more productive and more competitive. This transition requires entrepreneurialism, creativity, and innovation on the part of the businesses, but it also requires an enabling business environment that allows for these enterprises to grow.

This event, which will launch a new Chatham House Africa Programme report on growing businesses of scale in sub-Saharan Africa, will bring together senior policymakers, business representatives, civil society and other experts to discuss opportunities for creating jobs in sub-Saharan Africa through the scaling up of small- and medium-sized enterprise. 

More information
 

Humanitarian access in armed conflicts: the key role of local actors

When  : 18th September, 2017 : 18.00 - 21.30
Where : Paris
Web    : This event can be joined on line 

What   : Humanitarian access is crucial in situations of armed conflict where civilians are in need of assistance and protection. Yet, obtaining access is rarely straightforward. It can be denied or hampered by parties to a conflict for security or political reasons, or agencies themselves may delay or abandon attempts to deliver assistance out of concern for the safety of their staff and beneficiaries.

The Humanitarian Policy Group of the International Committee of the Red Cross is gathering humanitarian agencies and researchers to identify current access challenges for international and local organizations. What strategies do agencies use to gain access? How can we better harness the experience of local organizations to improve access to people in need? The event offers insights from HPG's two-year research project on humanitarian access by local organizations entitled "Holding the keys: who gets access in times of conflict?" The conference is part of the ICRC's Conference Cycle on Generating respect for the law.

More information
 

African Diaspora Doing Development

• provide an opportunity for diaspora organisations and individuals to network, share and learn more about the diaspora sector and develop synergies for collaboration
• share inspiring stories and promote a positive and different narrative of African progress
• illustrate Common Ground Initiative partners' work and the African diaspora's role i influencing host country and foreign development policies and interventions 

• Annan warns on Rakhine 'radicalisation' (BBC News) 
• Aid Groups Fear Worsening Conditions for Thousands Fleeing Rakhine Violence (Voice of America) 
• UN fears of growing 'humanitarian catastrophe' (DW Akadamie) 
• Displaced Rohingya in camps face aid crisis after Myanmar violence(Reuters) 
• UN suspends food aid as death toll rises (SBS Australia) 
• Aid workers under attack in Myanmar as Rohingya conflict worsens (Devex) 
• Myanmar blocks all UN aid to civilians at heart of Rohingya crisis (Guardian) 

• How the humanitarian community marked the day 
• More about the petition to go to UN General Assembly (25,000 have signed - you can add your signatutre) 
• Facebook Live : This is the story of an Aid Worker in South Sudan
• An infographic 
• ... and more

• India grants Pfizer patent on pneumonia vaccine in blow to aid group(Reuters) 

• Thirsty world must wake up to looming water crisis, expert says (Reuters) 

• BAT, War Zones and Selling Cigarettes (Guardian) 
• Bloomberg charity scrutinised by India for anti-tobacco funding, lobbying(Reuters) 

• Factors affectinv American opinion on foreign aid (Devex) 

• New app to support disability in emergency response (Devex) 

• India swine flu death toll rises above 1,000 this year (BBC News)

• Concern over increasing drug resistance (DW Akademie) 

• Sierra Leone mudslide raises fear of spike in waterborne diseases (Devex) 
• UK Public Health Rapid Support Team deploys to Sierra Leone to help prevent disease outbreaks (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine) 

• Violence displaces 3.8 million : UN (Aljazeera) 

• American non-profit organisation expelled (New York Times) 

• Floods claim more than 800 lives (Guardian) 

• World Bank Mobilizes US$200 Million to Combat Cholera in Yemen (World Bank) 
• The political determinants of the cholera outbreak in Yemen (The Lancet Global Health) 

• UN OCHA Flash Update 

• Very useful interactive map of DfID Country Managed Funding 2017 - 2019(Devex) 

• Launch of new publication "Humanitarian Dispatches".

• Children are not a target
• Health Workers under attack 
• This is why refugees need the right to work 
• Civilian suffering in cities 
• Dispelling 5 myths about sexual violence in emergencies 

When  : 22nd September, 2017 
Where : London
What   : AFFORD is the African Foundation for Development that supports African Development Diaspora Organisations (ADDOs), 

On 22nd September it is launching the AFFORD Business Club and AFFORD Business Resouce. These will support African diaspora entrepreneurs by providing business development support to entrepreneurs who seek to develop or launch their businesses in Africa.

If you are an African Diaspora entrepreneur then the AFFORD Business club is an ideal space to network, and get support for your business, in the diaspora, and in Africa.

It provides business development support and services to innovative, fast-growing diaspora SMEs to ensure they can – deliver their core business; produce socially-responsible products and services; and create well-paid, and sustainable jobs to contribute to Africa’s wealth and prosperity.

Attendance is on a first come first serve basis and an open day will run from the week commencing the 25th. Please book your attendance by calling 0207 729 2960 or email neena@afford-org.uk.

• Hot Topics in Public Health
• Global Charter for the Public's Health Implementation 
• New Diplomats of the Global Charter 
• What's on
• Communications
• Advertising and Courses
• Publications 
• Upcoming Events

• Various reports from the programme focusing on Angola (Chatham House) 

• Devex Explains (Devex) 

• UN OCHA Humanitarian Bulletin (UN OCHA)
• 1 million South Sudan refugees now in Uganda, UN says (ABC News) 

NIHR is backing the initiative, to further reduce avoidable waste in research, improve transparency and strengthen the validity and value of the research base.

The pledge, which is in line with its existing policy on Adding Value in Research, will mean that all its fully funded studies will be required to register in a publicly accessible database and make sure all results are disclosed in a timely way.

More information 

• Integrated morbidity management for lymphatic filariasis and podoconiosis, Ethiopia (WHO Bulletin) 

• Estimated economic impact of vaccinations in 73 low- and middle-income countries, 2001–2020 (WHO Bulletin) 

• Prevention of suicide with regulations aimed at restricting access to highly hazardous pesticides: a systematic review of the international evidence(Lancet Global Health) 

• Research Fellow/ Senior Research Fellow/Principal Research Fellow (Closing Date 10th September)  

• UK Project Officer (Closing date 17th September) 

• Programme Assistant Internship (unpaid) (Closing date 16th September) 

• Internships in various places (ongoing)