Volume 1 - December 2014
A Message from the Coordinator
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Dear IFMSA people and partners, The EuroTeam is very proud to present you the very first issue of our European Region newsletter! Here you can find some articles that reflect the work done by the EuroTeam so far, as well as some activities that our European National Member Organizations have been organizing! We hope that in the future we receive more articles, so this platform help you promote even more your amazing activities. Finally, if you’re not following the European Server on your e-mail, don’t forget to send an empty e-mail to ifmsa-europesubscribe@yahoogroups.com. We hope you enjoy reading this newsletter! Warm regards,
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Publisher International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) International Secretariat: c/o Academic Medical Center Meibergdreef 15 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands Phone: +31 2 05668823 Email: gs@ifmsa.org publications@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org This is an IFMSA Publication © 2014 - Only portions of this publication may be reproduced for non political and non profit purposes, provided mentioning the source.
A succesful campaign - The outcome of the EPHA PDP
Advocacy and campaigning is something many of us are familiar with and do at various levels. It is a competitive field with lots of other NGOs and industries; being successful therefore necessitates both brain and hard work. Here are a few tips. Why now? Have an argument ready for why this topic is relevant right now. Is there a negotiation round coming up? Has another stakeholder just given a statement that you (dis) agree with?
Health and economy: The politicians are generally very concerned about the economy. Financial arguments for changing health policies are Create a movement: Public therefore a good way to get pressure is very effective and attention. can be created by many people using your twitter hashtag or Partnerships: When many NGOs signing a petition. This shows partner up and represent big the politicians that the public is groups of the public, they can concerned. be very effective. Agreeing with
many other NGOs means that everyone has to compromise. Use figures and statistics: Politicians love when they can argue there’s a direct link between what they do and the impact it has on society, especially in specific percentages or numbers. Marie Hauerslev
Joint Action on Health Workforce in Rome
On the 4th and 5th of December, together with Alberto, Elisabeth Holven (NMSA), Miguel Cabral and a delegation from SISMItaly, I attended the 2nd Meeting of the European Commission’s Joint Action on Health Workforce
in Rome, that focused on the planning of human resources for health, taking into account the European needs and the different countries’ capacities and priorities. The event was divided in
different sessions and topics such as Employment of the Health Workforce, Planning Methodologies and Data and International Recruitment of Health Personnel were addressed during them.
This was a great opportunity to learn something about the structure and the functioning of the European Commission, and also to raise awareness among the participants of the working groups about the perspective of the students We had the chance to meet professors and public health officers from all over Europe and to discuss with them the positions of IFMSA. A little impact for a better future in European healthcare! Stefano Guicciardi
European Youth Forum General Assembly
youth, and we have taken part in a lot of discussions, such as the TTIP and Climate Change, so important for Health. We have also participated in the construction of the work plan, where we assured that Universal Health Coverage was also part of it. Finally, in this GA the new board was elected and we got the chance to talk with them and express our concerns and expectations for the next term. Alberto Abreu da Silva Me and Kornelija, IFMSA’s They work a lot in Youth LOSO, we’re present in Rights, such as working this event in November. conditions, employability, nonformal education and others. This is the biggest youth platform in Europe, with a There, we have advocated for lot of impact in our region. the importance of health for
A broken promise
November 20 marks the 25th anniversary of the CRC, “a promise to children” as UNICEF describes it. “The world made a promise to children” they say, “that we would do everything in our power to protect and promote their rights to survive and thrive, to learn and grow, to make their voices heard and to reach their full potential.” And now, after 25 years, we celebrate a broken, destroyed promise. While the CRC is the most
universally accepted (191 countries) human rights instrument in history, it hurts to see that, just because something suit their purpose, people still remain blind to those children who have: • rights to NOT have children when they are one; • rights to NOT play under bullets; • rights to NOT die of hunger and thirst; • rights to NOT get infected by already controlled
outbreaks; • rights to NOT make speeches to beg; • rights to NOT live without loving parents and a warm place called home. I am not sure if we should call it tragicomic, but it amazes me, after all those years, how this saying still fits our world: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”, by George Orwell. Bahar Bas
Key to success, by TaMSA - Tatarstan
The project of Tatarstan Medical Students’ Association “Key to Success” is scaling up and becoming increasingly popular among the students. We invite famous local professors to share their steps to success and to discuss the way they chosen. The aim of the project is to motivate youth to strive for scientific and professional accomplishments as well as to train healthcare leaders. Broadening students’ horizons and sharing experiences are main tasks.
Through the discussion, students can get answers to questions, focus on experiences of older generations and discover the history of our university. TaMSA-Tatarstan team has already organized two meetings. Our first meeting was with the well-known Russian psychiatrist David Mendelevich. The key to success, as professor Mendelevich mentioned, lies in devoting yourself to profession. Our second guest was the students’ favorite Eduard
Yakupov, professor of the department of neurology, neurosurgery and medical genetics. He thinks several years after graduation are vital for the doctor formation process. In conclusion, I would like to quote Pele “Success is not a matter of chance. It is hard work, perseverance, education, research, sacrifice and, above all, love for what you do and what you learn to do”. Adil Utkuzov
Dutch and Belgium SCORAngels: a match made in heaven?
Last easter, somewhere high It started with trainings from in the Swiss Alps, an idea the IFMSA-NL training team, to blossomed. continue on Saturday morning with a sample peer education SCORA Belgium was present as class, which was improved by an observer at the NECSE, so BeMSA, to maximally fit their that they could learn to set up classes. peer education programs. So, the idea to organise a training We practised all day, discussed weekend between Belgium and difficulties in peer education the Netherlands originated. and learned so much from each other. Half a year later, on the 17th of We enjoyed the evening dancing, october, it was there. to finish up the weekend on Sunday early morning with On Friday the weekend, held in discussing how we would go on Maastricht, kicked off. from there.
Some IFMSA veterans might know the feeling of having a great idea at an international meeting, and I hope newer members are yet to experience this. I can honestly say that not letting it be just ideas, has been wonderful. Seeing their endless motivation, dedication, and passion, one can only say: “These SCORAngels are worth their wings�. Lotte Dijkstra
COP 20 - Lima
COP 20, Lima. A forum to lead sustainable innovation guidelines in the post-2015 agenda. A cornerstone event drawing closer and closer. As the policies involving Climate Change are entering the spotlight we must ask ourselves about the challenges regarding this process. AECS-Catalonia in collaboration with IFMSA and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) want to promote and
focus the attention of medical students around the globe on this theme, so often underestimated. In order to spread and encourage recognition of this theme we are organising an international event: the Global Health Summer School, held in Barcelona (Spain) from the 12th to the 17th of July 2015 on the theme of Climate Change and Health. Droughts, the spread of vector borne diseases, the greenhouse effect, water and air pollution
are some of the critical consequences of climate change. As medical students and young professionals we should be able to understand the impact environmental policies have on health. It is not an easy task to balance the interests in play behind the advocacy making process. Gaining knowledge on the topics that will affect us is our responsibility. Olexsandr Yashchenko
Culture Night 2014
“Homeland is life itself. As the blood flows in the arteries, like the heart in the chest beats, as the thought in the brain flows, so the homeland lives in us”.
enthusiasts of multiculturalism to an incredible journey to distant corners of the world: the Culture Night 2014.
These words most fully reflect the dedication and pride of English-speaking students of the Medical University of Lublin who, with undisguised joy desire to bring us closer to the culture and traditions of their countries. May 18 English Division IFMSAPoland Committee in Lublin had the honor to invite all
On the day of the concert the exhibition “Multicultural Lublin” saw the light of day, showing Doctors Without Borders. students in national costumes Medical students in addition to (from Taiwan,Thailand, India, a huge passion for their chosen Saudi Arabia, Poland) in front field have hidden talents that are of the historical background of waiting for disclosure. Singing, Lublin. dancing, martial arts are just a few examples! Maria Gołębiowska
SCORP-City Trip
The European Union is active with topics of the Standing Committee on Human Rights and Peace. In our Local Committee at the University of Amsterdam we have numerous projects on migrants and refugees, of which we are very proud. This past January our NORP at the time, Roos Kistemaker, approached the committee with a beautiful idea that I just had to see come to fruition and so the SCORP - City Trip was born.
During the project our students organized fundraising events and a charity concert to support
This year we presented: Traditional Saudi wedding, Taiwanese Pop Dance, Scottish and Slavic music and much more.
In October this year, after months of planning, we departed from Amsterdam Central Station with a group of 20 IFMSAians from multiple Local Committees across the Netherlands with Brussels, Belgium as our destination.
To give an insight in the work of there are good people in the organizations such as the Office world doing good work every single day. of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Doctor’s without Breathing new life into my Borders and many others. commitment of doing my part. We also visited the European Parliament to hear what the Shacara Blake Union is doing for refugees and The entire purpose of the human rights. trip was to open everyone’s hearts and minds with a 3-day This trip was a beautiful inspirational tour. experience, highlighting that
EuRegMe news!
28th of April. Prices Also, don’t forget about the PreEuRegMe workshops that will • EuRegMe Early registration take place in Aarhus, Denmark, 140€; between the 20th and the 24th • EuRegMe Late registration of April. 200€; • EuRegMe Observers 300€; For more informations, see • PreEuRegMe 160€; below the registration dates and • PostEuRegMe 210€. respective prices and check the website www.euregme.com. Marcus Ross Christensen
Finally, we are very happy welcoming you to the XII European Regional Meeting Registration Dates (EuRegMe) that will be hosted by our National Member • Early registration: 20.01.15 – 03.02.15; Organization IMCC-Denmark! • Late and Pre-EuRegMe registrations: 05.02.15 It will take place in Aalborg, 18.02.15. Denmark, between the 24th and