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Introduction from the
SCORA International Team
Joe Cherabie SCORA Director 2013-2014 scorad@ifmsa.org
Dear IFMSAians and SCORAngels, The past six or so months have been packed full of SCORA success stories. In our March Meeting in Tunisia, we held the first ever Advanced IPET on Sexuality and voted in our Vision and Mission. Our partnerships with UNAIDS and Ipas have been flourishing with new trainings and agreements being formed. We have held successful campaigns on International Women’s Day, the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, as well as the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial. Not to mention all of the amazing campaigns you have all been holding in your respective NMOs on Peer Education and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights. All of this is great, but the theme of this GA is Sustainable Development for the New Era. So how are we, as SCORA, going to sustain the developments we’ve made into the near future? I believe the answer lies in you! As we all know, the Post-2015 agenda is being drafted and it is our job as the youth to voice our concerns and beliefs as to what this agenda should be focusing on. And this is exactly what our main focus over the last 6 months has been. We have 5 main focus areas in SCORA: Maternal Health, Access to Safe Abortion, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, Prevention of Stigma and Discrimination, and Gender Based Violence. We as SCORA have been working hard on these issues, such as having created policies on Access to Safe Abortion and LGBT Health, the first of its kind accepted by an international body. From this, we have drafted a plan and roadmap for advocating on the issue of LGBT Health in the WHO. We have also worked on providing trainings on access to safe abortion, and are working to advocate for this issue along with our partners Ipas, through webinars, trainings, and policy discussions.
Also, we have worked avidly on the PACT, where we as the youth are raising our voices to make sure all youth have access to reproductive health services. Last but not least, I must mention our amazing International Peer Education Trainings, which have been aimed at creating Peer Education programs and advocating for Comprehensive Sexuality Education for all youth. We are moving forward, but once again, it starts with you! It is up to you to advocate for sexual and reproductive health rights in your community, your schools, your country, and your region! It is up to you to speak to policy makers and advocate for sexual and reproductive health rights! It is up to you to open discussion on access to reproductive health services, women’s rights, and LGBT health! And if you can do this, even if you just start a small discussion, I guarantee you can make a difference, one that is sustainable for the future. Joe Cherabie
On behalf of SCORA International Team, Kelly Thompson (Liaison Officer to Reproductive Health incl. AIDS), Emily Steward and Jeazul Ponce (Americas), Cephas Avoka (Africa), Tsukasa Watanabe (Asia-Pacific), Sanam Seyedian (EMR), Michalina Drejza and Maria Cunha (Europe), Anna Szczegielniak and Ming Yong (Publications).
Medical Students Worldwide | Taiwan AM 2014