The SCORPion issue 3

The SCORPion Third Edition

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Nevertheless, errors cannot be avoided. IFMSA cannot accept any responibility for any liability.

June 2011 Contact Information General Secretariat: IFMSA c/o WMA B.P. 63 01212 Ferney-Voltaire France Phone: +33 450 404 759 Fax: +33 450 405 937 Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org Bank account details Account 58.52.12.090 beneficiary IFMSA Bank ABN-AMRO SWIFT ABNANL2A IBAN NL94ABNA0585212090 Bank address: Coolsingel 119, PO Box 949 3000 DD Rotterdam The mission of IFMSA is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.

Editorial Fares Al-Fares Editor in Chief

When given the daunting task of being the editor of this publication of “The SCORPion”, ‎specifically such a crucial edition being the revived edition, I will not lie and say it was something I was ‎too sure about! However thankfully due to the incredible help from my friends Omar Mukhtar and ‎Omar Safa both from IFMSA-Egypt, whom without this would have not happened, has become a ‎reality. This publication is to focus on SCORP, its development, the projects we have, and of course, ‎human rights. This publication would have not even existed had it not been for the

Editor in Chief: Fares Al-Fares (IFMSA-Bahrain) Editor: Omar Mukhtar (IFMSA-Egypt) Layout/Design and Proofreading: Omar H. Safa (IFMSA-Egypt)

committed, ‎motivated, and determined members of the IFMSA who wish not to remain silent, and have their ‎voice heard over the various projects and topics they see necessary for the world to know about. For ‎that I would like to thank all of the authors for the articles in this publication for showing such character ‎and bringing this publication to life. By the never ending efforts of the SCORP team, SCORP has ‎returned from a dark period in which many thought that it would never stand up from, but showing ‎our “never-saydie” attitude, we, the SCORPions, and our friends in the IFMSA have helped bring ‎SCORP back to life. I hope you enjoy this publication and are inspired by the articles and projects that ‎have been placed in it.‎ Big love From the Little Island‎;Bahrain.

The SCORPion | Third Edition

Message from the Director Dear Readers;

If you have turned the first page with an expectation to broaden your horizons of thinking and exploring regions of the world from the perspective of human rights then this outstanding “The SCORPion” publication is dedicated especially to you.

The recent chapter of modern history of the world, in which people are still struggling for freedom, millions of children have still no safe and accessible way to report violence, harassment and exploitation and hundreds of millions of people are still facing starvation and have no access to essential medicines, have clearly impacted upon the way that the world views the significance of protection of human rights. Can we really say that the lens through which people perceive and treat others is being reframed into one where everybody is treated in a fair and equal manner, on the same footing and with the same emphasis? What is our role as future health professionals in highlighting the importance of protection of human rights as a prerequisite to well-being and health? And finally how we, medical students can draw attention to the universal value of health, the rights of the most vulnerable societies and those regions of the world where human rights are ignored?

Dear reader, within the next pages members of the Standing Committee on human Rights and Peace (SCORP) are going to invite you to find out your own answer to those questions.

SCORP is a remarkable Committee within International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations. As IFMSA body, this significant Standing Committee consists of hundreds of medical students worldwide whose clear values of tolerance, justice and respect for human dignity as well as deep understanding that fulfillment of civil, cultural, political, social and especially human rights is essential for improvement of health of populations, help us to set a goal of making a marked difference in all that we do.

The articles will bring together emotions and values but also impressing experience from local, national and international activities run by passionate and remarkable SCORP members.

If till now you thought that you have been living in the world where “all human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated” (Vienna Declaration and Programmee of Action adopted at the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, June 14-‎25, 1993) then after reading this publication your perception might be changed. However you will be gifted with the ability to see a significance of unity, unity of voices of people from different cultural, religious and ethnical backgrounds, unity of voices that speak for respect, protection and fulfillment of rights of every human being, unity of our voices.

Antoine de Saint Exupéry wrote once that “To be a man is to be responsible: to be ashamed of miseries you did not cause; to be proud of your comrades’ victories; to be aware, when setting one stone, that you are building a world.” May the lecture of “The SCORPion” inspire you to set a pile of stones together with us. We should gain a firm belief that each of us as future health professionals is responsible for taking an important part to play in prevention of human rights, a view on human dignity and the chapter of modern history of the world. We are those who can and will set the stones.

To conclude, I would like to express my gratitude to all the authors as well as the editors Fares Al-Fares and Omar Safa for making this publication possible.

On behalf of the authors of the articles, I warmly invite you to see the SCORP issues from their perspective and by their hearts.

Sincerely;

Beata Syzdul Director of the Standing Committee on human Rights and Peace 2010-2011 International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) www.ifmsa.org

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The SCORPion | Third Edition

SCORP in EMR 7

May 28th, 2011 was the first day of the EMR 7-Dubai sessions which were attended by ‎motivated members from the SQU-MSG and EMSS. We started off the sessions by deter-

al and then we gave ‎the example of SCORPLeMSIC’s projects for a taste of what human rights and peace projects ‎can involve. We shifted gears to get to the chase: designing a campaign. I like to think about my ‎campaigns as a travel suitcase that I am packing. There are three ways to do the latter. In the first, ‎you leave it up to your mom/ sister/ friend/ maid to pack up your things and by this you risk not ‎getting all the things that you might need in your trip. In the second, you can take up everything ‎in your closet and pile them up in the suitcase; you will not have the disadvantages of the ‎first, but will

mining ‎the expectations of each of the attendees and those included learning more about SCORP ‎international, SCORP related projects, why medical students should be involved in human rights ‎and peace issues, how to start a campaign and how to get SCORP approved by the university ‎and the government… I was impressed by the determination of the Omani delegation to start ‎SCORP in their country and I in turn was determined to put my experience to serve their needs. ‎We started off the sessions by introducing IFMSA and SCORP internation-

also carry more weight than is necessary. The third is the strategy that I have ‎adopted; you go through your days abroad and you visualize what you are going to do: wake up ‎in the morning, wash my face, brush my teeth, wear my NORP T-shirt and jeans on day 1, take a ‎shower… this is how you remember to pack your facial wash, your toothpaste and brush, the ‎clothes that you are going to wear, your shampoo and hair blower… If you apply this concept to ‎your campaigns, if you visualize the steps that you need to undertake to produce a great

Khairat El-Habbal SCORP Regional Assisstant for the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

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In the light of all the changes that are taking place in the East Mediterranean Region, ‎SCORP becomes not just one essential standing committee of the IFMSA, but also a necessity to ‎initiate in our region. That is why for the second year in a row, the SCORP sessions of the EMR ‎were tailored to address the needs that come with the effort for initiation. ‎

SCORP became not just one essential standing committee of the IFMSA, but also a necessity to i‎nitiate in our region‎

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the ‎SCORPians with more exposure to issues of importance and people who are pioneers in the ‎humanitarian field. That is why we invited Mr. Khalid, an external from IRIN, to give us an ‎introduction about disaster management from both his education and his tangible experience in ‎this topic. The SCORPians agreed that this talk has helped us change our perception of disasters ‎and their management. We also discovered the power of the word after Hatem’s presentation ‎about the publication’s division and as I always repeat, communication is and will always be ‎extremely important, especially in our region!‎ A huge effort has been put into making our sessions a SCORP 101 crash course for the ‎countries that are considering to start SCORP. The steps that were discussed, the group work

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project, ‎then you can optimize the outcome and invest your time and effort wisely. Though highly ‎important, that alone is not enough to optimize the outcome of your projects, which is why we ‎introduced the concept of the SWOT analysis: the strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. ‎One also needs to make sure that the members are able to handle multiple tasks at the same time: ‎medial school is demanding and so is our social life and other activities, that is why time ‎management becomes a necessity and that is why we discussed it thoroughly during our SCORP ‎sessions. Putting the theory to test, we took Mazen’s idea about unlicensed drivers which seems ‎to have impacted the Omani’s lives; Oman has a very high rate of deaths due to this problem, and ‎we spinned this idea into a SCORP project: the right to safety on the roads/ the right to live. In

Communication is and will always be extremely important‎ t‎he country of the tallest tower on the planet and man-made islands, we started building this ‎project up from scratch just like packing our travel suitcase! In groups, the members were sharing ‎their ideas and thinking about ways to implement each one of them. Then each group got to ‎present the outcomes of their brainstorming, we SWOT analyzed the ideas that we gathered, d ‎ iscussed how to use the strengths and the opportunities in the proposal for sponsorships and ‎how to pay special attention to the weaknesses and threats as we go through with the project. We ‎also discussed time management, breaking the project into phases and setting goals and deadlines ‎for each phase. We also decided on the approach to recruit members especially that SCORP is ‎not yet active in Oman; it has not yet been fully approved. For that reason too, we worked as a ‎team on the Omani proposal for initiating SCORP. The exercise entailed that each one of us ‎looks at the proposal that has already been handed in to SQU administration with the eyes of ‎someone who knows nothing about SCORP and more of- in the light of the current popular ‎upheavals in the region- in the eyes of someone who believes that human rights are more of a ‎threat to the current regimes than of a granted blessing. I was glad that Mazen, Hamed, Ahmed ‎and Ahmed, Yehia, Zahra’a and Khalid managed to view their proposal differently and had the ‎courage to scratch some of the sentences, to rephrase others and to add new ideas. The SCORP ‎experience at the EMR sessions did not end here; I was looking forward to provide www.ifmsa.org

t‎hat was planned, the proposal adjustment that was undertaken and the external workshops that ‎were scheduled were meant to provide the SCORPians- to- be with an understanding of what S ‎ CORP is all about and with the tools to start it in their own countries. This is the second year in ‎a row that I give the EMR SCORP sessions and it makes me proud to see the human rights and ‎peace flag expanding in our region during my term. I am aware of the impediments that are ‎keeping many countries from having a properly active SCORP, but I am also aware that with ‎determination and proper planning we can overcome those obstacles. The Bahrainis proved me ‎right last year and I am looking forward to Oman reemphasizing that SCORP can flourish under ‎almost all circumstances!‎

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My journey with SCORP

My journey with SCORP started like three and half years ago at that time I was active in my NMO for ‎nearly three years but without real achievement; I liked the activities of other committees but never ‎felt the same passion I felt while working for SCORP; at that time my NMO decided after consulting ‎with the SCORP-D at the time Dr. Johnathan Mamo that it is time to start SCORP in our NMO and that ‎the name shouldn’t be an obstacle.‎ When we started the committee we had different political regime so we overcome the first obstacle ‎of politics and human rights by changing the name into the standing committee on humanitarian ‎projects and that is how it started.‎ Hamdy Fliefl Salem IFMSA-Egypt NORP 2010-2011

In the first year we had lots of obstacles as most of the LORPs and the team didn’t know anything ‎about human rights and in many cases they didn’t even care as they felt to my surprise it was ‎irrelevant and we should only concentrate into humanitarian projects.‎ In order to get better we had to start exploring our committee deeply so we send our first delegates ‎to the MM09 and also to the pre-GA of TNHRT and gladly I was honored to be in both and been ‎accompanied in the MM by my first mentor Ms. Raneem the LORP of my LC in that time, and we had a ‎great experience with all the activities of the GA especially in the great SCORP session by Ms. Thatyana ‎the SCORPD 09-10 who helped us a lot when she knew it is our first year and first experience with SCORP. After that when we got back we tried to get use of what we learned however, the year after was full ‎of problems facing our NMO. So we didn’t improve a lot except in some areas as of the bigger team ‎and the increasing interest from active members in the committee.‎

interest for the lovely SCORP, our ‎choice for projects became more mature, we started collaboration with externals and other ‎organization and creating solutions for our main problems as fund raising and advocacy –basically- we ‎got bigger and more developed that I have been contacted with other NORPs for consults.‎ Along my journey we faced many problems but the key to make it work was the will, dedication and ‎insisting on working it out hand by hand with the cooperation with other NMOs and being always in ‎touch with the SCORP-D and other SCORPions worldwide which had a great impact on our ‎development.

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Starting and building SCORP is easier than what you think just ‎ mean it and it will work out.

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When my friend Fares asked us to write articles about starting and developing of SCORP. I thought a lot about it and finally decided to write a little story about my journey with SCORP as I think ‎it will help.

Finally what I wanted to mention is that starting and building SCORP is easier than what you think just ‎mean it and it will work out; our great SCORP-D Beata along with our team worked hard this year to ‎develop SCORP this year and I am optimistic about next year and the near future of SCORP will be ‎brighter so my advice Is go for it now and use the opportunity to be part of the fast growing family in ‎the green island of human rights and peace.‎ Warm regards from sunny revolutionary Egypt

The situation changed a lot in the current year we learned a lot from our experience and the ‎international situation of SCORP especially in the field of strategic planning that is why we started our ‎year with a good recruitment and strategic planning, we became more aware of human rights and its ‎relation to our future career as doctors along with all other areas of Page 6

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AIDS STOPS WITH ME A Charge to th e

Youths

The ancient Romans had a tradition: whenever one of their engineers constructed an arch, as the capstone was hoisted ‎into place, the engineer assumed accountability for his work in the most profound way possible: he stood under the ‎arch. The message was clear. “I’m responsible for not just its success, but its failure”.‎

The medical profession, in the recent past, has recorded many successes in healthcare delivery, especially in the area of ‎HIV/AIDS. With many years of experience with HIV prevention and usage of antiretroviral therapy, evidence abounds on h ‎ ow to prevent and suppress the disease. Yet these advances in the biomedical as well as the social sciences, while ‎vitally important to mounting an effective response, do nothing to mitigate the shortages of leadership and human ‎compassion that frequently hinder progress towards our goals.

HIV scourge can be stopped. There are documented evidences to support this claim. Underlying every assertion are ‎three indices:

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of success can one be p ‎ oised to take up new ones. Victory in this fight will require unprecedented willingness on the part of all actors but more ‎importantly, the youths because they are the future of tomorrow and the strength of today. It requires every one of us ‎to help bring AIDS out of the shadows, and spread the message that silence is death.‎ We, the youths are principal in combating issues pertaining to AIDS, especially stigmatization and discrimination. Sadly, ‎this truth have not been internalized and far from being explored. We should stand accountable for our future, the ‎merits and demerits, the successes and the failure. We have enormous strength when we come together on a common ‎front.

We are unstoppable. And until the numbers decline, the campaigns must continue, the awareness must increase ‎and the bond must get stronger.

Individually and collectively, we must lift up the banner – AIDS stops with me! ‎

Accountability… requires every president and prime minister, every parliamentarian and politician,to decide and declare ‎that “AIDS stops with me” - Kofi Annan, UN secretary-general, November 29, 2006‎

Adeyemi Oluwaseun John is a final year medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University and he is the Photography Editor of The IFMSA Publications Team

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behavioral change, national responses, and increasing access to prevention, care and treatment. Working ‎on these platforms, victory is certain, at least, theoretically. And in enlivening the “conquest model”, the concerted ‎effort of all and sundry as well as evidence-based strategies is needed.‎ Nonetheless, barriers abound on these platforms, making it difficult to combat the scourge.

Occurring concomitantly are ‎issues pertaining to stigmatization, discrimination and denial of the existence of AIDS resulting into the continual ‎widening of the gap between what could be done to stop AIDS and what is actually being done today.‎ But challenges are meant to be overcome and barriers surmounted for only in attaining a level www.ifmsa.org

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Considerations for Vulnerable Populations in Research and Health Interventions

Helena J. Chapman, MPH Medical student (MSIV) Iberoamerican University (UNIBE) School of Medicine Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Public health is a discipline that combines health promotion and disease prevention toward improved ‎quality of life, health and wellbeing for citizens1. Conducting evaluation, emergency responses or ‎surveillance to target populations adds new knowledge to society2. Research studies solely aim to ‎generate this new scientific knowledge, whereas health interventions seek to improve overall health, ‎programs or services of the community2. The common denominator that entails an ethical evaluation of ‎the respective protocol is the definition of vulnerable populations who are used as target research or i‎ntervention participants.‎

clearly, but also any new information arising regarding risks of the particular study or identified in the current literature should immediately be presented to the participant.

The individual may select to participate or to end participation at any time during the study. Hand in hand with freedom to express autonomy and dignity toward the respect of one’s beliefs or decisions without coercion, the informed consent is formal documentation that these principles should not be violated3.Untoward side effects from this study require the researcher to terminate the research protocol immediately.

Vulnerable populations, which include minors (under 18 years of age) or elderly persons (over 60 years ‎of age), institutionalized or homeless persons, or persons with mental illness, terminal illness or ‎HIV/AIDS, may be defined as those with a “temporary or permanent, individual or collective inability to ‎make a valid evaluation of the risk-benefit relationship” when agreeing to participate in a research study3. ‎All researchers are required to submit their proposed research protocols and consent form documentation ‎to the bioethics committee (Institutional Review Board) at their institution for review pending approval. ‎Studies which aim to improve health services are not required to submit this respective documentation2,4. ‎However, since both types of research studies and interventions equally invade the privacy and decision-‎making for vulnerable populations, objectives and protocols should be carefully reviewed and unethical ‎implications identified in this review process.‎

2) Beneficence, which describes Hippocrates’ “do no harm” principle, is the ability to evade intentional or unnecessary damage and prevent its occurrence3,5. Research protocols should be created by educated and competent individuals, exhibit a scientific and socially valid design, and present evidence of maximized benefits and reduced potential risks toward protection of the target population3. Study consent forms should be designed in simple language, carefully evaluating the appropriate literacy levels of the community.

Three principles in bioethics

Bioethics review committees must consider the following three important principles in bioethics upon ‎protocol review and grant authorization before initiation of the research study:‎ 1) Autonomy describes the respect for an individual and the ability to make informed and voluntary decisions3,5. This assumes that the researcher will explain the protocol in detail so that individuals can make an educated decision on their intent to participate in the research study. Not only should all potential benefits and risks be explained Page 8

3) Justice, or fairness, is the equal treatment of individuals to what is morally appropriate3. All participants should be provided the same opportunity to be selected and have the respective risk-benefit relationship3,5.

Potential participants should be selected via random sampling measures.

Vulnerable populations

The Declaration of Helsinki (1964) established ethical principles toward the protection of health and ‎human rights of individuals in medical research3. While capacity considers the emotional, mental and ‎physiologic base necessary for decision-making, competency regards the legal ability of an individual to ‎make a decision3.

These concepts describe the vulnerability of those persons who can be easily coerced ‎or persuaded into decision-making or those persons who are unable to make their own decisions. The ‎Belmont Report (1979) considered the use of respect for participants through the informed consent, ‎beneficence through evalua-

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tion of the risk-benefit ratio and justice through random selection of ‎participants3.‎ The following three examples present and describe specific vulnerable populations:‎ • Extreme age groups: The legal inability of a minor (under 18 years of age) to consent to a research study requires the ‎authorization of an adult guardian. However, some countries consider age, growth and development ‎and psychosocial development to emphasize decision-making abilities, permitting children over 16 ‎years of age to consent without authorization of an adult guardian3.‎ Example: Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, New York (1954): Institutionalized ‎children with mental incapacity received hepatitis virus injections for research observations of the ‎natural history of the virus3.‎ The inability of an elder individual (over 60 years of age) to understand the consent process may be ‎due to cognitive deterioration, auditory or visual difficulties3.‎ Example: Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital in Brooklyn, New York (1956): Elderly persons ‎were injected with cancerous cells without their consent for researchers to observe the ‎relationship between physical weakness and cancer rejection3.‎

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1972): African-American males infected with syphilis were ‎studied prospectively and never offered existing penicillin treatment, which permitted research ‎observations on the natural history of syphilis3.‎ • Reduced education levels Individuals with lower education levels may be illiterate or show difficulties in analytical thought ‎processing. Although they may not fully comprehend the research protocol or risk-benefit relationship ‎‎– due to advanced vocabulary in the protocol or rapid explanation by the researchers – they may feel ‎obligated to participate and remain active in the research study, embarrassed that the researchers may ‎judge their actions if they desire to withdraw during the study duration. Also, consent forms may be ‎revised using back-translation techniques for those participants who are non-native English speakers ‎as they may not fully understand the details of these documents in English.‎ These vulnerable populations must be considered for: (1) special characteristics that define their ‎vulnerability status, (2) capacity and competence in decision-making, (3) maintenance of autonomy, ‎beneficence and justice, and (4) associated benefits and risks3.‎

References: 1) Ogilvie D, Craig P, Griffin S, Macintyre S, Wareham NJ. (2009).

A translational framework for public health research. BMC Public Health 9: 116.

2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1999). Guidelines for defining public health research and public health nonresearch <http://www. cdc.gov/od/science/ regs/hrpp/researchdefinition.htm>.

3) Lolas F, Quezada A, Rodríguez E (ed).

(2006). Investigación en salud: Dimensión ética. CIEB, Universidad de Chile: Chile.

4) MacQueen KM, Buehler JW (2004).

Ethics, practice, and research in public health. Am J Public Health 94(6): 928-931.

5) Lolas F. (2001). Aspectos éticos de la investigación biomédica: Conceptos frecuentes en las normas escritas.

Rev Med Chile 129(6): 680-684.

Vulnerable populations may be defined as those with a “temporary or permanent, individual or collective inability to make a ‎valid evaluation of the risk-benefit relationship”‎

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Conclusions

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• Stigma-associated diseases Specific “social diseases” – Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS or mental illness – tend to carry stigma and ‎discrimination with those affected persons4. Social isolation, limited access to health care, poor living c‎ onditions or clinical sequelae may reduce quality of life, adherence to medication regimen or overall ‎disease outcomes. If individuals desire to withdraw from a study, they may feel forced to remain as ‎an active participant for fear that their withdrawal will incite a break in the confidentiality rules. In ‎turn, they fear that this indiscretion will negatively impact their economic status or access to health ‎care3.‎ Example: Tuskegee, Alabama (1932-

Research studies and public health interventions both intend to contribute evidence based information to ‎be used in the health care providers’ practice. The designed protocol for the target population should be ‎carefully reviewed for the risks of conducting such studies or interventions with vulnerable populations ‎and the potential for violation of bioethical principles.

Exclusion of vulnerable populations is not the ‎answer; on the contrary, inclusion of this population is critical in the generation of new information and ‎adaptation to current protocols and strategies3. Continued efforts are considering new evaluation ‎methods for ethical conduct irrespective of research or intervention design4.‎

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Homosexuality is not the problem, Homophobia is Any kind of discrimination because of race, religion, sexual orientation or ‎any other condition is unacceptable. Homophobia is any fear, ‎prejudice, aversion, antipathy or rejection towards homosexuality, ‎bisexuality or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) people. It ‎includes all kinds of discrimination,

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acceptable to discriminate because of race, or gender ‎‎(isn’t our past president Silva a woman?) why do we keep accepting ‎discrimination because of sexual orientation?‎ Please help us eliminate the hate and discrimination, avoid ‎homophobia! Homopho-

As any ‎ other kind of discrimination Homophobia seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, ‎to deny their humanity, their dignity

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Patricia Vázquez Rivas Chihuahua, México.

such as laughing, making fun, ‎insulting, physical violence and in some countries even murder. As any ‎other kind of discrimination it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, ‎to deny their humanity, their dignity...‎

bia affects all society, not just LGBT people. It’s ‎time for us to make a difference. If we want to see a change we must start ‎individually, in order to see a difference around us. We all have the same ‎inside, and we all have the right to live a plenty, decent, and satisfactory life ‎feeling free to express our sexual orientation without being afraid of being a ‎victim of rejection, insults, discrimination or any kind of violence. If you ‎have homophobic attitudes inform yourself!

Information is the best way to ‎prevent homophobia.‎

Remember we can all fight against homophobia, it doesn’t matter ‎which is your sexual orientation. You don’t need to be gay to fight against it, ‎just as you don’t need to be black to fight against racism. Homosexuality is ‎not the problem, homophobia is.‎ As IFMSA members, or simply as future physicians, we must l‎ive by setting the example. We’re supposed to be people with human ‎quality, we must help, take care and accept all patients no matter what is ‎their sexual orientation. IFMSA has taught us to coexist and accept people ‎from different countries, cultures and religions. We’re a federation that ‎unifies and include people, not the other way around.‎ I invite you to reflex about this terrible condition. It’s amazing that ‎still in the 21th century we continue to have this kind of attitudes. If we ‎were capable of getting over racism, machism, why not doing it also with ‎homophobia? If it isn’t Page 10

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Crossing Magna Carta

However, the enactment of perfectly drafted policies and rules would prove ‎immensely difficult as we move into the 20th century with the emergence of world wars ‎and global conflicts.

The United Nations set the non-binding mandate of human rights in ‎the form of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War. By ‎the end of the 20th century, one could easily be lead to believe that the world has reached ‎‎’relative peace and fulfillment of human rights’ after all the major wars have ended and ‎we reached a general consensus to recognize international human rights. So why are ‎hundreds dying on a daily basis from starvation and diseases we know the cause and ‎treatment of? Why do we find people denied healthcare even in the wealthiest of states? ‎Why is it that we never considered healthcare deprivation or discrimination an injustice ‎parallel to others as murder or slavery? ‎ We crossed Magna Carta. At the point where you compromise your basic human ‎rights such as the ‘right to life, liberty and security of person’ and forget our obligation to ‎hold the authorities accountable once they lead their people to a state of silent oppression ‎and deprivation of the people’s needs while presenting the world a false and more ‎cheerful socioeconomic picture than the one which can be surprisingly unimaginable. The ‎fact that we witness these phenomena means we abandoned our inherited right www.ifmsa.org

to stand ‎up for what is humane and essentially crossed the basic tenants of the first statement ‎holding all powers accountable, Magna Carta.

Some nations adopted human right ‎fulfillment in every aspect of governance while most nations have fell behind over the ‎years to reach the basic standard of human rights implementation or even recognition.‎ It was not until 2010 started to close its gates for the start of a new year that one ‎would sense the growing rebellious tendency in the alleyways, squares and streets of the ‎Middle East.

The developing public discontent finally manifested in the form of a historic ‎rebellion or up-

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we abandoned our inherited right to stand up for what is humane

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Magna Carta is considered one of the greatest constitutional documents of all ‎times for it was the first of its kind to be enforced on an English king back in 1215. It is ‎considered as the beginning to the rule of constitutional law in the English speaking world ‎but necessarily is one of the main resolutions of human rights in history initially ‎symbolizing that a king is bound by law and is held accountable by the population being ‎governed. ‎ Similar progression and development in the civilizations’ mentality and policy ‎drafting contributed to the evolution of humanity’s interrelationships in a manner that ‎rulers are no longer the only decision-makers in our age and that everyone has a role in ‎shaping their community’s future. Civil societies with international networks, trade ‎unions, non-governmental organizations and socially-responsible enterprises would now ‎claim that the every effort and activity of their entity is invested to support the most ‎important values of human rights, equality & human dignity. ‎

Omar Mukhtar A 2nd year Medical Student from Egypt and the Editor of this issue of the SCORPion

rising in more than 5 major Arab nations most of which are still ongoing to ‎this very day. The Tunisian revolution started what analysts call the ‘domino effect’ which ‎acted as spark for other Arab nations to start their long awaited awakening. The steady ‎unfolding of events and breaking the chains of decades-long political and social ‎oppression is currently producing magnificent, horrible and unpredictable consequences ‎and which will persist in the following years. It is the careful observation of history’s ‎events and its ever-ending stories of human conduct and conflict that we would be able ‎point out and stand-up to injustice by learning from our past mistakes.‎ The fact that many have forgot to speak against deprivation and corruption ‎around them over time has lead to a crippling state in society which ultimately prevents ‎developing many nations and communities to optimum condition.

Learning from our past ‎mistakes and recognizing global human rights and implementing them is inseparable ‎element to reach the humane world we want to be a part of. ‎

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The SCORPion | Third Edition

The SCORPLeDatabase t’s share our work

and ideas!

During the last weeks and months, your devoted SCORP team has worked a lot on trying to ‎improve the SCORP internationally. We wanted to rethink how things were done, we ‎attempted to strongly reaffirm what human rights and peace meant for us, and we thought of ‎new ideas to keep you all motivated and informed.

Amongst this work, we wanted to update the

of our innermost values. ‎ The SCORP might be the committee which touches the broadest themes in IFMSA. A good ‎database is therefore essential to gather all our work and to show the SCORPion’s strong spirit ‎to the world and to fellow SCORPions. We will work hard on making this updated database ‎come true. But it will never be finished, since we always have new ideas and we always find

Marc-André Lavallée

by Fares Al-Fares

SCORP POEM

SCORP Regional Assistant for the Americas

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SCORP database. A database stands in the core ‎of every standing committee. It gathers all projects shared by members all over the world. ‎Since the projects we run are the most relevant picture of what we really are, we can say that ‎the Database is kind of a family book that pictures what SCORP really represents for us. Our ‎projects are the concrete affirmations

‎ otivation to start something new and refreshm ing. Therefore, the database will always be in a ‎continuous evolution. It will be dynamic. As soon as a new project emerges, remember to ‎send it to the database coordinators so that it’s linked forever with the great SCORP spirit!‎

We are the Standing Committee of Human Rights and Peace We represent the North, South, West, and East We stand together all with strength and Pride We will do all we can, so that crimes can’t hide

Fear not the consequences of speaking what’s true But fear the actions, of what you didn’t do For the future can be guided by your hands Speak now, for the world shall listen to your demands

Whether we come from near, or far away We all have the same thing to say To Stand up, and speak up, for all Human Rights To stick together, and to always unite

Do not give up, do not stay down Always smile, and never frown Keep your head up high, just like a cloud Because you’re SCORPion, always be Proud!‎

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INCommunity INcommunity

Caring fo r lo communit cal neglected ies

By Marc-André Lavallée and Anne-Sophie Thommeret-Carrière Project coordinators, IFMSA-Québec The SCORP aims to promote values of equity, justice and solidarity. We often say that humans ‎are born free and equal; but actually, we need to understand that they are born in a specific ‎situation with social and economic determinants, which make them far from equal.

That’s why ‎solidarity is important; to give everyone the opportunity to achieve their goal in their lives, ‎even when they begin at different starting points. ‎ We might think that those inequities only happen between low-income countries and ‎developed ones. That may be why we are witnessing a strong tendency of medical students ‎volunteering abroad. However, the values that bring us to travel miles away to try to give a ‎little bit of support to an unknown community,

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we can’t even imagine, even when we feel at first glance that they are surrounded by ‎wellbeing. And if SCORP promotes justice, equity and solidarity, it needs to create projects ‎that take into consideration those social determinants and those local neglected populations. ‎ In Québec, we created the INcommunity project. We realized that the best way to help, as ‎medical student, is to increase the knowledge we have on those neglected communities in a ‎preparation for our future career. Many students told us that they wanted to know more ‎about many specific communities because they felt they weren’t enough aware of their ‎needs, and enough exposed to those populations during their years of study. They also think ‎they wouldn’t know how to deal with them in their

INcommunity ‎tries to give students the most realistic contact possible with the community of their choice, so t‎hat they become better to work with them.

Often, the answer will be yes, because there are always socioeconomic disparities among ‎communities of a same country. Even among people of a same village, a same neighbourhood, ‎and a same family. In Canada, a welldeveloped country with a strong economy, we can find ‎some aboriginal villages, some homeless people, or people from any other neglected ‎communities living in the same conditions as some villages of the poorest countries in the ‎world. Many people living in the innermost neighbourhoods of Montreal lack access to ‎health care in spite of the proximity of many hospitals, because we don’t know how to reach ‎them and how to deal with their needs. We need to be aware that health is governed by many ‎social determinants and because of that, some people might suffer from a lack of resource ‎that www.ifmsa.org

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with cultural dimensions totally different from ‎ours, should bring us to a question: Isn’t there anyone around us, in our own country, in a ‎cultural context we already know and understand, that could be in the same situation of ‎unfulfilled needs? ‎

future practice as physicians. INcommunity ‎tries to give students the most realistic contact possible with the community of their choice, so ‎that they become better to work with them, and ultimately to advocate for them. ‎

By doing local summer immersions associated with learning material, trainings, mentorship and ‎debriefings, we want to break the walls and to show the daily reality of neglected ‎communities. Because we know that what we fear is what we don’t know enough. We ‎currently have immersions with aboriginal people, migrants, and people living mostly in cities, ‎like intravenous drug users, sex workers and homeless people. We expect to be able to ‎create a fourth immersion next summer with prisoners and also to expand the project to other ‎cities and NMOs. We know that the SCORP family will help us to advocate for local neglected ‎communities.‎

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Can You Hear the Candles Speak?

By IFMSA-Taiwan, Heng-Wei Chang, VPE 2010 -2011

It was the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial co-organised by the Harmony ‎Home Association Taiwan and Taipei Medical University Hospital, where many came ‎forward to show their support for AIDS patients. The Harmony Home Association Taiwan ‎is an organization that has been dedicated to AIDS patient care since 1993; it provides ‎shelters and services aiming to help patients reintegrate into the society. On the other ‎hand, physicians from the Taipei Medical University hospital have actively been involved ‎in the care of AIDS patients, offering medical help to those who came forward.‎ The memorial originally started in 1983 in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New ‎York, aiming to commemorate the dear ones who passed away from AIDS. More ‎importantly, it sought to show support for the brave ones who are still fighting against ‎HIV.‎ Since 1984 when the first HIV positive case was reported in Taiwan, there had ‎been more than 18,847 HIV-infected patients in the nation up to the April of 2010. After ‎being informed of their condition, many patients suffered from depression, social ‎stigma, and sometimes even misunderstanding from their loved ones.‎ Before the “HIV Prevention and Protection of Patients’ Rights Act” was passed in ‎Taiwan in 2007, there was no regulation enforcing the rights of AIDS patients holistically. ‎After reinforcement of the act, welfare and rights of patients have been greatly ‎improved. Under the law, patients have protected legal rights to education, healthcare, ‎work, and residency. Similar Page 14

to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by ‎the United Nations, no individuals could deny patients access to the aforementioned ‎human rights under the new act. And more importantly, no single person should ever ‎impose discrimination against patients.‎ Even with the “HIV Prevention and Protection of Patients’ Rights Act” around, ‎there are still much more room for improvement. Discrimination and prejudice could ‎only be removed from the bottom of our heart. Understanding and a pair of listening ‎ears are the key. ‎ During the “LOVE TAIWAN” International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, I heard the ‎fragile voices from a group that took so much courage to speak. I wish I could hold these ‎precious voices in my palm and pass them on just like how we passed the candlelight. ‎The light may be small

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To see when others won’t To listen when people refuse to And to speak for those who can’t

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Have you ever heard candles speak? It’s the ‘candle language’ they call it. They ‎come in whispers, soft but powerful enough to make an imprint. All you need is a caring ‎heart to hear it. I am fortunate enough to hear it once. And until then, I never knew candles, too, speak ‎ such a telling language.‎

From The Students’ Credo for Human Rights, First Asia-Pacific Training on Medicine and Human Rights, Manila Philippines, October 1999

but never dim; you will be amazed by the thousands of miles it ‎travels. Of course there are times when the light gets blown out, but remember, it could ‎always be re-lighted by other candles surrounding it. With understanding, love, and ‎hope, no candles are ever going to remain in darkness. It is this relentless spirit of ‎lighting and relighting that creates a shiny path which is not necessarily easy to travel ‎but definitely beautiful.‎ Could you hear the candles speak? I hear a thousand voices speaking. Sharing ‎with you this unified voice from Taiwan.

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The International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia The 17th May 2011 was an important day for Bulgaria. While some Bulgarians were ‎celebrating the world Hypertension day by giving free medical examinations and giving ‎advice how to preserve one’s cardio-vascular system; others were devoted on the idea of ‎tolerance to people with different sexual orientation. They did so by organising activities in ‎the capital city of Sofia, such as piquing public interest to the problems that LGBT (lesbian, ‎gay, bisexual, transsexual) people suffer from, and giving a clear idea of the consequences of ‎homophobia and transphobia which remain unknown. ‎ The celebrations started early in the morning by the medical students from the Medical ‎University of Sofia. The future doctors sent their message of tolerance and acceptance to their ‎fellow citizens by a flying a “Rainbow Flag” as well as posters that they have already ‎prepared for the event. The initiative was made by The Committee on Human Rights and ‎Peace in “Association of Medical Students in Bulgaria”.‎

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sensitivity in Bulgarian citizens. ‎ Furthermore, a tour along the centrals boulevards brought together 80 boys and girls of ‎all ages devoted to the idea of ensuring full legal equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans‎sexual people by “Cycling Against Homophobia” in Sofia. The slogans displayed were ‎‎“No more Hatred” and “Sofia without Homophobia” as a symbol of the struggle of LGBT ‎against prejudices, and that they are prevalent in their society, and they have a presence. This ‎is real progress for LGBT Bulgarians, who have traditionally been quiet about these issues. ‎This first step in the field done next to the National Assembly of the Republic for first time, ‎highlights a successful development of respect and implementation of the rights of LGBT p ‎ eople.‎ The celebration finished with a wonderful exhibition of “Images against Homophobia” ‎by the American photographers Charles Meacham and Sarah Baxter that will have been in ‎Bulgaria for 2 weeks. The exhibition is outside the

The slogans displayed were ‎‎“No more Hatred” and “Sofia without Homophobia” as a symbol of the struggle of LGBT ‎against prejudices, and that they are prevalent in their society, and they have a presence

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A video portraying the true stories of people who have been victims of homophobia ‎was presented in the afternoon at the metro station of Sofia University “St. Kliment ‎Ohridski”.

The victims were sharing their stories about being abused, even physically, in their ‎societies, workplace, and even their own home. Another story told is one of a fellow human ‎being is the terrible experience of domestic abuse as a teenager, which eventually lead to a ‎suicide attempt. The movie “I am not a target” impressed many people through out the day ‎and it affirmed the increasing human solidarity and

Courthouse and everyone was welcome to ‎see it for free. The facade of the Ministry of Justice is a sign of necessary tolerance and ‎support because we are all born free and equal and we all have the same rights simply because ‎we are humans, regardless of our race, sex, religion, and most certainly our sexual orientation.‎

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International Children’s Day The right to play and rest, the right to choose your own friends, the right to good ‎quality education... These are some of the rights of a child- the child that I once was, that you ‎were and the ones who we are yet to be born.‎

of colours, but one curious man of 40 ‎years asked to have his cheek painted too. We would have said that he was too old, but he p ‎ roved to us that he had the spirit of a child, with it sharing happiness, spontaneity and ‎creativity. ‎

The First of June is a special day for all the children! It has been celebrated for many ‎years in Bulgaria in order to raise awareness of society to children. This year, young ‎representatives of Leo Club-Sofia and members of the Association of Medical Students in ‎Bulgaria devoted this day to Children.‎

In order to make this day much more special, the children were write a wish on a paper ‎and put it in a red box. They believed that wishes on that day would become a reality!‎

The event took place in the front of the famous theater in the capital city of Sofia- ‎‎“Ivan Vazov”.

Youths from both organisations were already prepared welcome signs, ‎colourful balloons, drawing materials, and games. The program consisted of a lot of fun and ‎smiles!‎

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The First of June is a special day for all the children!

While the kids were having fun their families, and the organizing youths involved realized ‎how magical it is to be a child.‎ Some people may say that few hours of attention to kids is not enough to make a ‎significant impact in the world of human rights, but others will rhetort that moments of ‎respect, tolerance and understanding to the others may change lives!‎

The first person who approached the youths was a six year old girl who arrived before ‎the beginning of the event and the last one to leave with them after the end of the event. ‎

The celebrations started with painting faces, animals, flowers, cities, and whatever else ‎came to the mind of these children. More than 15 children together were concentrated on ‎expressing their creative fantasies on paper.

Among them there was a queue for the rest of the ‎children who wanted to have their faces painted, they said it best in “Painting on a paper is ‎nice but having a butterfly on the face is much more exciting!”, shared one young girl waiting ‎in the queue. ‎ Some of the children spent hours writing and painting , others were too shy of the ‎large crowds of other children laughing and painting.

Instead, their parents were staying next ‎to them taking photos and talking to the young organizers of the event. The parents also ‎didn’t miss the chance to express their gratitude for the attention to their children taken by ‎Leo Club and AMSB. ‎ Not only the kids were involved in the world

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Playing room

By Melika Hanifiha NORP IFMSA-Iran 2010-2011 (melika_tums@yahoo.com)

In our country medical students spend two and a half years studying medical sciences without any ‎interaction with patient or even seeing a hospital. We often find that after these years, our students lose their ‎sense of humanity; which in fact was the main reason why many of them to choose medicine. We also had ‎pinpointed problems in our health care system which could easily be solved by the intervention of students. ‎

Our project was done as a charity project in the “Children Medical Center” in Tehran, which is one of ‎the Educational hospitals of “Tehran University of Medical Science”.‎ We found that in the Children Medical Center there isn’t any place for the children to play, which ‎makes the hospital a dull and fearsome place.

So we decided to prepare playing rooms! Our plan taken over a period of three months; we started our ‎first step in the Hematology ward during October 2010. We were given a room and start making it a warm and ‎cheerful place for children.

and play with children, an important trait for a future medic. The volunteers were divided ‎into groups who were given responsibilities on certain days of the week along a 3month period in which they ‎came to the playing during in the afternoon for at least two hours. After three successful months, we had ended ‎our project in this ward and began working on our next one.

The volunteers then decide if they wish to continue ‎to the next step, or to pull out. This allows for new volunteers interested to join, and they in turn will be given ‎workshops as well.

As long as we have both enough volunteers and a sufficient budget, we will be able to make ‎a new playing room in other wards of the hospital.‎ We had been given inspiring feedback by both staff and parents, saying that the children were happier ‎and they have became fond of the medical staff. Up until now we have made three playing rooms ‎‎(Hematology, Nephrology, Gastroenterology), as a matter of fact two months after we had completed the ‎Hematology playing room, something very exciting had happened. The head of the Hematology department ‎was so impressed by our project that she decided to carry on the project with her own plans and budget, aiming ‎to perfect the playing room. We are delighted that we helped and inspired the staff to do so and give an ‎awareness to parents of the rights of their children. Currently, we are in charge of two playing rooms, one being ‎in the Nephrology ward, and the other in Gastroenterology. ‎

Our Volunteers were then trained by workshops which were given by a psychologist.

Most of the ‎volunteers where medical students in their pre-clinical (basic science) stage of their studies. These volunteers ‎learned how to work www.ifmsa.org

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Peace Test Project

By Cinthia Jaqueline Baia de Souza.

NORP IFMSA Brazil 2010-2011.

Peace Test Project Coordinator 2010-2011 The conflicts have multiplied, be they military or determined by the disintegration of ‎civil society. We leave the century of world wars without optimism, seeing the ‎differences and growing belligerence of nations. Civil violence increases, surpassing ‎the limits of poverty stains that cover the periphery of large cities.‎

In the present, accordingly to recent research collected by the actual project ‎coordinators, since the last six months four NMOs have applied PT, gaining ‎amazing results, however, facing challengeable obstacles as well.‎

During these times of great intolerance and violence, the youth of our society is ‎one of the most fragile and exposed groups. As future professionals of health, ‎citizens and potential modifying agents of our surroundings, we could not stand b ‎ y only watching.‎

results from the questionnaire ‎once you have it?‎

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The “X” question usually is: what to do with the

We leave the century of world wars without optimism, seeing the d ‎ ifferences and growing belligerence of nations

Furthermore, we are taught to deal with threats to life, it is expected from us advice, ‎action and spirit of solidarity, intrinsic gestures from the art of medicine. Ready to ‎provide necessary assistance, we must prepare ourselves for that.‎ We, as human beings, as medical undergraduates face extensive tasks, difficult and ‎complex.

We can not procrastinate or ignore it.‎ That is why, more than ever, Peace Test Project (PT) is so needed and effective.‎ With a history of a decade, approximately, PT has been active in more than 15 ‎countries, mobilizing medical undergraduates and students from all around the ‎world.‎ Discussing issues such as the influence of media over our opinions and ‎acceptance degree over serious matters happening in our realities, we aim to ‎help young people resist the process of moral disengagement, to raise ‎awareness and open discussion on these topics, we hope to provoke people to ‎question the arguments used for resorting to violent or discriminatory actions, ‎and to think of peaceful alternatives.

Although there is a good amount of ‎victories, such as new NMOs applying and reporting positive experiences, PT is n ‎ ot flawless.‎ Page 18

A creative example is from MedSIN Sudan, where they have organized a ‎symposium to discuss and analyze the results. Thaty T. Ernani¹ has made some ‎suggestions: “I present the results to the group who took the test, and let them tell ‎me what they think about it after the discussion we had. I think if we standardize it, ‎we can compare data from different parts of the world.”‎ We would appreciate what you all have to share and suggest to us, ideas are very ‎welcomed.

There is too much to be done, to be revised and discussed. As time ‎progresses, as society presents to us new situations and realities, we must follow its ‎path. Let’s improve PT project together!

References: 1) NORP of IFMSA Brazil 2006-2007.

Peace Test Coordinator 2007-2008.

SCORP D 2008-2009.

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SCORP International Regional & Development Team Assisstants SCORP Officials

Jihad Abd Algadir Imam SCORP RA for African Region 20102011

Marc-André Lavallée SCORP RA for Pan American Region 2010-2011

Beata Syzdul SCORP Director 2010-2011

Dini A. Mirasanti SCORP RA for Asia-Pacific Region 2010-2011

Khairat El-Habbal SCORP RA for Eastern Mediterranean Region 2010-2011

Diana Tashkova SCORP RA for Europe Region 20102011

Diego Iemmi Liaison Officer for Human Rights & Peace issues 2010/2011

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Esther Vroege SCORP DA for NMOs 2010-2011

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Algeria (Le Souk) Argentina (IFMSA-Argentina) Armenia (AMSP) Australia (AMSA) Austria (AMSA) Azerbaijan (AzerMDS) Bahrain (IFMSA-BH) Bangladesh (BMSS) Bolivia (IFMSA Bolivia) Bosnia and Herzegovina (BoHeMSA) Bosnia and Herzegovina - Rep. of Srpska (SaMSIC) Brazil (DENEM) Brazil (IFMSA Brazil) Bulgaria (AMSB) Burkina Faso (AEM) Burundi (ABEM) Canada (CFMS) Canada-Quebec (IFMSA-Quebec) Catalonia - Spain (AECS) Chile (IFMSA-Chile) China (IFMSA-China) Colombia (ASCEMCOL) Costa Rica (ACEM) Croatia (CroMSIC) Czech Republic (IFMSA CZ) Denmark (IMCC) Ecuador (IFMSA-Ecuador) Egypt (EMSA) Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt) El Salvador (IFMSA El Salvador) Estonia (EstMSA) Ethiopia (EMSA) Finland (FiMSIC) France (ANEMF) Georgia (GYMU) Germany (BVMD) Ghana (FGMSA) Greece (HelMSIC) Grenada (IFMSA-Grenada) Hong Kong (AMSAHK) Hungary (HuMSIRC) Iceland (IMSIC) Indonesia (CIMSA-ISMKI) Iran (IFMSA-Iran) Israel (FIMS) Italy (SISM) Jamaica (JAMSA) Japan (IFMSA-Japan) Jordan (IFMSA-Jo) Kenya (MSAKE) Korea (KMSA) Kurdistan - Iraq (IFMSA-Kurdistan/Iraq)

Kuwait (KuMSA) Kyrgyzstan (MSPA Kyrgyzstan) Latvia (LaMSA Latvia) Lebanon (LeMSIC) Libya (LMSA) Lithuania (LiMSA) Luxembourg (ALEM) Malaysia (SMAMMS) Malta (MMSA) Mexico (IFMSA-Mexico) Mongolia (MMLA) Montenegro (MoMSIC Montenegro) Mozambique (IFMSA-Mozambique) Nepal (NMSS) New Zealand (NZMSA) Nigeria (NiMSA) Norway (NMSA) Oman (SQU-MSG) Pakistan (IFMSA-Pakistan) Palestine (IFMSA-Palestine) Panama (IFMSA-Panama) Paraguay (IFMSA-Paraguay) Peru (APEMH) Peru (IFMSA Peru) Philippines (AMSA-Philippines) Poland (IFMSA-Poland) Portugal (PorMSIC) Romania (FASMR) Russian Federation (HCCM) Rwanda (MEDSAR) Saudi Arabia (IFMSA-Saudi Arabia) Serbia (IFMSA-Serbia) Slovakia (SloMSA) Slovenia (SloMSIC) South Africa (SAMSA) Spain (IFMSA-Spain) Sudan (MedSIN-Sudan) Sweden (IFMSA-Sweden) Switzerland (SwiMSA) Taiwan (IFMSA-Taiwan) Tatarstan-Russia (TaMSA-Tatarstan) Thailand (IFMSA-Thailand) The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (MMSA-Macedonia) The Netherlands (IFMSA-The Netherlands) Tunisia (ASSOCIA-MED) Turkey (TurkMSIC) Uganda (FUMSA) United Arab Emirates (EMSS) United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Medsin-UK) United States of America (AMSA-USA) Venezuela (FEVESOCEM)

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