Working for the health and betterment of others
GlobeMed at Morgan State
March 2014
Special Interest Articles: • Grow, ghU, and Community Building Updates • Power and Privilege • Retreat Recap • Fundraising Update
Call to Attend Glow Lounge on April 7th! The Glow Lounge is a showcase event where students can come together to listen to performers and discuss issues about global equity. There will be performances ranging from spoken word to dance. The ticket cost will be $5.00. This event will be taking place April 7th in the ballroom of the Morgan State University
Student Center at 7 pm. 100% of the proceeds from this event will go to our partner organization, Knowledge for Children, based in Cameroon, Africa. Toni Hilliard, the event coordinator, devoted her time to make this event successful. Also, the campaigns team held weekend auditions for performers in the middle of
March. With the Glow Lounge coming ever so closer, the Campaigns Team is looking forward to an exciting and successful event to come April 7th!
by raiding every restroom on campus with facts pertaining to this topic. Later we hosted a Jeffersonian dinner and invited many of our campus’ student leaders. We engaged in a dynamic conversation about advocacy and systemic change. Overall this day turned out to be a great success as we were able to make an impact on many people on campus simply through their presence in the restroom. The discussion at dinner allowed us to
recognize our potential as students for advocacy for those in inequitable situations all over the world. As we reflected, it was reiterated that GlobeMed is so much bigger than us and it is possible to make a change if students with innovative ideas, such as ourselves, work together.
Kare’ Collins Campaigns Coordinator
Individual Highlights: GROW Update 2 Power and Privilege
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Staff Retreat
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Community Building
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2014 Summit
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Discussion Panel
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Contact
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ghU Update
GlobeMed Mission GlobeMed aims to strengthen the movement for global health equity by empowering students and communities to work together to improve the health of people living in poverty around the world.
GlobeMed at Morgan State joined the other 54 chapters this year as a first time participant in World Day of Social Justice (WDSJ) on February 20, 2014. We created a statement on campus with a guerilla marketing campaign and hosted a Jeffersonian dinner. In relation to our project to raise money for hand washing sinks for our partner Knowledge for Children, we raised awareness about sanitation and hand washing
Lashaunda Johnson ghU Coordinator
March 2014
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Power and Privilege Often people in power who make decisions for the lowerincome stricken nation are privileged. They hold the key to funding aid to impoverished nations as well. An example of this type of power is debt repayment policies made by international institutions, like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. These policies are known as Structural Adjustment Policies (SAP), which have been known to result in poverty. Policies such as SAP have made poor countries reduce spending on things like health, education,
and development. “In effect, the IMF and World Bank have demanded that poor nations lower the standard of living of their people” (Structural Adjustment). The reason this happens is because the preconditions to receive money from the IMF and the World Bank can keep poor countries dependent on other countries. Poor countries must export more in order to raise enough money to pay their debts. In addition, continuous exportation can result in the decrease of the value of labor
and the increase of social unrest. Last, as IMF donors keep exchange rates in their favor, it often means that the poor nations remain poor or become even poorer. SAP’s have therefore had farreaching consequences around the world. Yet, this is just one of the ways people in power have more control on the less fortunate countries and how inequality is structured into laws at a global scale. Sarai Nwagbaraocha Internal Co-President
GROW Update “In order for change, we must seek answers by asking questions.”
As the Grass Roots Onsite Work (GROW) internship gets closer and closer, we the GROW Team cannot be more excited. We have been preparing for our trip to Cameroon in May by not only doing the groundwork such as getting vaccination shots, applying for passports, and preparing visa applications. We also have started weekly team meetings
not only to spark positive growth between each team member but also to prepare us for this new experience, meeting our partner organization for the very first time as Morgan State University students. For this week’s meeting, we read and discussed a very important article by the name of “Questions are the Leader’s
Most Powerful Tool.” Being not just members of the GROW Team but also of GlobeMed, we strive to all be leaders in the fight for global health equity. In order for change, we must seek answers by asking questions. Kayla Thomas GROW Coordinator
Revising? Campaign of partner organization in Cameroon
1. Anup Shah, Structural Adjustment—a Major Cause of Poverty, Global Issues; Updated: March 24, 2013
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March 2014
Staff Retreat This month at the staff retreat, new members became more familiar with the GlobeMed mission and their mission as young global health leaders. Through several interactive games and activities, we got to know one another on a more personal level. During the retreat we engaged in a very
meaningful activity where the group, spread out into a circle, had to juggle multiple balls at once. Every so often a new ball came into the circle. Here, each ball represented an obstacle that the team may have to face. This exercise allowed us to build a sense of community while also requiring team
members to focus, remember, and multi-task. With food, fun, and great conversations, we really gained a great sense of what GlobeMed really is and who our peers are! Rachael Cheek Community Building Coordinator
Members of GlobeMed at Morgan State learn the difficulties of working together to “juggle” multiple activities and responsibilities symbolized as balls
Community Building Update Over the course of March, the community building committee has met bi-weekly to discuss future volunteer opportunities. In recent service, a few GlobeMed chapter members volunteered at Northwood Elementary by reading to the students. We plan to do a lot of service at this particular school. A couple weeks ago, we had a social outing at Skateland Orchard in Towson, Maryland.
We had a great time skating! Be on the lookout for next month's social event and volunteer opportunities. In April, we will be collaborating with NSBE for the Walk for Education community service event. Details will be sent out very soon! Rachel Cheek Community Building Coordinator Chapter members (from front to back, left to right) Lashaunda, Sarai, internal co-president; Maya, external co-president; Who’sShe ;Derek; Who’sShe ; Rachael; and Kayla at Skateland Orchard
E-MAIL: morgan@globemed.org
March 2014 Just Like Spring, The Summit Has Return! Every year, global health experts, representatives of grassroots global health organizations, and members from all 54 chapters of GlobeMed spread across the country, congregate in
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Evanston, Illinois for an intense three day conference engineered to prepare today GlobeMed students into future leaders in the global health field. For this year, the keynote speaker is Prabhjot Singh,
Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia and Director of Systems Design at the Earth Institute. Surely, this event will be the highlight of the year to all participants.
Upcoming Event: Discussion Panel Come on out the evening of Thursday April 10th to the business building for some great discussion on an issue. At this event hosted by the ghU committee of the chapter, you will become more aware of the social injustices in the nation’s education system. The event will start at 6:30 pm. Broaden your understanding. Join the movement!
Fundraising Update Our goal for this semester is to raise $2000 to support our partner organization, Knowledge for Children, in their effort to install hand washing stations in community schools around Cameroon. We have fundraised
over $800 dollars so far and are coming to the end of our individual giving campaign for the month of March. We still need your help to reach our goal. Contact a GlobeMed at Morgan State staff member
or send an email to Morgan @globemed.org. In order to donate online, follow the link in the “about” section of our Facebook page. We and our partner very much appreciate your donations.
www.GlobeMed.org Check out our partner organization at: KnowledgeForChildren.org
GlobeMed at Morgan State members - Toni Hilliard, Kayla Thomas, and Theo Nehemias- in front of the statute of abolitionist Frederick Douglass on Morgan’s academic quad in front of Holmes Hall
Dig Deep. See Possibility. Grow Together. Be Bold. Stay Authentic.