Social Justice in Health: How Politics, Social Justice and Human Rights Affect Communities of the Southwest

Through a unique collaboration between the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health and the Mexican American Studies Department at The University of Arizona, Project EXPORT fellows organized a Social Justice in Health Symposium to address politics, social justice and human rights in the Southwest. Bringing together multidisciplinary groups of students, faculty and staff throughout the university, the symposium allowed for the exchange of critical analysis about how policies, social injustice and human rights impacts health outcomes and increased awareness and understanding about the importance of partnering public health efforts within other disciplines (e.g. education, business, media, housing, economics, etc.).

Recognizing that policies and the social determinants of health are not mutually exclusive, the symposium emphasized the need for public health to develop a multidisciplinary framework where communities benefit from public health efforts and policies that foster human rights such as access to safe and affordable housing, quality education, and an ability to economically provide for oneself and their families. When these issues are addressed through justice-based and cross-sectoral approaches, then a truly fair and equitable state of health can be realized.

With over 130 attendees, the symposium included three morning sessions: Promoting Social Justice through the Lens of Media; Fairness, Equality and the Educational System; and Social Justice in the Built and Natural Environment. The afternoon session included three main sections: Diverse Perspectives in the Southwest Community; Community Empowerment, Geographic Location, Occupation and Environment as Social Determinants and Creating Change through Student Involvement and Service Learning.