Online Program

Oral

Throughout the twentieth century, politically engaged and socially committed US health professionals have worked in solidarity with progressive movements around the world as comrades with people struggling for social justice, equity, and the right to health. This session will focus on the longstanding international activities of the American health left and the lessons its members brought home by presenting highlights from the new book Comrades in Health: U.S. Health Internationalists, Abroad and at Home (2013), edited by Anne-Emanuelle Birn and Theodore M. Brown. The session will combine historical reflections and first-hand accounts by the book’s editors and chapter authors and present four “mini-panels” of 15 minutes each, followed by 30 minutes of comments and general discussion by the audience.

Session Objectives: Describe motivations of US health workers who worked in solidarity with social justice efforts overseas, together with the professional and personal challenges they faced. Explain how these internationalist efforts helped shape health leftist efforts int he United States Identify historical factors that empowered and impeded health internationalist efforts during the 20th century. Define important issues involved in identifying and responding to health and social justice efforts internationally.