The Peace Caucus was founded in 1985 to educate and engage the influential voice of public health professionals in efforts to promote peace. Through outreach and educational activities, we strive to illuminate that peace and social justice are key determinants of the health of individuals and communities across the globe. The Peace Caucus invites abstracts on a broad range of topics relating to peace and social justice, health and human rights. With over 100 active armed conflicts globally, peace must be of paramount importance as a determinant of health.

We seek abstracts that focus on the broad range of health consequences of war, violence and conflict, and on solutions related to their prevention.

We welcome abstracts that will advance the uptake of APHA’s 2009 policy “The Role of Public Health Practitioners, Academics, and Advocates in Relation to Armed Conflict and War” within and beyond APHA, and build on the 2024 APHA Conference theme, “Rebuilding Trust in Public Health and Science.”

We encourage co-sponsorship and participation in planning of these sessions by other sections, SPIGs, and caucuses, as well as by new professionals and students. We are seeking oral presentations and films to be included in the convention film festival. We are not allocated any poster session time slots.

Please feel free to contact Co-Program Planners Patrice Sutton at psutton2000@yahoo.com and Naseem Parsa at nparsa2@uic.edu if you would like to discuss your ideas prior to submission.

Sessions will be developed from the submissions, so do not be completely constrained by these titles.

Broad categories of potential sessions include:

• Costs of War and Conflict
  This topic explores how are individuals/governments/systems held accountable for war crimes? What opportunities are lost when involved in war? What does war financially/socially cost those directly and indirectly involved?
• How Is Peace Conceptualized?
  This topic explores the lived experiences and voices of people on the front lines of war, including their families and communities impacted by war.
• War and Peace Building/Activism
  This topic explores the role of public health professionals in the prevention of war and conflict, including developing and implementing a public health curriculum regarding health impacts of war and the need for primary prevention.
• War and Public Health
  This topic explores the impacts of war and conflict on public health and physical and mental health, including social and structural determinants of health. This includes, but is not limited to, human rights and war, and health impacts of war and conflict on civilians, veterans, and communities.
• Whose Conflicts Count?
  This topic explores disparities in solidarity, empathy, attention, resources, and other aspects paid by the public/governments/anti-war movements to conflicts. How does geopolitical competition among states frame these issues?

Questions? We welcome phone calls prior to abstract deadline to answer your questions, discuss your ideas and suggestions, and help you submit an abstract. 

Continuing Education Credit: APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. Please complete all required information when submitting an abstract so members can claim credit for attending your session. These credits are necessary for members to keep their licenses and credentials. For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter, panelist, and/or discussant must provide:

1) an abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names

2) at least one MEASURABLE SINGLE outcome ("to understand" or "to learn" are not measurable outcomes and compound outcomes are not acceptable). Use only the following Measurable Action Verbs:

  *   Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.

3) A signed Conflict of Interest Disclosure form with a relevant qualification statement

  *   Example of Acceptable Biographical Qualification Statement: (I have been the principal or co-principal of multiple federally funded grants focusing on the epidemiology of drug abuse, HIV prevention and co-occurring mental and drug use disorders. Among my scientific interests has been the development of strategies for preventing HIV and STDs in out-of-treatment drug users.) Please note that I am the Principle Investigator of this study is NOT an acceptable qualification statement.

4) All continuing education learning content must be of sound scientific or professional practice and serve to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills and professional competence of the health professional. Learning content should be evidence-based if available. A list of over 30 areas will be provided online for you to choose from. You will be asked to choose at least one or up to 6 areas that your presentation will address.

  *   Thank you for your assistance in making your session credit worthy. Contact Mighty Fine at mighty.fine@apha.org if you have any questions concerning continuing education.

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Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Patrice Sutton, MPH
psutton2000@yahoo.com


and

Naseem Parsa, MPH/MBA
nparsa2@uic.edu