Anti-Oppression

Whether at home or abroad, marginalized groups are often excluded from decision-making that impacts their health. This must change if we are to achieve GlobeMed’s vision of a world in which health–the ability to not only survive, but thrive–is possible for all people. In order to counteract the longstanding effects of colonization and neocolonialism in global health and be more anti-oppressive in our actions and partnerships, we must seek to understand the root causes of health inequities and interrogate the how the current systems we operate within continue to perpetuate those inequities.

GlobeMed commits to actively undoing systems of oppression and domination, which means shifting power to those members of our network who face structural barriers to accessing power in daily life. We believe all of our students, partners, and neighbors deserve to feel powerful in their journeys to living healthy lives. In fact, more than deserve, we believe everyone must be able to feel and be powerful if we are to reach liberation. Because systems are made up of and enforced by individuals, when each of us is able to access our full power potential we are able to collectively change the world. And there lies the pathway to health equity.

This summer, GlobeMed convened network members to develop new Principles, which guide us in putting our values into practice through our day-to-day actions.

Our Principles

As a part of GlobeMed’s strategy to embed anti-oppression into all aspects of the organization, the decision was made to craft principles, with the understanding that principles are values in action. We were inspired by the principles of Design Justice, Disability Justice, and Allied Media Projects.

• We recognize our place in the global health equity movement, and do our part with excellence. We seek out community experts who are already working to solve health and equity problems to work alongside and in partnership when invited.

• We know that the health equity movement is strengthened when everyone feels they have a place to bring their unique and beautiful insights and contributions. This means that we must actively break down the systems of oppression and domination that prevent everyone’s participation.

• We understand that connection and solidarity are integral to our collective liberation. No one person or organization can do it all and we aren’t free until everyone is free.

• We expect to make mistakes and we will work to repair the harm caused by those mistakes. We are open about our learning processes and moments with our community.

• We approach unfamiliar situations with questions and curiosity, centering the experiences of those who are most impacted. We know that when we make assumptions, those are informed by white supremacy culture, and we work to overcome them.

• We care for ourselves and our community, pacing ourselves and resting so that we may commit for the long-term. We listen to our bodies to guide us in our care.

• We do the next right thing, even—especially—when it is difficult. We ask for help to figure out what the next right thing is when we don’t know.

• We celebrate the wholeness of each individual and seek to use each person’s talents to build the world we want to live in.

These principles were drafted based on input from students, partners, and alumni about how we are already living out the organization’s values, and how we could improve.

*Last updated July 2021

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Photo: GlobeMed at University of Cincinnati | GROW 2019