Doing Harm Rather Than Good: Bay Area Leader Convenes Key Stakeholders to Scrutinize the Dynamics Behind Students Volunteering Abroad
San Francisco Non-Profit, Child Family Health International, Serves as Key Sponsor to Discussion Leading to Increased Ethical and Safety Standards for Medical Volunteers
San Francisco, California, June 8, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Child Family Health International, an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the UN ECOSOC, is a key sponsor for the ‘Symposium on the Ethics of Help: Creating Global Ambassadors for Patient Safety’ in collaboration with the University of Minnesota.
While standards for ethical practice in international volunteering have been presented by organizations such as the Forum on Education Abroad, the symposium represents a groundbreaking effort to turn these guidelines into actionable policy by asking: “What can we — as individuals, as members and leaders of organizations, institutions, and professional associations — do to understand better the inadvertent risks in volunteering in health care settings, and what strategies can we use to maximize the benefits for patients, communities, volunteers, and institutions everywhere?”
"As a co-founder of GASP and leader of a global health organization, the conversation held at the symposium serves as a crucial step forward in ensuring increased standards of patient safety and equity in global north-global south engagement."
Dr. Jessica Evert, Executive Director, CFHI
Co-hosted by the University of Minnesota’s Health Careers Center, Learning Abroad Center and the Working Group on Global Activities by Students at Pre-Health Levels (GASP), the event brings together key stakeholders in the education abroad community in order to discuss moving beyond the guidelines.
Jessica Evert, Executive Director of CFHI states, “As a co-founder of GASP and leader of a global health organization, the conversation held at the symposium serves as a crucial step forward in ensuring increased standards of patient safety and equity in global north-global south engagement.” The symposium includes lawyers, doctors, ethicists, anthropologists, advisors, and experts from other fields to provide a holistic perspective and action plan that crosses disciplines and institutions.
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Child Family Health International (CFHI) provides community-based Global Health Education Programs for students and institutions. Our unique model fosters reciprocal partnerships and empowerment in local communities, transforming perspectives about self, healing and global citizenship.
Source: CFHI
