Challenges in Medical Peace Education

1. Challenges in Medical Peace Education PtH-Challenge ConferenceMay 8, 2005, 09:00-09:30 McMaster University klaus.melf@sih.uit.no

2. Challenges overview • Definitions and concepts • Teaching frameworks • Conflict fields / issues • Objectives • Methodology • Implementation strategies • Access and networking

3. 1. Definition and concepts • What is Medical Peace Education? • Teaching of peace-relevant skills, knowledge, values/attitudes to health professionals • as part of the basic education (compulsory curriculum) • as elective/specialization for students or professionals • as part of continuous medical education • Teaching of medical peace work • What is Medical Peace Work? • What is Peace Work? • What is Peace?

4. What is Peace? • Absence of war • What about other forms of “war”/absence of peace? • Cold War: Mutual Assured Destruction • sanctions: 500.000 children <5 years died in Iraq • occupations • “war against women”: unorganised violence on a large scale level • health ↔ disease = peace ↔ violence

5. Violence = “unnessessary violation of basic needs” (J. Galtung) (survival, well-being, identity and freedom) • direct (physical, verbal, psychological, threat) • structural (socio-economic, political) • cultural (in religion, ideology, language, art, science, cosmology) Health • not merely the absence of disease or infirmity • state of complete physical, mental and social well-being • “capacity of the spirit, the mind, the body and the society to handle pathogens of any kind with insight, creativity, and by healthy means” Peace • not merely the absence of violence • state of mutual beneficial relationships, fair structures, a culture of peace • capacity to handle conflicts with empathy, creativity and by non-violent means

6. content attitude behavior Conflict • (lat.) “clash“ • incompatible goals in a goal-seeking system • challenges the status quo • possibility for improvement • neutral • everywhere and every time • from intern (dilemma) to global When the “immune system” fails => conflict can led to: • frustration (goal not reached) • aggressivity (attitude) • aggression (behavior) ‡ violence (incapacity of constructive conflict handling) ‡ war (extreme violent form of conflict handling)

7. What is Peace Work? • All kind of non-violent activities which • reduce or abolish direct, structural or cultural violence • promote mutual beneficial relationships, fair structures, and a culture of peace • strengthen the peace capacity of individuals and society What is Medical Peace Work? • Using medical peace-qualities, -tools and –opportunities intentionally for improving health through violence prevention and peace promotion.

8. 2. Teaching frameworks • IPPNW: “Medicine and Nuclear War” (1988) • Survey in 1985: 54% of 140 responding medical schools included nuclear weapons • UN-IPPNW-PSR: “Medicine and Peace” (1993) • Modules adjustable to local context • Incl. other types of weapons, war prevention and the physicians’ role • WHO: “Health as a Bridge to Peace” (1999) • Training of health personnel in ethics, human rights, Geneva Conventions, conflict handling

9. 2. Teaching frameworks • MedAct: “Global Health Studies” (2002) • Includes poverty, development need, environmental degradation, and “The Health Implications of Conflict” • McMaster University: “Peace through Health” • World’s first undergraduate course (2004) • University of Tromsø: “Peace, Health and Medical Work” • World’s first graduate course (2005)

10. Micro level Macro level Direct violence Structural violence Cultural violence Different types and levels of violence • Direct, structural and cultural violence • Collective, inter-personal and self-induced violence (WHO) • Mega / macro / meso / micro level The scope of Peace Medicine:

11. Peace through Health Health as a Bridge to Peace Ecosystem Health Global health Violence Prevention Medicine andHuman Rights Health and Human Rights Medical ethics Scope of different frameworks

12. 3. Conflict fields / issues • Which issues should be prioritized? • according to mortality and morbidity: • IPPNW: nuclear weapons, WMD, small arms, land mines • World Report on Violence and Health: suicide • WHO: Poverty and social inequality • everyday experiences: • medical ethics, interpersonal communication • stress and conflict handling • inner peace work • ask medical peace practitioners in Norway?

13. Prioritized conflict issues for Medical Peace Education

14. 4. Objectives • Which peace-relevant skills, knowledge, values/attitudes should be taught? • according to peace effectiveness • Ask what medical peace practitioners in Norway regard as the most important peace-qualities?

18. 5. Teaching methodology Lesions to learn from “medical ethics” or “violence prevention” education research: • Case-oriented • Experiential learning • Multi-disciplinary faculty and curriculum • Goal-driven curricula, stage-specific, tailored to local context, varied and innovative approaches

19. 6. Implementation strategies Lesions to learn from “medical ethics” or “violence prevention” education research: • Demonstration projects (pilot testing and refining, teaching material) • Integrated approach, horizontal and vertical • Electives for interested students (“change agents”) • Support from dean and influential faculty • Support from professional and accrediting organization • Integration into medical licensing examination • Peer-reviewed journal • Centres of excellence • Teaching the teacher (critical mass, modelling)

20. 7. Access and networking What would be the best way to make medical peace education available and to link the experiences? • Conferences • Articles • Internet • Teaching material European “Medical Peace Work” project? • 60h - distant learning course (7 modules) • Online handbook • Teaching ressources (curricula, existing courses, presentations, film material, reference lists, ressource people & organizations)

21. Challenges overview • Definitions and concepts • Teaching frameworks • Conflict fields / issues • Objectives • Methodology • Implementation strategies • Access and networking

22. I would like to thank • Joanna Santa Barbara,Rob Stevens and other conference organizers