**This page has not been updated since 2021. It is in the process of being updated. In the meantime, please contact the 2022-2023 Director of Global Health, Khalidha Nasiri, at [email protected] if you have any questions about the global health portfolio**

RP Portfolio

Your National Officer of Human Rights and Peace (NORP) is Kelan Wu from McGill University. You can contact him at [email protected]. He is supported by senior and junior Global Health Advocates (GHAs) at thirteen medical schools across the country. The CFMS recognizes that health equity and respect for persons is a critical component for peaceful and just society. The CFMS also recognizes the importance of advocacy, especially on behalf of marginalized populations, in addressing health disparities. In alignment with these values, the NORP works with local GHAs to develop a national advocacy theme on behalf of the CFMS in relation to the upholding of human rights and the promotion of global peace.Projects under the NORP portfolio include:

Health and Human Rights Pocket Card Series:

• The CFMS Global Health Advocacy program has developed pocket cards that are intended to serve as a concise resource that medical students can refer to regarding various human rights issues, as they relate to health. Topics that have been covered include: domestic and child abuse, environmental health, human trafficking, migrant and refugee health, and the social determinants of drug use. The pocket cards can be found here. [link under construction - Stay tuned!]
• Over the 2019-2020 year, the GHAs have developed pocket cards that were used for the CFMS National Day of Action regarding universal access to contraception. These will be available on the website shortly.

National Advocacy Theme:

• Each year, the NORP works in collaboration with the GHAs to develop a national advocacy theme that guides the development of events at each local school. Previous topics have include refugee and migrant health.Over the 2019-2020 year, the annual theme was selected to be climate change, with a particular focus on the resulting health and social ramifications. GHAs have been working to develop engaging activities, speaker series, and seminars related to climate change, as well as to incorporate climate change issues into medical education (in collaboration the HEART team).

National Day of Action:

• The CFMS organizes a National Day of Action (NDoA) each year in which medical students meet with Members of Parliament (MPs) in Ottawa to advocate for a particular health issue. The NORP and GHAs work collaboratively with the Government Affairs and Advocacy team to organize the event and develop resources to help prepare medical students participating in NDoA.

Collaborations:

• The CFMS maintains close partnerships with the Standing Committee on Rights and Peace (SCORP) within the International Federation of Medical Students (IFMSA), allowing for the sharing of resources and ideas regarding human rights advocacy on a global scale.