The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. The social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities – the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.
As a part of my education in East Asian medicine and Naturopathic medicine, we looked at not only individual determinants of health (your behavior, your choices, your genes and your upbringing) but the social determinants of health (Are you persecuted by your government or by fellow citizens? Do you have freedom of movement, of the ability to better yourself, to accumulate wealth for security?)
This political climate calls upon us to clarify our values and to look at how our actions influence others, and our role in upholding, ignoring, or resisting our social norms and government codes.
To that effect, I want to share these documents about how we can make sure our Representatives in government truly represent our interests, and how to resist without undermining your cause.
Indivisible Guide: A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR RESISTING THE TRUMP AGENDA, Former congressional staffers reveal best practices for making Congress listen. This is both a guide translated into many languages and in both written and audio format, and a community for support.
198 Methods of Nonviolent Action: Practitioners of nonviolent struggle have an entire arsenal of “nonviolent weapons” at their disposal. Listed below are 198 of them, classified into three broad categories: nonviolent protest and persuasion, noncooperation (social, economic, and political), and nonviolent intervention.