Physicians for Human Rights

What is Physicians for Human Rights? The PHR mission Physicians for Human Rights mobilizes health professionals to advance health, dignity, and justice and promotes the right to health for all. Harnessing the specialized skills, rigor, and passion of doctors, nurses, public health specialists, and scientists, PHR investigates human rights abuses and works to stop them.

PHR’s Work PHR uses the skills of health professionals (forensics, physical exams, epidemiology) to establish evidence of human rights violations. Based on this evidence, PHR provides concrete policy recommendations. Advocacy is essential to ensuring that policies are changed to promote and protect human rights.

Why health professionals? Specialized skills, rigor, knowledge Scientific evidence Objectivity and credibility Influence of the profession Guided by ethical obligations Internationally shared vocabulary and sense of responsibility Interdependence of health and human rights

Why students? Energetic and dedicated – ready to make an impact now Idealistic and visionary – preparing to be the human rights leaders of tomorrow Ready to apply clinical skills as well as develop advocacy and leadership skills Responsive and ready to mobilize Structure of Chapters reinforces convictions and ensures impact

History of PHR 1981 - Dr. Jonathan Fine leads a delegation to Chile to investigate the disappearance of 3 prominent physicians under the Pinochet regime 1983 - Dr. Fine creates The American Committee for Human Rights with Dr. Robert Lawrence & Dr. Eric Stover Other physicians and healthcare workers join the ACHR in leading investigations into human rights abuses abroad (Jane Green Schaller, Carola Eisenberg, H. Jack Geiger) 1990 - Name changed to Physicians for Human Rights

National Student Program The goal of PHR’s Student Program is to advance health professional students’ understanding and lifelong investment in health and human rights activism, and to cultivate their unique contributions as advocates promoting health and human rights locally, nationally and globally.    

Student Advocacy As future health professionals, students across the country advocate on behalf of health and human rights through PHR student chapters. Student advocacy includes: -Organizing direct actions on key health and human rights issues -Raising awareness of health and human rights issues on campuses, in local communities, and in the media -Moving their elected officials to take action -Hosting educational projects with health and human rights experts

What can you do first? Register at http://phrstudents/register Participate in PHR advocacy (sign online petitions, make phone calls, write a letter to the editor) Go to PHR events to develop knowledge and skills Join other students to plan events and network with fellow colleagues who are interested in health and human rights

National Student Program Events Regional Advocacy Institutes Chicago - October 23, 2010 Baltimore – November 13, 2010 Boston – December 4, 2010 National Action The days between World AIDS Day (December 1, 2010) and Human Rights Day (December 10, 2010) PHR National Student Conference February (Boston) Global Health Week of Action Sunday, April 4 to Saturday, April 10, 2010

PHR’s Programs Health and Human Rights Education Campaign Against Torture Asylum and detention International Forensics Program Colleagues at Risk Global Health Action Campaign Regional reports, including Burma, Sudan, Zimbabwe

Health & Human Rights Education The Health and Human Rights Education Campaign (HHRE) provides educational content and organizational resources to expand health professional education and supports student & faculty efforts to incorporate a health and human rights paradigm into the academic work.

Campaign Against Torture PHR's Campaign Against Torture seeks to restore the US commitment against torture, to ensure humane treatment of detainees, and to protect US health personnel from complicity in mistreatment and harm. Currently: Issued a report accusing CIA doctors of experimenting on detainees after 9/11, calling for a government investigation

The Asylum Network The members of PHR's Asylum Network assist asylum seekers by conducting mental and physical evaluations to document the forensic evidence of torture and abuse. The work they do can literally save a life.

Colleagues at Risk Health professionals around the world risk their lives by speaking out and standing up for human rights. At times, simply practicing ethical, non-discriminatory medicine puts health workers at risk. Colleagues at Risk rigorously defends our colleagues and pressures governments for their release, supplementing secondary material with firsthand research and investigation.

International Forensics Program Investigates human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The IFP provides evidence to a wide range of legal institutions and is often able to settle the difficult questions of survivors searching for missing relatives.

Global Health Action Campaign The Global Health Action Campaign aims to establish the right to health as the framework governments use to develop, implement, and fund health programs. Using the skills and expertise of the health professions, the campaign addresses global health issues such as: -Health workforce and health systems strengthening -HIV/AIDS -Women's health -Harm reduction

From a Medical Student… “Health goes beyond [a] working heart, lungs, and limbs. Health entails, and is impacted by, everything that a person encounters. As a future health professional, I can see no way to address medical problems without addressing the social, economic, and political issues that impact humans.” – Patrick Sullivan, Tufts University School of Medicine