Why HBI?

I got to thinking the other day - Why does HBI exist? And, why should people contribute to our work?

I think it goes without saying to state that there is an almost overwhelming level of need in the world. Sometimes this need feels too big to know where to begin. For HBI, we believe that the answer to the question "where do we begin" is collaboration. We believe that together we can source enough resource, enough intellect, enough commitment - to assure every child living on the streets, every adult with complex medical needs living in poverty, and every marginalized community with a desire to strive for wellness can access the services and supports they need.

Right now . . . somewhere in a small village, a squatter community, a city slum – a child has lost hope. The pain and suffering that they have endured for far too long have pushed them to the point of breaking.

Somewhere, right now . . . a child will begin a life on the streets.

There is no way we can know how many children are in such desperate situations. The numbers would overwhelm us even if we did have an accurate means of accounting for their needs. One thing we do know with certainty is that it will take more than one person, one organization or one idea to shift the reality for a child in this desperate situation.

It will take a community. It will take people committed to working in their own countries, their own communities, their own neighborhoods. It will take a movement. This is what HBI is all about. We are committed to shaping a movement.

We know that we cannot reach every child . . . and, we believe that we can empower more people to reach every child. Through our health care outreach programs, our educational conferences, our trainings and our community research we are working to bring greater awareness. We are working to build a community of providers, professionals and concerned citizens dedicated to creating and sustaining change. We are working to build bridges that allow everyone to cross over and make a difference.

We are working to assure that one day soon no child will ever be without hope.

We appreciate the enormous commitment that so many people make to the work of HBI. Please know that every penny we raise will be used to its highest extent. Please know that the work you are doing to help HBI build our capacity – is work that will make a difference in the life of a child without hope, a woman without support, a young person without resources. Please know that you are helping to change the world – by building bridges and empowering communities.

So . . . why does HBI exist? Well, simply stated - we exist to create opportunities and we do this through collaboration.

2012 Andina Restaurant Fundraiser - May 7th and 8th

We are in full swing preparing for the 2012 Andina Restaurant fundraiser.

Check out the flyer above for more information or contact us at: info@HBInt.org

Hurry and reserve your spot . . . the tickets for the event go fast!

Thanks -

How Do We Source Sustainable Change?

I first ran across the Kony 2012 video on a Blog that I frequent to keep abreast of development efforts around the globe. I must admit, I did not give the video much thought. Early this morning, however, I received an email from HBI's Director of Nursing (Karen Falkenstein) with a URL to an article in The Atlantic.

The Atlantic article really caused me to pause and think. Now, I want to state from the very beginning – I can only imagine that the architects of the Kony 2012 message (a San Diego based NGO by the name of Invisible Children) had the best intentions when they decided to pull together the resources to produce their now viral video (last count there were over 71-million views). In reviewing their website and the totality of the campaign, it is obvious that they are working to source change in Central Africa. I just wonder if best intentions are enough.

The message of Kony 2012 is an enticing message. The video shows, through very dramatic juxtapositions and visually stylistic imagery, the ravages of war in Central Africa (Uganda and the DRC) on the lives of children caught in the crossfire. The video points a strong finger at Joseph Kony and his Lord’s Resistance Army (LRC) as the main protagonist in the violence that has spanned some 25-years. Make no bones about it – Joseph Kony is a pernicious terrorist and war criminal. He is a man that is best dealt with in the high court rooms of the International Criminal Court (where he was indited in 2005). He is, however, not the only reason that Central African nations have struggled for so many years.

What made the Atlantic article so eye opening for me was the fact that it brought to light the nuances that underlie the levels and layers of the Kony 2012 video message. It helped me to understand that I am just as guilty as the Invisible Children leadership in hoping that a “quick fix” solution can be materialized (through massive U.S. donations and celebrity endorsements) to end the suffering in Northern Uganda.

I wanted so badly, after viewing the Kony 2012 video, to believe that hunting down (the U.S. sent a team of military advisors to Uganda to assist the military in their manhunt in October 2011) and capturing Joseph Kony would bring an end to the suffering of the people of Uganda and other Central African nations. I fully bought into the videos message that speaks so resoundingly to my North American psyche - "we can fix this with your help."

The only problem – the fix is so much bigger than Joseph Kony. In fact, if you peel away the layers of the issues surrounding Northern Uganda and the child soldiers or Central Africa, you will find that the struggles are strongly rooted in social inequality, corrupt public policy and entrenched poverty. So I guess my issue, the issue I take with the Kony 2012 video is this – there is am implication that the struggles of Central Africa are a “them” and “us” problem. There is an implication that my donation, my charitable contribution, will right the wrongs. There is a tacit message that says the problems of Africa need the “white man’s interventions.” (Check out this very well written Blog post for a more eloquent discussion about the Kony 2012 video and the work of Invisible Children.)

The "problems" of Sub-Sahara Africa are so complex and multi-factorial that no one intervention or effort will end the widespread suffering and disenfranchisement. The bigger message that I think the majority of people steer clear from is a message that says - complex problems rarely lead to simple solutions. In fact, complex problems by definition require equally complex solutions. On some level, we are all seeking the quick fix that will in some way “set the world right” and equalize the great imbalances that exist. Oh, if it were only so easy.

I spoke at the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) annual convention yesterday. My topic was global homelessness. My message - homelessness is a problem that has no single, definable nidus. I told the medical students that the real issue of homelessness is a problem that is wrapped in poor public policy, poverty, a lack of affordable housing, poorly managed health delivery systems, income inequality, massive urbanization, inadequate access to mental health and substance use treatment programs, and a lack of focused early interventions to prevent the downward spiral so closely aligned to the lives of many people living on the margins of society. I told the students that the challenge for those of us working to dismantle the experience of homelessness is not becoming lost in the complexity that shadows the experience. I told the students that our greatest challenge is matching complex needs with complex solutions.

It is with a nod to complexity that we started Health Bridges International. We believe that in order to amass the depth and breath of resources that communities need to build their own futures we have to work together. We believe that sustainable solutions must be grounded in a co-equal sharing of responsibility and resources. We believe that true, lasting change will come from change-agents that are nurtured from within the communities where the “problems” currently exist.

The work of HBI is strongly grounded in social justice, in the principles of public health, and in the ethos of equality. Our work is not about charity – it can’t be. It is not about making the poor or underserved the “objects of our compassion.” It is about acknowledging that all lives are of equal value and that everyone deserves access to the opportunities they need to build their dreams.

The message of HBI is a bit counter to the message of Kony 2012. Our message is focused on long-term change. Our work is grounded in the idea that solutions exist, strategies abound, and the challenge is pulling the pieces together and creating a summative effect. Our message is one of collaboration – and this is a powerful message. Our work is about helping to create healthy individuals and communities through partnerships and service; and, we know that this is anything but a simple task . . . and we are fully dedicated to working within the complexity.