Environmental health
» Activism with inspirational leadership has succeeded in fighting corruption and resource predators.
For example, in the face of powerful – and violent – vested interests, Nohra Padilla organized Colombia’s marginalized urban waste pickers until they got decent wages and working conditions and made recycling a legitimate part of waste management.
Aleta Baun, of West Timor, Indonesia, led indigenous women in a peaceful protest to prevent the destruction by mining of their sacred forestland. She is now working with communities across West Timor to map their traditional forests – a preemptive strategy to establish indigenous territorial rights and protect their land from future threats – and to create economic opportunities for the villagers through sustainable farming and income-generating enterprises such as weaving.
» In cities, creative citizen initiatives are often successful in “greening” spaces and increasing social cohesion.
» Hesperian offers A Community Guide to Environmental Health, with information, activities, stories, and instructions for simple technologies that help health promoters, environmental activists, and community leaders take charge of their environmental health. Also available in different languages and formats.
There are chapters on:
- Promoting Community Environmental Health
- Understanding and Mobilizing for Community Health
- Protecting Natural Resources for All
- Environmental Rights and Justice
- Health Problems from Unsafe Water
- Protecting Community Water
- Building Toilets
- Health Problems from Mosquitoes
- Protecting Watersheds
- Forests
- Restoring Land and Planting Trees
- Community Food Security
- The False Promise of Genetically Engineered Foods
- Pesticides Are Poison
- Sustainable Farming
- Harm from Toxic Chemicals
- A Healthy Home
- Solid Waste: Turning a Health Risk into a Resource
- Health Care Waste
- Preventing and Reducing Harm from Toxics
- Mining and Health
- Oil, Illness, and Human Rights
- Clean Energy
