Reflections of an old Socialist (6)
-----------------------------------
Fellow afro-netters
I mailed a request to Dr. Hermann to write up his experience as I am
convinced that we can only learn from others whatever their or our
ideological stance.
I would like to appeal to people to use afro-nets better and partici-
pate or contribute to major health discussions. The issue of Dr.
Hermann writing about life experiences cannot deserve more attention
then acute national and international health issues.
I would like to repeat my worry about the direction the South Afri-
can, and with it the Southern African, lawmakers are taking towards
transforming health care management and laws without proper consul-
tation, i.e. with the indigenous health system. If members do not re-
alise the importance of the effects such health authorities actions
can have for national and international health it would be very in-
teresting for me to understand how they can dismiss or ignore such
issues if they really care about (African) indigenous communities
members good health.
"Challenging the privileges of whites (in South Africa) by changing
the power relations between races on all levels", was a sentence men-
tioned on SAFM in the news by a Professor in Social Sciences as com-
ment on the article in the Independent Newspaper by the South African
minister for environmental affairs Dr. Palo Jordan.
Jordan wrote that South Africa has to de-racialise as the whites are
still privileged and blacks are still oppressed even three years af-
ter the first democratic elections of 1994 in South Africa.
I immediately saw this apply to the health sector:
'Challenging the privileges of modern health care by changing
the power relations between health systems.'
Can we please start a discussion concerning the co-habitation of dif-
ferent health systems in their indigenous environment. Everyone can
contribute to this one in the light of holistic health.
Regards,
Hugo Van Damme
Project Coordinator
Traditional Healer Organization for Africa
mailto:NGOMA@alpha.futurenet.co.za
--
Send mail for the `AFRO-NETS' conference to `afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org'.
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to: `owner-afro-nets@usa.healthnet.org'.