Newsletter 158
Contents
Action of the week
Medact Campaign on Access to healthcare for vulnerable migrants 2007
The Government is currently considering charging refused asylum seekers and undocumented migrants for NHS primary health care. We are concerned such charges could prevent vulnerable people including pregnant women and children, from accessing vital medical treatment. A briefing paper explaining the proposed changes is available from the Medact website
You can support the campaign by:
sending an email to the Secretary of State for Health expressing your concern at the proposed changes.
National News and Events
- Could your branch host the National Conference 2008?
- Voting at National Conference 2007, Dundee
- Join a Medsin Small Working Group
- Sexball
- Campaigns Team
- New TBH co-ordinator
- Medact Lecture
- STAR Conference
Of the Month
Website and News
The website is for YOUR events being held by YOUR branches, projects and campaigns. It is really, really easy to submit events and news, so please do, and let everyone know what wonderful things you are up to!
National News and Events
Could your branch host the National Conference 2008?
Organising a Medsin conference is an essential part of the network's annual activities and gives your branch the opportunity to play a really important role in raising awareness about global health issues amongst students.
Guidance is available form the National Committee throughout the process and we hope that you will benefit from the experience of branches who have previously organised conferences on behalf of Medsin.
If your branch is interested, you will have the opportunity to bid to host the meeting at the voting session that will take place on the Saturday afternoon of this year's National Conference in Dundee. You should think about getting a team together, have some ideas of themes and your capability to host the conference and present these to Medsin members at the voting session.
If you are interested or have any questions about organising the conference, please email the committee.
Voting at National Conference 2007, Dundee
An extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly of Medsin will take place at the National Conference in Dundee.
In other words, branch presidents, campaigns and projects coordinators will have a chance to represent their members by voting on issues central to the running of Medsin as an organisation.
Join a Medsin Small Working Group
2 Opportunities to join a small working group which need to be formed after the AGA:
- Conferences
To review the expenditure of the last 6 major conferences and to decide priorities for core expenditure of future conferences. We are looking for 5 people for this small working group.
- IFMSA
To investigate how we work with the IFMSA, such that both networks benefit. The National Committee will select a gruop that complies with the guidance statement passed at the AGA.
To express an interest in either group, please send an e-mail to the committee by midnight Fiday 26th October.
SEXBALL - 24th November, Birmingham
Sexpression will be hosting an afternoon of great speakers on sexual and maternal health globally at Birmingham Medical School. We have speakers lined up to talk on everything from Female Genital Mutilation to HIV/AIDS.
This interesting afternoon will be followed by a evening of Sexpression fun! The evening starts with a champagne reception followed by 3 course dinner and disco. Dress code is black tie with a splash of red with World AIDS Day collections throughout the night.
Tickets are £35 for all of this. For more information or to buy your tickets contact Emily.
Join the campaigns team, no experience required!
Medsin has recently expanded its campaigns team to encourage more people to get involved. You can help by doing a range of things such as:
- Media work
- Creating campaign resources for branches
- Helping with our policy work
- Publicity
- Organising the campaigns day
- Organising actions at conferences
Or just being generally involved with our work
Its an easy way to learn more about campaigning, and help make Medsin campaigns really successful. If you are interested at all, please email Pete and Jen.
New Teddy Bear Hospital Coordinator - Amy Rowan
The National Committee would like to welcome Amy Rowan to her new role as Teddy Bear Hospital National Coordinator. If your branch has a Teddy Bear Hospital or would like one then please get in contact with Amy to say hello!
Medact 2007 Elisabeth James Lecture
Will be given by Dr. Helen Bamber OBE Helen has worked tirelessly in the human rights field for 60 years helping thousands of survivors worldwide, starting in Belsen after WWII. She was a founder member of Amnesty International and in 1985 established The Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, where she was a guiding light until early 2005. Named European Woman of Achievement in 1993, she was awarded the OBE in 1997 and in the same year also received a lifetime Human Rights Achievement award for her work. She is on a number of advisory boards in related fields and holds honorary degrees from Oxford, Dundee, Ulster, Essex, Kingston & American Intl. University.
There is sure to be a great demand so please reserve your tickets early
Details:
- Friday 26th of October at 7pm
- 120 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BA
- Tickets are £5 for Medact and Medsin Members all others £10
For tickets or more information, please e-mail moyrarushby@medact.org or telephone 020 7324 4739
STAR conference
The 10th national conference hosted by Student Action for Refugees (STAR) is taking place 10th-11th November 2007 at the Human Rights Action Centre in Shoreditch, Central London.
The only conference for students and young people on refugee issues, this year's line up features an impressive array of contributors from notable organisations such as the Refugee Council, UNHCR, Amnesty and the Medical Foundation. In addition, there will be speakers ranging from MPs and journalists to writers and refugees with personal experiences to share, as well as workshops, a Question Time panel and a lively party with live music and DJs to celebrate the fact that this is our tenth conference.
STAR Conference is open to anyone aged 16-25. It costs just £25, which includes the full weekend Conference programme, all food, crashpad accommodation on Saturday night and free admission to the legendary STAR party. We have a limited number of bursaries for those who can't afford the Conference fee, and anyone with a refugee experience is welcome for free.
To take part in Conference or for more information, visit our website, email us or call 020 7840 4443.
Of the Month
Project focus: Marrow: A Trans-national Project
At the 57th IFMSA General Assembly held this summer in Canterbury, UK, Marrow was awarded trans-national project status. This was the culmination of several years of hard work by different national Marrow co-ordinators and members of the Medsin national committee. Acquiring trans-national status means that Marrow, a project that has existed in the UK for the past 10 years, is now internationally recognised by IFMSA affiliated national member organisations. This will undoubtedly be beneficial in helping to establish Marrow in other countries around the world.
Marrow was created in 1998 by medical students from Nottingham University. It has since grown to become one of Medsin’s biggest projects, with branches in every UK medical school and some overseas institutions. In 2006 it won the IFMSA’s Rex Crossley Award for best international project. An application for trans-national status was first proposed in 2005 by the then national committee. The application included detailed explanations of what Marrow aims to achieve and the means by which will go about this, the setting and discussion of a ten year plan, including long and short term objectives and support for overseas groups.
Following several re-submissions over the past two years, each time after improving on previous criticisms from the project proposals review committee, trans-national status was finally granted this year.
Mark Prince National Co-ordinator
See the Marrow page for more info.
Last updated on Tuesday 16 October 2007 at 16:51.
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