A Message from Alicia Ely Yamin, O'Neill Institute Director, Health and Human Rights Initiative

Social justice lies at the center of the work we do and promote through our partnerships around the world in the Health and Human Rights Initiative at the O’Neill Institute.   The results of the US election on Tuesday challenge us to reflect on how we arrived at this point and to re-group and re-commit ourselves to working to use human rights and other tools to bring greater equity and dignity to people’s lives in the United States as well as throughout this inter-connected world.   It is clear that to work on health, social justice and human rights globally requires that ‘global’ include the United States of America, both in terms of domestic policy as well as the influence it exercises internationally.  It is also clear that the work of conquering, and continually reconquering, democratic spaces requires social engagement and mobilization, together with sustaining and strengthening the kinds of advocacy and practitioner networks that we have been building together.
I am deeply grateful for the dozens of messages of solidarity I have received from colleagues around the world in recent days and I feel privileged to be able to face the challenges that may await us in coming months with the exceptionally committed team at the O’Neill Institute and the amazing colleagues and partners we have in other institutions.