Last week I was part of an annual conference and trainning event hosted by the World Youth Alliance (WYA). The theme of the 12th annual International Solidarity Forum (ISF) was “Health and Education: Keys to Development”. The forum brought together active WYA members from around the world and subject matter experts to participate in discussions and workshops on topics relevant to ongoing international policy debates. The conference took place both at WYA’s headquarters and at the United Nations (NY).
Why Health and Education?
Quality healthcare and education are among the most important ingredients for human development. When people live healthy lives and are able to acquire knowledge both in skills and life, they are better equipped to contribute to society. The 2015 ISF’s mission was to look into the right healthcare and education practices that are needed today.
They addressed the importance of young poeple understanding issues surrounding health and education. As for that, they presented two excellent initiatives: a women’s whole health initiative (FEMM), and the Human Dignity Curriuculum (HDC).
Here’s a little glimpse on both of them. Please feel free to do a little more research in order to equip yourselves with knowledge and tools to work for change in your respective countries!
FE…What?
FEMM (Fertility Education and Medical Management) is a knowledge based health program for women. It teaches them to understand and monitor hormonal and other indicators of their health. Since these indicators bear directly on hormone-related processes in the body, responding to them allows women to better manage their health. This includes identifying and solving common health problems, suchs as irregular bleeding, pain and depression; understanding their bodies to observe normal or abnormal activit; and achieving fertility-related outcomes. In the case of health problems, FEMM-trained medical proffessionals can provide more accurate testing, diagnosis, and treatment by working with biological indicators provided by the woman’s own observations. With this support, women can maintain the hights standards of personal and reproductive health from puberty through menopause.
The need for hormonal health education
Withouth knowledge about hormonal interplay of her cycle, a woman’s ability to make empowered, informed health decisions is hindered. Unfortunately, evidence shows that most women do not understand how their bodies work. They also lack health literacy, or awareness of the behavior that affect their general and reproductive health over the course of their lives, such as exercise, sleep, weight, and nutrition. Women often experience shame and stigma surrounding menstruation, which also leads to poorer health outcomes.
The startling reality evidences the need for the education that FEMM provides. A woman equipped with the knowledge to understand her body is empowered to make the health care and family planning decisions that are best for her.
FEMM currently has an APP and several trainings among this year to learn more about the program. Fore more information about FEMM you can visit the website or Facebook fanpage.
Human Dignity Curriculum
The HDC is a curriculum designed to help students develop a proper understanding of themselves, their worth as personas and the responsability they have to act in accordance with their dignity. It’s a creative and systematic approach to helping students respect themselves and others.
It’s mission: to promote a healthy and integrated understanding of sexuality among young people. Human dignity is the basis of the curriculum, which fosters a holistic understanding of the person to nurture personal development rather than simply prevent sexual activity and its consequences. Through the program, students understand themselves as integrated persons capable of healthy decisions and the attainment of human excellence – and learn to respect, in their personal behavior, themselves, their friends, their own dignity and the dignity of others.
The need for a new model
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines sexuality as “a central aspect of being human throughout life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships.” This definition informs WHO programs as well others intended to meet sexual education needs in the U.S. and abroad. WYA’s position is that standards for sexual education must respect human dignity and help individuals make healthy choices regarding themselves and the relationships in which they engage, thus contributing to the formation of healthy persons and societies.
Key elements of the HDC
The HDC examines several themes that build on each other grade by grade. The first theme develops an understanding of the dignity of the human person, the intrinsic value of the person, which is marked by the uniquely human capacities for thinking and choosing (intellect and will). With that understanding in mind, students study human agency, human freedom, and the ability to make choices that enable human excellence. This integration of human dignity and human freedom establishes the basis for examining secondary themes, such as human sexuality and its integration into our lives.
The HDC incorporates several key support elements. It includes a teacher training program, as well as teacher support in lesson plans, materials, and assessments.
A web-based delivery of the curriculum for teachers, a web-based parent portal for support and involvement, and a student website are currently under development. These materials conform to local educational standards and outcomes. These aspects and components help teachers, families, and students to derive the most benefit from the program.
How to Participate
WYA is currently inviting interested schools to participate in the HDC project. WYA is seeking in particular 10 schools in the New York City area to commit by April 2015, for summative evaluation for the curricula for grades 3-8 and 9-12. The target participation numbers for each grade are 500 students participating in the HDC, and 500 students per grade in the control group. Teacher training and program preparation will take place in July for a September start date. To contact WYA about this program, please email education@wya.net
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Sources:
The Case for FEMM: White Paper
HDC Book
ISF Handbook
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