Statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

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As a leading professional and academic organization in the field of health humanities, the Health Humanities Consortium (HHC) has a responsibility and commitment to advancing the work of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and belonging (JEDIB). Through its interdisciplinary materials and methods, the HHC promotes anti-oppression pedagogy, scholarship, and community practices as they relate to health, illness, disability, dying, wellbeing, and care. 

In medical and health humanities, anti-oppression teaching, research, and practice have been critical contributions of the field, dating from its founding to the ongoing attention to social inequities put into relief globally by the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to pressing attention to structural violence and inequity—combined with historically unique resources available to address these  needs—we are at a clear pivot point in terms of equity and justice work in health, healthcare, and health education. Indeed, strategies of the health humanities enable us to see disparities in a new light and to employ novel tools to address them. 

The HHC thus recognizes that health depends on equity, and that social, political, and economic determinants of health have direct, material consequences for human and environmental health. Simply put, the HHC’s work in advancing health humanities scholarship, teaching, and professional practices matters for health outcomes and impacts health equity.

Accordingly, the HHC itself has power that can contribute to the aims of equity. The HHC provides resources such as the toolbox, syllabus repository, state of field assessment, promotion of publications, and organization of conferences that shape academic attention. Through our collective approach to this ongoing work, we commit to contributing to just and equitable futures. 

Through pedagogy, research, and best practices, we will continue to provide JEDIB support for HHC organizational work in all areas. For those interested, we will also support development of knowledge in areas where JEDIB work has not been explored, and we will provide resources for those who are new to JEDIB work. With respect to the connection between health and equity, the Health Humanities Consortium is committed to dismantling barriers and closing equity gaps.

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