Health For Humanity News and Events
HH Executive Director Interviewed on Chicago Public Radio
Health for Humanity's Executive Director Dr. May Khadem was interviewed by Chicago Public Radio as part of the Worldview program's Global Activism Series. She discussed HH's model of combining technical training with values-based leadership training to achieve a long-term impact on the development of health capacities worldwide. Listen to the podcast on the Chicago Public Radio website here.
Health for Humanity Celebrates 15 Years of Serving the Global Family
January 19th, 1992 was the date Health for Humanity was conceived. On that cold Chicago winter Sunday, about twenty physicians gathered together to make decisions about an initiative many had been discussing for several years. Two physicians flew in from out of town to participate in the historic event. All knew that it was time to act; they had fantasized long enough about “how wonderful it would be if…” It was time to make it a reality. Five people were elected by secret ballot to officially establish the organization and obtain legal status as a recognized charity. It seemed as though once that step was taken, like a gentle push of a toboggan on an icy slope, another force took over and brought HH rapidly to its birth on March 21st, only two months later. That original group of five was passionate, unified, and shared an incredibly inspiring vision of an organization that would create effective models for health development that successfully combined proven best practices together with a firm ethical foundation based on universal human values.
Over the ensuing years, the “best practices” part of this vision founded on scientific evidence proved to be a lot easier to implement than the ethical/values-based foundation. And so, HH experimented with different approaches, mostly with good success, but also with significant challenges. While HH projects prospered for the most part and demonstrated development of capacity overall, we knew we had not yet tapped the full potential of what was possible.
There was an important dimension that was not being addressed – one having to do with the common core values found in all cultures. As an organization, we struggled with how to best assist the systematic application of those core values that formed the essence of the HH vision. How do we assist our partners and ourselves to “develop capacity” beyond technical training alone? Almost a decade of experience demonstrated that technical training by itself is inadequate to address the most significant challenge of development – moral leadership within an ethical values-based framework. True and lasting change would depend on how successfully we could utilize, measure, and document the efficacy of what some call “spiritually-based” indicators, such as transparency, truthfulness, trustworthiness, justice, equity, equality of women and men, etc. And so, among the various strategies HH utilized, was training in leadership skills based on ethical principles, universal human values, and in the spirit of service to the common good. These are the core spiritual values that are found in and resonate within all cultures of the world. We were fortunate enough to partner with Nur University in Bolivia, where a very effective training program was developed. It is called “Moral Leadership Training for Effective Development.”
Over the past five years, HH, together with partners at Nur, field-tested this leadership training program and found it to have great potential for the work in which we were engaged. Our partners in Albania and in Cameroon responded very positively and we found it very helpful for our own internal administrative processes. Last year, the HH staff and a few select volunteers were trained as trainers. Recently the Board took the decision to document the effectiveness of this leadership training program through HH projects and make it the highest priority.
And now we are embarked on a different and unique pathway – to improve the outcomes of health development by focusing not only on what we do, but how we do it. We might think of what we do as the breadth of our activities based on approaches guided by scientific evidence. How we do it has more to do with the “depth” of our strategies and the core values we employ. At this important turning point in the history of Health for Humanity, there is a renewed dedication to explore the depth and learn more about and share the new evolving strategies based on ethics, core human values, and service, in addition to utilizing the best practices espoused by the World Health Organization and the community of sister non-governmental health development organizations.
We might look at this milestone as evidence that we have arrived at the threshold of maturity. We know who we are and where we need to go to make a unique contribution. We have experimented with all kinds of approaches and various internal structures. We have learned many lessons and achieved a few victories. However, our greatest challenges have been most instructive in leading us in this new direction. We know from experience that true sustainability is not achievable in its fullest expression without the indispensable foundation of ethics and universally accepted values. Many of these core values have already been endorsed by the community of nations in documents such as the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights”, among others.
Today, 15 years later, we see that vision that led to the founding of Health for Humanity in sharper focus. Through experience and struggle with numerous challenges, we have also acquired some tools to better implement strategies that will bring us closer to that inspiring outcome for which we are aiming – a unified, healthy human family that celebrates its diversity and honors its collective heritage.
Read More Reflections on the 15th Anniversary of HH Here
Rising Opera Stars Serenda La Leche League Founders and Guests at 3rd Annual Health for Humanity Opera Gala
2007 Health for Humanity Opera Gala, “An Evening of the Arts,” Celebrates the selfless spirit of volunteerism in Health and the Arts
Wilmette, IL—January 15, 2007—Health for Humanity, the Chicago-based non-profit international health organization, will celebrate its 15th anniversary of service to the global human family by hosting its 2007 Opera Gala on Saturday, March 31, 2007 at the Swissôtel, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The event will honor the seven Founders of La Leche League International on the 50th anniversary of that organization’s founding. Health for Humanity’s “Evening of the Arts” will include opera performances by artists from the V.O.I.C.Experience Foundation under the direction of world renowned baritone, Sherrill Milnes.
Every year Health for Humanity’s Opera Gala honors a Chicago community member who has demonstrated his or her commitment to the principles of the unity and nobility of humanity and the equality of men and women. This year, seven women, the Founders of La Leche League International will receive this prestigious award for their 50 years of helping women around the globe breastfeed their babies. The seven Founders of La Leche League are: Marian Tompson, Mary White, Edwina Froehlich, Viola Lennon, Mary Ann Cahill, Mary Ann Kerwin, and Betty Wagner Spandikow. As seven ordinary women living in the metropolitan Chicago area in 1956, they had a simple dream: that women who wanted to breastfeed should be able to find the necessary support and information. They created a model of a facilitated and participatory group dynamic, mother-to-mother support that validates the experience and knowledge of women while motivating them to learn more. The mother-to-mother support model has been very effective in initiating and changing behavior. Over fifty years, LLL has grown to be an international organization in 69 countries, with over 7,000 volunteers. The inspiration and dedication of the Founders to their cause has had a significant impact on the health and well-being of millions of women and infants around the world. For more information about La Leche League International see www.lalecheleague.org. Health for Humanity is pleased to honor these seven extraordinary women, who have so effectively embodied Health for Humanity’s founding principles of the nobility of humanity, the equality of men and women, and the importance of local leadership for sustainable community health development.
The evening’s entertainment -- the “Voices Around the World” opera performance featuring artists from the V.O.I.C.Experience Foundation under the direction of world renowned baritone, Sherrill Milnes, and his wife, Maria Zouves – will also highlight and honor volunteerism and service to others. Triple Grammy
winner Milnes is internationally recognized as the leading Verdi Baritone of his time. Having sung in every
major opera house and with every major symphony of the world, his remarkable voice, artistic integrity, commanding stage presence, and forty-two year career has led him to legendary status. Milnes and his wife, soprano Maria Zouves, have now dedicated their time to helping young, talented opera singers find their own career direction. The charity they established, V.O.I.C.Experience, is committed to the education and development of classical singers throughout the theatrical and operatic world.
Last year Health for Humanity honored Dr. James Hill, for his dedication to providing leadership in cultural competency within the medical profession and for his commitment to improving global health. Dr. Hill is a respected orthopedic surgeon who has volunteered internationally through Orthopedics Overseas and is currently Chief of Staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
The public is invited to attend the event. Tickets are $200 each and can be obtained by calling Health for Humanity at 847-425-7900. Reporters and media representatives are invited to contact the Health for Humanity office for complimentary tickets. The event will be held at the Swissôtel 323 East Wacker Drive, Chicago, and will begin at 6:30 on Saturday evening, March 31, 2007.
Health for Humanity (HH) is a volunteer-supported health development organization. Established by Chicago-area health professionals in 1992 with the goal of uniting people in service for the advancement of world health, it has since grown to partner with local governmental and non-governmental institutions around the world, developing sustainable capacity for meeting the health needs of partner communities. Health for Humanity’s work focuses on maternal and child health, blindness prevention, and international continuing medical education. Health for Humanity’s Executive Director is May Khadem, MD, MPH, an ophthalmologist and 2006 Northwestern Memorial Hospital Martin Luther King Jr. Award honoree.
13th Annual Bowling/Brunch Fundraiser Held August 13, 2006
On Sunday, August 13, 2006 we held a fundraising event that marks the 13th Annual Health for Humanity Bowling & Breakfast Fundraiser. This annual event has raised over $500,000 in the past twelve years, and continues to be our main fundraiser. Health for Humanity is very proud of the prudent use of every dollar. This family event on Sunday, August 13, featured bowling and games, a brunch, and silent auction of goods and services donated by community businesses.
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| Renowned baritone Sherrill Milnes will be present with the VOICExperience Foundation's rising opera singers. |
2nd Annual Opera Gala A Great Success
Health for Humanity, the Chicago-based international healthcare charity, celebrated fourteen years of service to the world’s poor by hosting its 2006 Opera Gala Saturday, April 8, 2006 at the Chicago Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Health for Humanity’s “Evening of the Arts” included opera and musical theater performances by artists from the V.O.I.C.Experience Foundation under the direction of world renowned baritone, Sherrill Milnes; an art sale featuring the work of prominent local African-American artists; and dinner. Chicago news personality Susan Anderson chaired the evening’s program, and Health for Humanity honored Dr. James A. Hill, nationally-known Professor of Orthopedics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.
Every year Health for Humanity’s Opera Gala honors a Chicago community member who has demonstrated his or her commitment to the principles of the unity and nobility of humanity and the equality of men and women. This year, Dr. James Hill was presented with the prestigious award, for his dedication to providing leadership in cultural competency within the medical profession and for his commitment to improving global health. Dr. Hill is a respected orthopedic surgeon who has volunteered internationally through Orthopedics Overseas, providing medical care in Africa beginning in 1987, especially in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he taught orthopedics to physicians at Tikur Anbessa Hospital (Black Lion Hospital). Locally, Dr. Hill is a spokesperson and point person for the Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons who during their annual convention in March 2006 will build a free, safe, accessible playground for all kids in the Englewood community which is one of Chicago’s poorest communities.
The evening’s entertainment -- the “Voices Around the World” opera performance featuring artists from the V.O.I.C.Experience Foundation under the direction of world renowned baritone, Sherrill Milnes, and his wife, Maria Zouves –also highlighted and honored volunteerism and service to others. Triple Grammy winner Milnes is internationally recognized as the leading Verdi Baritone of his time. Having sung in every major opera house and with every major symphony of the world, his remarkable voice, artistic integrity, commanding stage presence, and forty-two year career has led him to legendary status. Milnes and his wife, soprano Maria Zouves, have now dedicated their time to helping young, talented opera singers find their own career direction. The charity they established, V.O.I.C.Experience, is committed to the education and development of classical singers throughout the theatrical and operatic world |
