What are you doing for Valentine’s this year? How about changing the world. This is exactly what medical student Vanessa Rambihar and her team at the University of Toronto asks you to do, to use the energy and sentiment of heart at Valentine’s to improve the world. It’s energy conservation and conversion of a different kind.
Global Heart Hour, a new concept they launched on Valentine’s 2009 in Toronto, is expanding to become a new grassroots global initiative to make a better world. This year’s event was held at the University of Toronto on Tuesday February 9th, 2010, with the theme “Think Haiti and Rethink the World.” Featured speakers were Dr Eric Pierre, Haiti Honorary Consul to Toronto and The Honorable Peter Kent, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the Americas, who gave inspiring talks to over 200 medical and health students and faculty at the University of Toronto.
Dr Pierre, a humanitarian, and Toronto dentist since 1981, recounted the history of physician humanitarian involvement, inspiring the students, and described the acute and long-term needs of Haiti, considered the wretched among the wretched. The Honorable Peter Kent, an award winning broadcast journalist, correspondent and news anchor, who reported on many momentous global changes of the 20th century, like the Vietnam and Yom Kippur Wars and the fall of the Berlin Wall, has extensive experience in the Caribbean, and described Canada’s responsibility and commitment to Haiti and the world.
The speakers and panelists were presented with gift books on humanitarianism, “An Imperfect Offering: humanitarian action for the twenty-first century” by U of T Professor Dr James Orbinski, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for Médecins Sans Frontières, and “Mountains beyond Mountains” about Dr Paul Farmer, Head of Global Health at Harvard University.
Ms Rambihar challenged the audience to find new ways to reverse the decline in humanitarianism reported in a January 2010 Lancet Editorial. The Editorial claimed that it is scandalous that it took a seismic shift in tectonic plates for Haiti to earn its place in the international spotlight. It continued, that for the people living in Haiti and those living in similar situations, it is humanitarianism that remains the most crucial motivation and means for intervention. Yet, the editorial said, despite the growth in aid, there is a decline in humanitarianism.
Global Heart Hour hopes to sustain and increase the spirit of humanitarianism, which tends to fade after the outpouring of support after disasters like the tsunami, floods and earthquakes, to address acute and ongoing problems. At the Launch last year, the discussion included reducing heart disease globally, to improve health and development, while reducing poverty. This reflected the origins of Global Heart Hour in a 25 year annual community outreach for heart health at the Scarborough Hospital by cardiologist Dr Vivian Rambihar and a team of volunteers. This year the discussion was on thinking about Haiti for lessons to help us rethink how best to be involved in the world.
A distinguished panel helped to put this in perspective while introducing the novel idea of social innovation to make a better world. The panel agreed on the need for urgent interventions balanced with meeting longer term and sustainable goals. It also felt that people-powered collaborations like Global Heart and other initiatives, which use people’s strengths and energy in novel ways, can do much to help the vulnerable globally and at home.
The panel was introduced by Lisa Torjman, a leader in social innovation at MaRS who emphasized the value of collaboration. The panel included Dr Nazanin Meshkat, ER physician who volunteered in Papua New Guinea, Jane Rumball, medical student, Olympian and World Champion rower who fundraises, and volunteers abroad for Right to Play, a humanitarian and development organization using sport and play to improve lives, and Celina Agaton, cross-sector collaborator who was involved in Crisis Camp Haiti in Toronto using computer technology here to improve relief efforts in Haiti.
Haiti Consul Dr Eric Pierre speaking, with rapt attention by the panel from right, Lisa Torjman, Event Founder Vanessa Rambihar, Minister Peter Kent, Dr Nazanin Meshkat, Jane Rumball and Celina Agaton at Valentine's Global Heart Hour 2010.
The event was opened by Dr Leslie Nickell, U of T Associate Dean, Health Professions Student Affairs, who spoke eloquently of the need for social responsibility, an increasing focus of the university. She felt that Global Heart Hour is an excellent example of this and congratulated the organizers and speakers for their leadership and innovative contribution to society here and globally.
Global Heart invites everyone to spend an hour around Valentine’s to do something for the world. It advocates that just as we turned off lights for Earth Hour we can turn on hearts for Global Heart. It could be simple actions like talking or thinking about heart, volunteering, donating the money saved on chocolate, or larger activities like organizing social events or lectures or doing heart health promotion, whatever you feel best.
Event-founder-Vanessa-Rambihar and moderator Lisa Torjman
This event was followed by a fundraiser “Red” for heart party, for Haiti and MSF. For more on global heart or what you can do, please look at Tsunami Chaos and Global Heart at www.femmefractal.com/tsunami.htm with more suggestions on page 271 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psPhRKXFAks or at globalhearthour.com. Future plans include Global Heart Days and making Global Heart Hour truly global as a grassroots movement for change.
So, be part of Global Heart Hour and change the world. Either alone, or with friends, families or colleagues, choose any hour around Valentine’s and make a difference in your own way. Then blog, Facebook, tweet, etc and tell the world.
Author: Dr. Vivian Rambihar ,MD Cardiology,2008 ICCC Humanitarian of the Year award.
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