Discrimination still under-documented
This year Week against racism will be devoted to the theme of health. From March 16 to 24the City of Geneva and its partners will explore essential questions as the effects of racism on health or its impact on theHealth care access.
In what way stereotypes and the racist prejudices do they influence diagnosis, treatment and the relationship between professionals and patients? What initiatives have helped to mitigate the inequality in the medical field?
Alfonso Gomez, Mayor of the City of Geneva in charge of diversity, emphasizes that “in Switzerland, racial discrimination in the health sector remain largely under-documented. However, available studies show that disadvantaged sections of the population, including certain migrant populations, are more frequently affected by health problems. The findings are obvious: racism harms the health of its victims.”.
A rich program that combines reflection and care space
The program includes round tablesof the workshops and one interactive show, aiming to deepen the understanding of issues linked to racism and health and to propose concrete avenues for the implementation of more equitable and inclusive health policies and practices. Among the highlights of this edition, the round table “Discrimination in care” of March 21, organized by the Agenda 21 Service – Sustainable City in collaboration with the University Hospitals of Geneva (HUG), will highlight the realities of discrimination faced by racialized people in the field of care such as racist remarks, incorrect diagnoses, forms of abuse.
Another one round table will explore the impact of racism on health and will bring together two therapists sharing their practices to help their patients overcome the consequences of racism. This discussion will be supplemented by a care workshop aimed at supporting people who are victims of racial discrimination on a daily basis. There round table “The mental cost of anti-racist activism” will address the subject of activist burnout within anti-racist movements, giving voice to Geneva associations to share the challenges and violence faced by anti-racist activists.
A theater-forum on racial discrimination, created by the Specta(c)tor Company, will feature intervention strategies to overcome situations of discrimination. Finally, two more workshops will be proposed: one exploring the therapeutic and emancipatory virtues of writingin the company of Kyémis, author, poet and Afrofeminist activist, while the second will highlight thedecolonial approach to health. The latter is part of the Black Wikipedia project, supported by the association of the same name, which aims to fill the lack of references, articles and information on Africa and its diaspora in the online encyclopedia.
Other activities around racism
Other events will contribute to the more general reflection around the racismincluding those organized by municipal libraries (BM), which notably offer a workshop on afrofeminism in Switzerland or a reading workshop for children. Entertaining events which nevertheless encourage reflection are not left out, with the Servette associative collective against racism which organizes activities for all and of multiple encounters such as an intercultural buffet, musical performance, workshops and activities for children.
A poster that recalls the painful history of medicine
The poster for the 2024 edition offers a visual strikingly highlighting the theme of health. The composition of the poster includes four emblematic objects: gynecological speculum, vaccines, contraceptive pills, plasters. These objects, represented photographically, are treated and arranged in such a way as to recall the aesthetics of the pages of medical encyclopedias. The first three aim to encourage reflection on the exploitation of slavery And colonial bodiesthe way in which the natives were used as guinea pigs for medical experiments, without their consent. The dark colored plasters express the difficulty (even today) for racialized people of find products suited to their skin tone in commerce.
The Week against Racism in the City of Geneva is coordinated by the Agenda 21 – Sustainable City Service, within the framework of municipal policy on cultural diversity and of fight against racism. It is organized in partnership with the Department of Culture and Digital Transition and the Department of Social Cohesion and Solidarity of the City of Geneva, as well as with external partners: the Afro-Swiss collectiveTHE Purple scarves, Afrikalab Le Lab, Specta(c)torBlacken Wikipedia, the Geneva Cultural Office, Radio PaquisTHE Geneva University HospitalsL’University of Geneva and the Servette collective against racism.
Full program: no-to-racism-geneve.ch
We acknowledge Source link for the information.
