Peace through health
Our Dr. Alexandra Martiniuk and colleague Shannon Wires, together with Canada International Scientific Exchange Program (CISEPO), brought six medical students (two Israeli, two Palestinian, and two Canadian) to Toronto for a medical elective.
This, a peace through health student project, was the first initiative of this kind. An evaluation of the program, with a five-year follow-up on its outcomes, Reflections on Peace Through Health: The first Canadian, Israeli, and Palestinian maternal and child health programme for medical students, has recently been published.
The four-week program saw students living, cooking, and camping together all in the context of their studies focused on paediatric oncology. Participants were interviewed by Martiniuk and Wires in the first 24 hours of the month-long program, as well as during the last two days, and five years later after everyone had returned to their homes.
The publication reports on statements made by the participants throughout the program.
“As the project [progresses], you get to know the inner layers, you get to know the person, not the Palestinian or doctor of whatever. Like you get to the core. It takes patience I think…”
The program provided Martiniuk and participants with hope for the future.
“In general, the program provided a unique opportunity for the medical students to focus on a health topic (in this case: pediatric oncology) while getting to know people deeply from the ‘other side’ and becoming friends, sharing commonalities, and learning about differences,” says Martiniuk.
Supported by multiple partners, including CISEPO, SickKids and others, since this first program in 2003, groups of students, now including Israelis, Jordanians, Palestinians, and Canadians come to Toronto each year for the Mother and Child Summer Elective.
Full media release
PEACE THROUGH HEALTH
Israeli-Palestinian relations have always been and continue to be a prominent issue. For those who live the struggle for peace on a daily basis, the hostility and fighting between the two groups can be a constant source of anxiety, seeping into the dynamics of family and work life.
Initially in 2003, Sunnybrook Scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Alexandra Martiniuk and colleague Shannon Wires, together with CISEPO, brought six medical students to Toronto: two Israeli, two Palestinian, and two Canadian together for a medical elective. This peace-through health student project was the first initiative of this kind. An evaluation of the program, with five-year follow-up on its outcomes has recently been published: Reflections on peace.through health: the first Canadian, Israeli, and Palestinian maternal and child health programme for medical students — published by Taylor and Francis - Feb 2012.
This four-week program saw students living, cooking, and camping together all in the context of their studies focused on paediatric oncology. Participants were interviewed by Martiniuk and Wires in the first 24 hours of the month-long program, as well as during the last two days, and five years later after everyone had returned to their homes. The publication reports on statements made by the participants throughout the program.
"...as the project will progress, then you get to know the inner layers, you get to know the person, not the Palestinian or doctor of whatever. Like you get to the core. It takes patience I think..."
The program provided Martiniuk and program participants with hope for the future.
"In general, the program provided a unique opportunity for the medical students to focus on a health topic (in this case: pediatric oncology) while getting to know people deeply from the ‘other side' and becoming friends, sharing commonalities, and learning about differences," says Martiniuk. Supported by multiple partners including CISEPO, Sick Kids and others, since this first program in 2003, groups of students, now including Israelis, Jordanians, Palestinians, and Canadians, from all health professions including medicine, rehabilitation, nursing, and research, come to Toronto each year for the Mother and Child Summer Elective.
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