humanKINDER Newsletter, Winter 2019

New world resilience.

It is Day 17 - I think - of lockdown in an eerily quiet Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. While my husband caters for the medical teams at the local hospital with Osmose Cuisine, I am using every spare minute of my time and energies to write the Recipes of HOPE Manuscript in between home-schooling. With editorial support from Sophie Okolo, humanKINDER Board Member and Founder of Global Health Aging, this labour of love tells the stories of resilient communities across Europe using the universal language of food. It documents the dishes we shared in The Welcome Tent, a repurposed army catering tent, during my family’s 16,000 mile journey between 2017-18. The book will share recipes which represent over a hundred cultures from around the world and was inspired by the courage of the friends we first met in Calais in 2015.

Many of us have been trying to work differently for years, against the grain of a system that was first designed with exploitation in mind. The potential infrastructure collapse as a result of the current pandemic will not come as a surprise. Many of us had already seen through a window into this future - anticipating - during work and interactions with ignored, displaced and uprooted communities from around the world. A pivotal turning point in my understanding was taking part in Layla F Saad’s Me and White Supremacy Challenge - you can purchase the book here.

When working in government for ten years, I realised that some voices - of the strongest and most resilient people - were being silenced by process and procedure. I believe these are the people we must listen to, learn from and work with: people who have experienced the weight of exploitation, generational trauma or challenging life experiences. Creative participation, grounded in justice and education, is already revealing genuine truths.

“If you take on too much of it, it can collapse you into despair … the other temptation is to go back to denial, minimisation, dismissal...neither of those is a resourceful state. what you want to do is claim the centre: deliberate and decide. Think clearly and then act clearly. Separate your emotions from your deliberations and your decisions… breathe… take the right actions early… first get to higher ground. Secure yourself so that you can be part of the solution so you are not another casualty that needs looking after. ”

— Jamie Wheal interview with Rebel Wisdom March 18 2020

As someone who has experience of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I know what it is like to live a double life – to be smiling on the outside, but cold with fear on the inside, to start shaking on public transport, to be paralysed with anxiety. As we see events unfold in real life, I predict the whole of society could be traumatised to varying degrees by the current unprecedented challenges we are facing. These turbulent times require us to take ownership of the trauma but focus on the recovery - personally and as a society - consciously training our minds and bodies, nurturing our imagination - escapism to prevent institutionalisation - while holding on dearly to what matters. Living with PTSD made me more vulnerable, but also more receptive. My recovery made me strong: it taught me how to ride the waves.

Recipe testing at home during lockdown. Ghormeh Sabzi. Shared by Nahid at The Welcome Tent at The Angel Microbrewery in Nottingham. UK

I worked for ten years leading the first social innovation lab in UK regional government, coordinating whole system design projects addressing systemic challenges faced by society. To activate a community to solve a problem, a common purpose and language are essential. I found the limiting factors in a government setting were trust and integrity. I have focussed on these two missing ingredients as I have nurtured my own business, humanKINDER Ltd, since 2016. We use food - the language of love, life and survival - as a contextual catalyst for systems innovation, activating community participation in The Welcome Tent. I have found that community recovery needs:

“acknowledgement of systemic pain... equity of representation... needs us to remain hopeful, by sharing what works and being kind to ourselves, each other and nature.”

— humanKINDER Ltd 2020 Strategy

As super market shelves become empty we must ask the who and the how regarding decisions being made about our existing resources. How can this be done in an ethical way? If there are already fights over toilet paper, what happens when the food runs out? How long can the privilege of purchasing for ourselves as individuals continue: or should we use this pandemic as a reason to transition to local producers, bulk-purchasing where possible from ethical suppliers by community, by tower block, by street, by village? I believe a priority for us all must be to keep asking questions about our civil liberties, freedoms and participation in governance structures, so their erosion does not become our new normal forever.

“we’ve been trained for individualism and it is seriously undermining our resilience ”

— Rich Bartlett, Head of www.Enspiral.com, developing protocols for anti-fragile communities

It is no coincidence that the people first off the starters’ blocks to back-up the medical front-line, is the humanitarian army of organisers, volunteers and activists that recognise the ‘rabbit in the headlights’ look in themselves and others, but have made action their priority. Have a look at Compassion London, a project set up this week in London and already feeding hundreds of vulnerable children, communities and NHS health workers.

The Recipes of HOPE that I have documented in the forthcoming book will share a wealth of hope and inspiration to build resilient communities all the more suited to navigate our uncertain future. When the time is right and the book is ready - Mont Blanc the highest mountain in Europe will be a natural stage to share - amplifying silenced voices for systems rebuild.

I can be reached at emma@humanKINDER.UK for all enquiries about humanKINDER consultancy, speaking engagements and The Welcome Tent. To contribute towards the production costs of the Recipes of HOPE Manuscript, we are gratefully receiving donations at paypal.me/humanKINDER. Thank you.

Sources

Quotes above are transcribed from the highly recommended Rebel Wisdom’s - Resilience in Time of Crisis.

Happiness All Around Crew. 31st March 2020. Emma Barrett Palmer. Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. France.

No one will be left behind...

In Geneva at the Department of the Director General for a meeting with the Sustainable Development Goals Lab to share humanKINDER’s mission, purpose and aspiration to amplify silenced voices for systems change. The SDG Lab was the brainchild of Director General Micheal Moller in 2016 - who together with the results of a mapping exercise by the International Institute for Sustainable Development - recognised that the organisation needed to move from single focus to look across all issues, finding solutions across systemic horizons. This hybrid innovation lab model sits in the office of the Director General and has all the benefits that come with that, but significantly does not have to adhere to legal protocols which gives it more flexibility. 

Peace, United Nations in Geneva, May 2019

Before the SDGs, the UN aspired to the Millennial Development Goals, but with a focus on just “developing countries”: this unsurprisingly caused a divide. The SDGs are now applicable to all countries in the world - an approach which very much resonates with the whole systems approach of humanKINDER. They encompass a framework to address many of the themes emerging during last week’s World Health Assembly - gender, equality, empowerment, communities  - which are held precious to us at humanKINDER too.

The SDG Lab regularly hold ‘So What’ sessions which explore a couple of goals and their interrelationship in depth. For example Peace & Development or Gender & Sustainability. A main focus is bridging boundaries and building bridges - sometimes literally - in programmes of work which cut across different departments and areas of work. For example a recent project brought together members of the private financing district on the left bank of Lake Leman in Geneva together with professionals from the UN offices on the right bank. It had been a challenge to bring these two together, notably across the divide of water, but now they have a successful new programme of work which is already seeing new products in the fields of impact investing and blended finance models for good. 

The SDG Lab approach very much reminded me of my work in SILK, and notably the challenges of working using design-principles for horizontal human-centred work within the context of siloed teams/organisations/cultures/industries. It was reaffirming to share experiences, limitations and possibilities within this context, sharing the reasons why I felt it important to 'break out' from the institutional setting in order to go TO people rather than expect them to come to us.

For us at humanKINDER it is particularly important to understand what the SDG Lab and the UN mean by ‘inclusion’. We discussed this in depth within the framework of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Transforming our World; notably the pledge from 193 countries to ensure that “no one will be left behind”.

It was and inspiring and intriguing in similar measure inside the Palais des Nations, notably the historical weight of the Council Chamber where the League of Nations had first convened and where the walls were covered with the incredible works of Catalan artist José Maria Sert: studies of War and Peace, Progress of Humanity, Justice and International Law.

Mural by Catalan artist José Maria Sert, League of Nations Council Chamber

Word on the street from 72nd World Health Assembly, Geneva, May 2019

Last week I was in Geneva for some of the side events at the 72nd World Health Assembly. The WHA is the supreme decision-making body for the World Health Organisation, attended by delegations from all 194 member states. There was big buzz around the event as people from all over the world convene to discuss global health solutions in our current turbulent world.

I was there to network, discover and test out some humanKINDER concepts against the ideas presented here, taking full advantage of all the great minds and organisations hosting side events at the WHA72. The days proved fruitful, providing plenty of contextual information for a couple of collaborative bids we have in the pipeline, one for Dundeed and the other an application for a panel at SWSX 2020 in the US next year. 

I often find the side ‘chat’ equally revealing and this time proved no different. In the street outside the Palais des Nations: “you know the reason they have the fountains in the square in front of the United Nations is to stop the protestors…” But the water did not stop the good people of Venezuala and Kurdistan who I saw one day out in force in front of the Palais Gates. Another day a very loud and disturbing mobile phone conversation from a self proclaimed Christian Fundamentalist - with “full coverage of the US airwaves" - which made my jaw drop. That moment was perhaps the closest I have had into first-hand insight of the moral blindness which evidently accompanies such fundamentalist thinking.

The trip started with a superb evening session celebrating and making the case for 'Financing Sustainable Community Health for All: The Importance of Women Leaders' organised by a partnership between Centre for Global Health and Diplomacy, Communities at the heart of UHC, Living Goods, Last Mile Health and the What to Expect Project.  The key message, which was emphasised by the Honourable Dr Ruth Aceng, Minister of Health for Uganda was that universal health coverage begins and ends in the communities. The first thing she did was emphasise the importance of listening and learning from the experiences of the frontline community health workers from Liberia and Uganda who had been first to speak.

Dr Aceng was keen to point out that there is a limit to voluntarism. Everyone wants to be able to put food on the table. This is what we are pushing for in Africa to the government. The community health workers must be a paid workforce. A motivated workforce, but with the support of complimentary volunteers. Emphasising the critical role of women she said that when they are fired up they will get things moving. Really pleased to hear that this week she has received a Heroine of Health Award from Women in Global Health.  

Geetha Tharmaratnam Partner for Africa and Head in Impact for LGT Impact shared an key insight that  where women are 30% more in senior leadership, these investments have outperformed. She said it is clear that the numbers and principles speak for themselves. Marie-Ange Saraka-Yao  raised close to $18 billion US dollars for Gavi between the years of 2011-2015. Our bottom line is saving lives she explained, explaining her work in setting up innovation incubators, raising funds for vaccinations, and testing the use of drones for the delivery medical essentials across Africa. Her closing words: Believe in your vision, be audacious, be innovative and be bold. 

The following morning I attended a Breakfast panel hosted by the World Economic Forum and chaired by Marie-Ange (Gavi) to explore Globalisation 4.0: shaping the future of health and healthcare. One of the opening remarks which had particular resonance with me in light of my own recent experiences travelling Europe with The Welcome Tent, was from Sir Jeremy Farrar, Director of The Wellcome Trust. The British passport comes with uncertainty and circumstances which now seem beyond our control, but which we profoundly regret.

Yet it was pleasing to hear that despite that weighted comment, he had chosen to focus on reemphasising the positives. Look at the progress we have made. The global health community are good at focussing on the challenges rather than on the progress. Don’t underestimate the ingenuity of people and communities… the youth, the drive the energy. Don’t give into the populist agenda. 

Nancy Brown Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Assocation said that many in the US are troubled by the inequities of the healthcare system and Marie-Ange responded that in her recent experience travelling around the world there is a now a common aspiration in every country for equal access to health care. 

Farid Fezoua, President and CEO , GE Africa and GE Healthcare Africa said it is essential to engage commercial lenders/donors in different ways, notably PPPs in Africa especially Kenya demonstrate an appetite for this approach. He shared a programme of work focussing on the task shifting and education of midwives to address maternal and newborn health, explaining how technology can be leveraged to break down the barriers of distance and cost by focussing on design. 

The Director General of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control emphasised the importance of agile leadership and financial savings where dispersed teams can prevent small outbreaks from turning into big outbreaks. Investing in a network of people as leaders, across the space - teams that can think, react and respond enables the optimisation of staff across the network. He reflected that of course this approach should expect some resistance from the status quo as it goes against the hierarchy and warned that change will not happen overnight. This issue particularly resonated with my experiences leading SILK in the UK, the first social innovation lab within UK government.  

His final heartfelt comment was significant. When receiving an invite from a group of young people in the organisation, he realised that the under 35s were organising a forum to support themselves, outside working hours. This nearly brought tears to my eyes he said because they are realising the responsibility that they have, realising that they have to have the confidence and competence to lead themselves.

I next took a side step away from ‘Health’ into our other current field of work supporting and amplifying the experiences of displaced and refugee communities across Europe. If there was one criticism that could be leveraged against the WHA72 was that there was not enough diversity in the disciplines represented… With my social innovation hat on, I imagined what potential there could be if multiple perspectives - social scientists, urban planners, gamers etc - could all be brought together around global health issues.

It seemed rather appropriate that one of the first things I saw at the UN Refugee Agency was a photo of the refugee that is Einstein.

We cannot solve problems using the same thinking we used when we created them

Albert Einstein

I was glad to be able to attend an educational workshop led by Luc Brandt, Special Advisor, about his role and activities for the UNHCR. He shared a film about the history of the organisation, the legal framework for displaced and refugee communities and his personal experiences of working on the ground in Burundi. His talk was in French, of course, as Geneva is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and the one comment that really stood out for me and which I wholeheartedly agree with was “le système est en crise”. This was my first, but definitely not the last time I plan to visit.

Next I found myself in another building with iconic humanitarian status, the Museum of the Red Cross, for the launch of Prevention in an Ageing World by Baroness Greengross, the CEO of the International Longevity Centre, UK. The story behind the museum is fascinating and significant in humanitarian history. While on a business trip to secure a water concession with Napoleon III in Italy, Henry Dunant a Swiss Businessman found himself near the site of the Battle of Solferino on 24th June, 1859. Deeply shocked by the state of the wounded, and the fact no one was coming to their aid, he decided to treat them with the help of the local population ensuring each person was given the same care, regardless of their nationality. His memoirs inspired the creation of the International Commitee of the Red Cross (source Céleste magazine, Beau-Rivage, 2019).

Source: Céleste magazine, Beau-Rivage, 2019

Next was a Panel Discussion at the beautiful Beau-Rivage Hotel with its 160 Angels overlooking Lake Leman, hosted by Alzheimer’s Disease International and discussing why we all need to do more about dementia. Paolo Barbarino, CEO of ADI shared their new report From Plan to Impact II, the urgent need for action.

A highlight for me was a heartfelt presentation from Dr Salih Ali Al-Marri, Deputy Minister @MOPHQatar who shared his personal experiences of family members living with dementia. I can always feel their emotions whenever they are happy or whenever they are feeling their ups and downs. Dr Al-Marri has been the driving force behind Qatar being the first country in the world to have a National Dementia Strategy and Plan adopted after being a pilot country in the World Health Organisation Global Observatory in 2015.

Sharing The Dementia Diaries at WHA72

From Plan to Impact II: the urgent need for action, Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2019

From Plan to Impact II: the urgent need for action, Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2019

From Plan to Impact II: the urgent need for action, Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2019

The prevalence of dementia is not diminishing and it was this point that was captured so eloquently in the concluding remarks from Australian Kate Swaffer, Human Rights Activist and Founder of Dementia Alliance, the global voice of dementia, an international advocacy agency run by and for people living with Dementia.

We want to see action, not reports that sit on shelves

Kate Swaffer, Founder Dementia Alliance

Because for people living with dementia, their families and their loved ones, every day and every moment counts. Kate added that optimism is really important and that we must never give up - if Edison had given up we wouldn't have lights on in this room. It was a real honour to meet Kate and find out she already has a copy of our beloved book The Dementia Diaries which was co-developed with the grandchildren of people living with dementia in Kent, UK in 2013. We are currently working with Sophie Okolo to find a way to get this life-affirming educational resource into every school in California, US.

Source: Céleste magazine, Beau-Rivage, 2019

But it was only the next day after leaving this magical hotel that when reading the Beau-Rivage Hotel Magazine I found out something truly remarkable. Eleanor Roosevelt had actually drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights while temporarily living there in the 1940s. Wow.

I had picked up the magazine because rather fortuitously I spent those days in Geneva without a mobile phone. Because in our current world of chaos - information, data, fake news, institutionalisation, viruses, crashes - I have found myself caught up and sucked in by the screen. So I found it hugely helpful - liberating even - to remove myself from this and find myself next to a statue of Gandhi sitting and contemplating quietly in the park facing the gates of the Russian Embassy with the Palais des Nations over his shoulder.

May your actions speak so loud that I cannot hear what you are saying

Honourable Dr Ruth Aceng Minister of Health for Uganda

Photograph by Emma Barrett Palmer

The Dementia Diaries, finding its feet in Los Angeles, California.

Great to talk this week with Matthew Snyman and Sophie Okolo, calling in from France, UK and Los Angeles, California.

Watch this space for a revival of our groundbreaking resources for families living with dementia, with particular acknowledgement of the growing number of younger carers - notably millennials - who are finding themselves in caring roles for their loved ones in our ageing society.

You can see a short film of the families who kindly shared their stories and participated in the project advisory and editorial board here.

The specification we received at the time from young carers of family members with dementia was: “we want something like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, where the facts are true and the feelings are real”. Thanks Jack, we hope we did justice to your original words.

We are so proud that this project - the book and learning resource for children, families, communities and society - will now be finding its feet in the United States. If you are interested in collaborating, or able to offer any financial support for these next steps, we would love to hear from you.