Hello ONEIG members!
Here are some wonderful ways you can take action this month:
Congressional Briefing on Climate & Health
Please join the American Lung Association, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, National Association of County and City Health Officials, Health Care Without Harm, and Medical Students for a Sustainable Future Thursday March 18 at 1pm EST for a discussion around the health impacts of climate change and the solutions health care professionals, health systems, and public health departments are employing to mitigate its effects and build resilience. The event will feature a panel discussion with health experts with the opportunity to ask questions. You can register for the virtual briefing here.
World Water Day
Monday March 22nd is World Water Day. This year we are asking you to hold Prime Minister Trudeau accountable for his 2015 election promise to end all drinking water advisories on First Nations reservations by March 2021.
In 2015, there were drinking water advisories in 126 First Nation communities. There are still advisories in 39 First Nation communities. Some of these communities have not been able to drink safe tap water for decades. Entire generations have grown up without being able to trust that their water will not make them sick – something that most of us have never had to consider in our lives.
Please take a moment to tell Prime Minister that we will not stand for any more excuses. Please send a letter to the Trudeau government calling for water justice in Indigenous communities by ending drinking water advisories once and for all. If you have children in your life, you can help them send a Water Drop to the Prime Minister! Click here to download a printable Water Drop.
Then, send a photo or scan of the Water Drop to inquiries@canadians.org who will deliver them to the Prime Minister in Ottawa! They will also publish the images on their website and social media channels (they will not publish children’s last names).
Green Team Project
The Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment is collaborating with the Canadian Coalition of Green Health Care and University of Alberta graduate student, Joanna Law, to create a national picture of Green Teams. The goal of this project is to develop an interactive map that will display Green Team location and information from across the country. Its aim is to inform and inspire those looking to start a Green Team and provide networking opportunities for existing Green Teams.
We are looking for your help in realizing this project. If you have a Green Team not yet on this map and would like to be included in this project, we kindly request your participation in any of the following ways:
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Provide us with a summary of your Green Team activities and future direction.
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Provide us with contact information that could be posted on the map.
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Provide us with information about a specific success, difficulty, or experience in being part of a Green Team. This could take the form of a short written piece, video vignette, email interview, or video interview.
The map is still in development, but can be accessed at https://greenhealthcare.ca/greenteam/.
Keep shining,
Your ONEIG Executive Team