Lessons from Haiti: Tackling Acute and Chronic Disasters

Each fall, the Partners In Health family—including supporters, staff, and patients—gather at the annual Thomas J. White Symposium to reflect on the lessons and challenges of the past year. This year, the event will take place on Saturday, September 25, at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, MA.

The title of this year’s 17^th Annual Symposium is “Lessons from Haiti: Tackling Acute and Chronic Disasters.” This exciting and informative event will be streamed live over the internet, starting at 3:00pm EDT on September 25. Attending the event in-person will be free and open to the public, but tickets are required and seating is limited*.

Symposium details:
Date: Saturday, September 25
Time: 3:00-5:00 pm EDT
Watch online: www.pih.org/symposium

Or attend in person*:
Sanders Theatre
Harvard University Memorial Hall
45 Quincy Street
Cambridge, MA 02138

For over 20 years, PIH has worked to address the chronic but devastating disasters that stifle the lives and hopes of millions of people--lack of access to medical care, food, clean water, decent housing, schools and jobs. The Symposium will explore how acute disasters like the earthquake in Haiti impact communities already ravaged by poverty and disease, and how our commitment to breaking this vicious cycle has enabled us to respond effectively to the need for both emergency relief and long-term recovery. In turn, the knowledge gained from our post-earthquake efforts, much like the lessons learned over the past 20 years of addressing chronic poverty across central Haiti, will impact projects at PIH sites in other countries.

Speakers will include PIH co-founders Paul Farmer and Ophelia Dahl, PIH Medical Director Joia Mukherjee, and staff representing PIH projects from around the world.

*Admission to the Symposium is free and open to the public, but seating is limited and will be restricted to ticketholders. Tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis starting September 10 at the Harvard Box Office. They may be reserved by phone (617-496-2222), or picked up at the box office (1350 Mass. Ave., Cambridge). Some tickets may be released on the day of the event, but please keep in mind that space is limited.