I spend more of my life in meetings than I would like and often think “this meeting could have been an email.” But this week I have been in several short and very effective meetings. It is amazing what can happen when there is a clear shared purpose and the right people are in the (virtual) room. There has been research into the psychology of work meetings, and the impacts for organisational outcomes and culture. I wish everyone would be more critical of meetings and ensure they always had a clear purpose that could not be achieved by another communication method. I for one commit to pausing before sending any future diary invites!
On Monday I was one of hundreds of health professionals who signed an open letter from Medact to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, demanding the government takes action on fuel poverty. Just 20 energy companies have made £427 billion in profit since the start of the energy crisis, whilst the most vulnerable in society are forced to shoulder the weight of the crisis. As health workers we see and feel the inadequacy of the NHS to deal with the consequences of cold, damp, mouldy houses and an unequal economic system.
It’s time we urgently reclaim houses as the sites of health and healing for everybody, so we have three demands:
- Quality homes for all and a comprehensive retrofitting programme
- Energy justice
- A rapid just transition away from fossil fuels
These three actions would be an investment in a just future. We do not want to see the problems laid out in the report of the Institute of Health Equity Left Out in the Cold: The Hidden Impact of Cold Homes continue. It is truly shocking and entirely preventable.
As the atrocities in Palestine escalate I find it more and more difficult to understand how anyone can stand with Israel at this point. The often repeated ‘Israel has a right to defend itself‘ is meaningless and absurd in the face of the destruction of the entire healthcare system of Northern Gaza, the killing and torture of Palestinian health workers and the death count of Palestinian children rising to over 17000. I often shy away from discussing such emotive subjects as it can be exhausting, and I feel unprepared to respond to arguments in support of the occupation. I therefore attended a workshop run by Makan and Shado ‘How to talk about Palestine.’ It was expertly facilitated and packed with useful tools and information. Makan’s education hub has a wealth of free resources, and they have more workshops coming up. Shado (see, hear, act, do) is a lived-experience led community of artists, activists and writers united in the fight for social justice and collective liberation. They make incredible film, audio and print resources, all of which are insightful and beautiful.
On Thursday I was on BBC London Radio talking to the host, Shay Kaur Grewal, about the benefits of plant-based food and our Plants First Healthcare campaign. Shay was really friendly and asked great questions. Having done media interviews a few times now, I’m better prepared, but I was still nervous as it was live. I have previously done media training with NEON, which really helped me to understand what makes an interview successful, and how not to get tripped up by tricky questions. Hopefully I did a good job.
You can listen to the interview here:
On Saturday I attended the Stand Up to Racism protest against the far right. I joined the Refugees Welcome bloc and found a nice group from Care4Calais to march with. It was a bright day, and not too cold, and it was good for the soul to be amongst people actively working to create a society built on love and solidarity, not hate and fear. The friends and family of Chris Kaba spoke of grief, anger, and a second death following the acquittal of the police officer who murdered Chris, a 24 year old unarmed black man. Incredibly they also spoke of hope: hope that we will stand together and collectively refuse to accept state violence. Hope that we will remember that every person matters, and no one should fear being murdered in the street by the police.
P__ and I went to the latest Musica Antica concert, Il Gran Capitano Della Morte. We are so lucky to have this group right on our doorstep and the memento-mori adjacent theme felt apropriate for Halloween. The group bring music from the 15th – 18th Centuries to a 21st century audience, often playing pieces which have not been heard for many years, and for which there is no modern edition of the music. Instruments include the Harpsicord, Viola da Gamba, Theorbo, lute and violin. The musicians and singers are incredibly talented and yet tickets are kept at the low price of £10 to ensure the concerts are accessible. I know nothing about this period of music (or any period of music outside the mid-1990s) but I love every minute of these auditory time travels. There’s just one more concert left of the 2024 season so book your ticket quickly if you are interested.
I made some incredible recipes from two wonderful cookbooks: Plentiful by Denai Moore and Big Vegan Flavour by Nisha Vora.
I listened to the latest episode of the Respiratory Futures podcast, on the incredible power of vaccines. I’ve had my COVID booster and flu vaccine. I hope you have too!
I did not make any Christmas presents. Only 59 sleeps left.
drlj 