of Medicine
-Elie Wiesel
Peace by Peace Home
Peace by Peace is a group of Yale medical students and faculty organized for the purpose of promoting peace between Palestinians and Israelis through the implementation and support of cross-borders medical programing. We see these acts of good faith, which are based in the inherent responsibility of the medical professional, as vital and useful means by which to build trust between these groups of people.
Our Mission Statement:
We, as future physicians, believe that access to medicine and health services should never be denied on the basis of religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or creed. Safe and accessible healthcare that is not limited by national barriers should be available to all in the Middle East in order to preserve human life. Israeli civilians should be granted access to medical care from Palestinian, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian healthcare professionals. Palestinian civilians should never be denied care from any Jewish, Arabic, Muslim or Christian medical institution and should be given equal access to medical treatments. We must not define ourselves by prejudices that have plagued us throughout modern history.
We believe that:
1. Institutions of healthcare delivery, which include but are not limited to, ambulances, clinics, and hospitals, are inviolable spaces that should never be targeted in acts of aggression or war. We believe healthcare practitioners and staff should be considered neutral parties, protected in times of conflict or peace.
2. Access to medical supplies, healthcare professionals, and other basic provisions should not be denied to any population.
3. Those who wish to seek access to medical care otherwise unavailable to them must not be afraid to cross physical, man-made, and national boundaries. There must be safe and accessible infrastructure for patients to cross these barriers in a rapid and efficient fashion.
4. We encourage the training of Israeli and Palestinian providers to be unbiased and culturally competent. Institutions of healthcare training and delivery must incorporate these principles into their education.
5. We believe that the natural first step of promoting these principles is to serve our local community. Helping the homeless and providing health services to the underserved are some of the ways that can serve as a basis to promote peace.
Open and free access to these necessities is inextricably linked to the advancement of a population, and when denied, to its ailing. We hope that the above principles will enable others to take action to serve others, both at home and abroad.
Andrew Kobets, Yale School of Medicine class of 2012
Sumayya Ahmad, Yale School of Medicine class of 2011
Omer Ibrahim, Yale School of Medicine class of 2012
Hadiza Kazaure Yale School of Medicine class of 2012
Jessica Bod, Yale School of Medicine class of 2012
Ann Raldow, Yale School of Medicine class of 2011
Kiavash Nikkhou, Yale School of Medicine class of 2012
Dr. James F. Leckman, Neison Harris Proffesor of Child Psychiatry, Psychology & Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine Child Study Center
