Charitable objects
THE CHARITABLE OBJECT OF THE CIO IS TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN THE FIELD OF GLOBAL HEALTH. THE CIO IS TO PURSUE THIS OBJECTIVE THROUGH ACTIVITIES INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
1. CONDUCTING AND DISSEMINATING RESEARCH INTO TOPICS RELATED TO GLOBAL HEALTH WHICH MAY INCLUDE:
A. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORKS INCLUDING COMMUNITY HEALTH, PLANETARY HEALTH, POSITIVE HEALTH AND SYSTEMS THINKING;
B. AGENTIC APPROACHES SUCH AS PARTICIPATORY METHODS, AND RESOURCEFULNESS;
C. INNOVATIONS IN DATA-GATHERING METHODS AND TECHNOLOGY
D. APPROACHES TO MEASURING HEALTH, INCLUDING MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORKS AND INDICES
E. DECISION-MAKING METHODS AND INNOVATIONS
F. ANY OTHER TOPICS RELATED TO GLOBAL HEALTH, COMMUNITY HEALTH OR PLANETARY HEALTH WHICH THE TRUSTEES OR THOSE THEY HAVE DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO DEEM APPROPRIATE
2. DEVELOPING PRACTICAL TOOLS AND RESOURCES, INCLUDING DIGITAL TOOLS, WHICH ENABLE USERS TO RESEARCH, EXPLORE AND UNDERSTAND GLOBAL HEALTH TOPICS, DATA AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION. THIS MAY INCLUDE TOOLS THAT SUPPORT USERS TO COLLECT AND ANALYSE DATA, MEASURE HEALTH OR COMMUNITY HEALTH, AND UNDERSTAND OR MODEL THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF INTERVENTIONS OR DECISIONS.
DEFINITIONS: IN THE ABOVE EXPOSITION OF THE CIO’S CHARITABLE OBJECTS, THE TERMS USED ARE TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS FOLLOWS:
A. “COMMUNITY HEALTH” IS AN APPROACH TO HEALTH PROMOTION THAT TAKES THE COMMUNITY AS THE UNIT OF ANALYSIS RATHER THAN THE INDIVIDUAL.
B. “PLANETARY HEALTH” IS A CONCEPT THAT DESCRIBES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HEALTH OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION AND THE STATE OF THE NATURAL SYSTEMS ON WHICH IT DEPENDS. FOR EXAMPLE PLANETARY HEALTH WOULD BE CONCERNED (INTER ALIA) WITH THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HEALTH.
C. “POSITIVE HEALTH” CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN OPPOSITION TO THE ‘DEFICIT MODEL’ OF HEALTH, WHEREBY HEALTH IS UNDERSTOOD AS AN ABSENCE OF PROBLEMS OR DISEASE. IN CONTRAST, POSITIVE HEALTH ALSO CONSIDERS FLOURISHING AND WELLBEING, AND THE FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO THEM.
D. “SYSTEMS THINKING” IS AN APPROACH TO ANALYSING SYSTEMS THAT FOCUSES ON THE WAY A SYSTEM’S CONSTITUENT PARTS INTERRELATE AND WORK OVER TIME. THIS CONTRASTS WITH APPROACHES WHICH STUDY SYSTEMS BY BREAKING THEM DOWN INTO THEIR SEPARATE ELEMENTS AND CONSIDERING THEM IN ISOLATION.
E. “AGENTIC APPROACHES” ARE APPROACHES TO IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH WHICH ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THE EMPHASIS THEY PLACE ON ENHANCING THE AGENCY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO IMPROVE THEIR OWN HEALTH OUTCOMES, AS OPPOSED TO “TOP-DOWN” APPROACHES WHICH AIM TO SOLVE DEFICITS OR PROBLEMS FOR THEM.
F. “PARTICIPATORY METHODS” REFERS TO SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH METHODS WHICH ARE DESIGNED TO RESPECT THE AGENCY OF RESEARCH SUBJECTS BY ENSURING THAT THEY ARE NOT MERELY SUBJECTS BUT ACTIVE AND EMPOWERED PARTICIPANTS.
G. "RESOURCEFULNESS” IS AN AGENTIC FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH PROMOTION WHICH COMBINES A FOCUS ON THE AGENCY OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH THE NEED TO ADDRESS STRUCTURAL AND HISTORIC CONSTRAINTS ON THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY TO IMPROVE THEIR OWN HEALTH; AS OPPOSED TO OTHER AGENTIC APPROACHES WHICH HAVE BEEN CRITICISED FOR PLACING TOO MUCH OF THE BURDEN OF CHANGE ON MARGINALISED AND DISADVANTAGED GROUPS.
