Recorded presentation

Sylvia Herrera, PhD, People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources, PO Box 6237, Austin, TX 78762`, 512-472-9921, cuauilteca@aol.com

This presentation will provide an understanding of how community based research as a collaborative effort of community and governmental agencies can generate meaningful dialogue to address public health concerns from environmental impacts and then broaden the discussion to achieve an overall healthier community. A successful model utilized by PODER in Austin, TX will be used to illustrate that community based research as well as collaborative partnerships must be rooted in neighborhoods impacted by high morbidity and mortality caused or exacerbated by environmental hazards. Implicit in this model is the identification of factors which speak to susceptible populations, access to the environmental decision-making process, and other issues which affect how a given community may be impacted by environmental hazards. The “parallel system of change” model will be introduced to highlight the necessary steps taken to develop a community that will actively participate in decision-making and policies to ensure that environmental decision-making adequately considers these social and cultural factors.

Learning Objectives:

• To provide a basic understanding of how social and cultural factors can be considered in environmental decision making.
• To articulate a basic understanding for developing community based research and collaborative partnerships to address morbidity and mortality in communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation