St. Luke’s to co-host Asia dialogue on climate and mental health in celebration of World Mental Health Day
| October 4, 2022
The emotional and social strength and resilience of communities needed to face climate and environmental change is getting more attention. COP2 (Care of People x Planet) is a growing community of 70+ companies, governments, organizations, and institutions focused on strengthening the human operating systems needed to address climate change. With increasing levels of loss, trauma, and depression, in the wake of climate change and environmental damage, people across the world need eco-awareness, and psychological resilience, adaptation skills, and pro-social attachments more than ever.
The Southeast Asia and Western Pacific Regional Hub Dialogue, coordinated by the Planetary and Global Health Program of the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine (Philippines) and George Institute for Global Health will take place on October 10, 2022, World Mental Health Day 2022. We hope to provide an inclusive space for discussion and co-creation across generations and sectors. Participants will have the opportunity to share perspectives and insights to inspire transformational mindsets and behaviours that are core to our collective capacity to deliver a sustainable planet.
Date: Monday, October 10, 2022
Time: 09:30-11:30 New Delhi / 12:00-14:00 Manila / 15:00-18:00 Sydney
Event objectives:
- To increase awareness of the newly formed COP2 initiative in the Southeast Asia and Western Pacific region, and present opportunities to get involved with it moving forward
- To connect and learn from individuals, and organisations attuned to, or concerned with the mental and emotional health and well-being impacts of the climate crisis
- To present a diverse range of case studies, including from individuals with lived experiences enduring and adapting to vulnerability and change associated with the climate crisis
- To develop and refine geographically and culturally relevant recommendations to integrate a mental health lens into climate policy frameworks
Audience: individuals and organisations in Southeast Asia and The Western Pacific that are attuned to or concerned with the mental and emotional health and well-being impacts of the climate crisis.
Confirmed speakers:
- Gary Belkin, Director, Billion Minds Project | Columbia University, Chair, COP2
- Mercian Daniel, Senior Research Fellow, Mental Health, George Institute for Global Health India
- Renzo Guinto, Lead, Southeast Asia, and Western Pacific Regional Hub, COP2, Director, Planetary and Global Health Program, St. Luke’s Medical Center-College of Medicine, Philippines
- Rikki Dank, Gundanji traditional owner, climate activist, and COP26 delegate, Australia
- Sena Salcedo, Psychologist, Mental Health First Response and St Arnold Center for Integral Development, Philippines
The agenda and discussion prompts will be circulated to registered participants in advance of the event.
Further information:
- To start, COP2 is collaborating with the Race to Resilience that is mobilising the world to accelerate progress in adaptation and strengthening of key infrastructures that reach areas where 4 billion people live, by 2030.
- COP2 will develop a Roadmap for the Race to Resilience to also include capacity building for addressing people’s resilience and the mental and emotional strengths of 4 billion people by 2030.
- Learn more by visiting the website here.
- Contact the Southeast Asia & Western Pacific Regional Hub Leads.
- St Luke’s Medical Center: Renzo Guinto, (rl.f@st-lukes.kestrel-prod.com) and Criselle Peñamante (penamante.cc.e@st-lukes.kestrel-prod.com)
- George Institute for Global Health: Chhavi Bhandari (cbhandari@georgeinstitute.org.in) and Claudia Selin Batz (cbatz@georgeinstitute.org.uk)
- For any queries pertaining to logistics, please contact Criselle Peñamante (cc.e@st-lukes.kestrel-prod.com)
More information on what it means to become a member of the Regional Hub will be circulated post-event.