American Cancer Society Trains 26 Scholars from 13 Latin American Cancer NGOs in Advocacy

Participants in the cancer training in Washington, DC

 

Twenty-six scholars from 13 cancer nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Latin America gathered for advocacy training July 12-16 in Washington, DC. This weeklong event was the fourth and final training part of the Latin America Regional Health Grants Program, a four-year American Cancer Society program aimed at strengthening organizations and empowering cancer patients in Latin America that was made possible by a generous educational grant from the Pfizer Foundation. The sessions covered such subjects as selecting advocacy issues, setting advocacy objectives, political mapping, and global advocacy. The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network^SM (ACS CAN), the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, hosted the Latin American scholars and provided them a unique opportunity to learn about and experience the advocacy process from our nation’s capital. The speakers included Dr. Elmer Huerta, a past president of the American Cancer Society; Society regional consultants; and from ACS CAN – Molly Daniels, Bob Chapman, Joe Franco, and Mona Shah. Carrie Konosky from the Kidney Cancer Association, Jorge Puente and Gerard Hagn from Pfizer, and Robert Raben from The Raben Group, also delivered powerful speeches. Throughout the training, the scholars also had an opportunity to make presentations about the early detection projects they planned and implemented as part of the program. Finally, the scholars went to Capitol Hill and met with Daniel E. Smith, former president of ACS CAN and current staff director of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). He offered an insider’s perspective on the role cancer NGOs can play vis-à-vis their governments.
 

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This weeklong event was the fourth and final training part of the Latin America Regional Health Grants Program, a four-year American Cancer Society program aimed at strengthening organizations and empowering cancer patients in Latin America that was made possible by a generous educational grant from the Pfizer Foundation. The sessions covered such subjects as selecting advocacy issues, setting advocacy objectives, political mapping, and global advocacy.