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Standing Committee on Reproductive Health inc. HIV/AIDS
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SCORA Regional Assistant for Europe
Maria Espírito Santo Cunha
SCORA Training Assistant
NORA
LORA
Candidature for SCORA Director
2014-‐2015
“Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
Steve Jobs
Dear IFMSA Family,
It gives me great pleasure to present to you my candidature for the position of IFMSA Director on Reproductive Health including AIDS for the term 2014-‐2015.
Now, when I look back, I think how curious it is that I spent an entire year working at my Local Committee without knowing what was SCORA...but then, when the challenge to become a LORA showed up, I find out that nothing makes me feel more passionate than working on Reproductive and Sexual Health. And it is this passion, combined with a giant motivation and energy that after 3 years and 4 different positions (LORA, NORA, SCORA Training Assistant, SCORA Regional Assistant) makes me present my candidature to SCORA Director.
As LORA and NORA I got the chance to create and organized lots of campaigns (HIV Awareness week, A day for Testis, Think Pink Month), different kinds of activities (from internships to Med on Tour) and I also get the chance to coordinate our Peer Education National Program. And on my 3rd month as NORA, I went to MM 2013 and felt in love for IFMSA, this amazing Federation that connects medical students from all around the world that share the same goal: to change the world. And after an IPET and an extraordinary GA I end up really believing on IFMSA power, so I wanted to get more and more involved! (C'mon! How amazing it is knowing that you teach something new to someone in Brazil or that you learn something from someone in Australia!? And that you all together are fighting for the same thing!?
So, after an amazing T4All in Lisbon where I facilitated the IPET, I applied for SCORA Training Assistant... And it was amazing! Trainings are the best way to transmit to someone your love for something. When you give a training you can inspire someone, you can involve them, you can make them think about it and make them share the knowledge that they get with others.... And I couldn’t feel more accomplished doing it! But beside from all the trainings I gave during that term, I felt that I was also helping people to discover what is SCORA and what they can take from it, I help people to start their peer-‐education programs or to prepare their own trainings on Sexual Health related issues, I helped the I SECSE to happen, and I was also a member of the SCORA International Team, that was a great school! But during the term as SCORA TA I felt that I could do more! I could focus on a region and do more for that region... So I applied for SCORA Regional Assistant for Europe! During this past year I'm having another great experience as member of the SCORA IT, while having the honor of serving the European Region when it comes to Reproductive Health and AIDS World. Actually, I'm not sure if serving is the right word! Cause during this term I saw so many amazing work being done, I met so many inspiring and hardworking people, that while doing my work I was also being touched, learning, getting inspired... and somehow I realized that the work I've been doing with the European Region, I would love to do with the whole world! I would love to get to all the NMOs! To help them to really get to know SCORA and everything it has to offer, help them to get to know about all the projects that are done worldwide world and find out what are the best ones for each country and how can they implement it, help them to get to know their own projects to the rest of IFMSA, prepare
Motivation Letter
them to be leaders in advocacy, campaigning and policy making, encourage them to always touch and help more and more people, help them to find out all the great ideas that they have inside their heads but they just didn’t think seriously about it or are just to afraid of all the obstacles they may face... and I want to be there for all the SCORAngels, as they always have been for me, inspiring me, teaching me and definitely making me a better human being, a better student and soon a better doctor!
Looking to my past experience in SCORA, being a last year Medical Student that since her first year is working with IFMSA (that has been receiving so much from this Federation and growing up so much that is plenty of things to give back), as a woman with her own sexual and reproductive health... with all my energy, my motivation, my passion, my workaholic vein, my dedication and my youth, I feel that I have a good understanding of the main pillars you need to do a great job on SCORA.
Recently I hear someone asking "But...Does IFMSA really works?" and the best thing is that the answer for this question are not words, but actions, because fortunately we have plenty of actions to show to people how much IFMSA works! And are these same actions that push me forward and make me hope that as SCORA Director I will live up to the really high level of the work the SCORAngels have been accomplishing.
I believe this candidature is the "cherry on the top of the cake" I've been cooking for 3 years now: is the result of the experience I gained and inspiration I collect; it is a conclusion of thousands of conversations with people from all around the world about what is SCORA, what we want for SCORA, what we struggle with and what are our strengths; it is an answer to some problems I have found on the way or that someone pointed to me; it's a support to every single SCORAngel who ever expressed to me that they need help on this or that; and finally, it is a tool that will allow SCORA to become a even bigger, better and stronger SC that is a real agent of change that reach and change more and more people's live, like changed mine!
Thank you so much for all your attention and I will happily answer to any of your questions.
Best Regards,
Maria
My plan of action is organized in two parts. On the first part I explain to you what are the pillars of the work that I wish to work on together with the International Team during this term. And on the second part, I explain to you what is the road I'm seeing SCORA during this term considering those pillars.
The Pillars:
SCORA Focus Areas
At MM 2013 we voted the 5 SCORA Focus Areas: Stigma and Discrimination, Maternal Health, Violence against Women, Comprehensive Sexuality Education, and Access to Safe Abortions. During this term I would like to gather everything that we have already done in matters of projects, activities, campaigns and policy statements concerning our focus areas and make that information accessible to all the SCORAngels. The SCORA Focus Areas will also command the Annual Working Plan with a strategy of work to each and every one of them.
SCORA Mission and Vision
We voted our Mission and Vision during the last March Meeting in Tunisia, so now is really important to make sure that it always keeps in line with IFMSA Mission and Vision and that is open to any update or amendments required. I will take it in take it in account wile defining our Annual Working Plan and will make sure what we stand up for it throw in our campaigns, projects and the external relations we develop
Regional Inclusiveness and Empowerment
Every region has it's own struggles...and is really important that SCORA has an answer to all of them. I want to work closely with the RAs on understanding what are the needs of every region and hope find the solutions to them, helping SCORA to grow up on those regions and empowering the NMOs that already have SCORA. This can be done by promoting regional trainings, creating SCORA opportunities, to every NMOs, helping new activities and projects to see the light of the day and facilitating the access information about SCORA, it's programs and also about externals.
SCORA International Team
I hope to, together with the SCORA-‐LO, build a highly motivated, passionate and hardworking SCORA International Team that shall oversee all the activities of SCORA. This team will be essential on setting up the SCORA Working Plan and on making it happen! For that I would like to restructure the International Team, having:
Regional Assistants that will build the bridge between SCORA and their region. I can't wait to work with the RAs on having a real picture of SCORA right now in their regions so they can work on the Regional Inclusiveness and Empowerment appropriately to their region
Media Assistant: since nowadays one of the best ways to communicate is the video, and we have very successful video campaigns done during this past term, this person would be in charge of working on the video for the campaigns we might developed during the year and also promotional videos and the SCORA Update videos
Publications Assistant : that will work on the SCORA E-‐newsletter, on review the article for MSI and also working on the layout of the different SCORA Manuals
Programs Assistant: if after AM 2014 the General Assembly decide that we should mooe from Projects to Programs, it will be central to have someone that help all the SCORA
Plan of Action
projects on the process of becoming programs, and that will follow them, supporting them and also promoting them on the SCORA community.
During the whole term I want to work closely with every single member of the IT, providing them support and helping them with their functions, for that I really want to have a strong communication by emails and meeting online regularly.
IFMSA
Being SCORA Director is not just about SCORA, is also being an IFMSA Official, so during this term I will make sure that the actions of SCORA are concordant with the IFMSA Plan of Action and I will be an active member of the IFMSA Team of Official. that said, I will be in regular contact with the rest of the Team of Officials, always online, but also attending TOMs, GAs and working towards more collaboration.
Also considering that SCORA is a part of IFMSA as one of the 6 Standing Committees, I want to keep the work that has been done on gathering together Standing Committees, preparing rocking joint sessions, hardworking SWG and amazing programs.
But inside the TO there is a person with whom I hope to work more closely than to anyone else that is the SCORA Liaison Officer: with whom I will keep regular contact and together search for opportunities for the SCORA members.
SCORAngels:
As Official I will be working for you! So I will be reachable to help you with any task you might need. I really want to hear you during this term, and I want that the work that I will be developing with the International Team will be an answer to your needs. The ones that you already know... and the ones that you still didn't find out because you might be scared of thinking really big! Beside from that, I also want to keep high levels of energy, motivation and inspiration during this term! And that is done by making sure that all of you know what is being done on SCORA, what you can take from here, and that you know what people with the same passion as you are actually doing, guaranteeing that you find plenty of opportunities to grow up and seeing the work you have been doing being highlighted!
So... What's the road?
Capacity building
Capacity Building is about getting the tools to do your job better... not forgetting your personal improvement and the inspiration you can receive from getting in touch with other people with the same passion as you, or from the experience of learning from people with amazing job already done on the Reproductive Health and AIDS field. Considering this:
I want to organize the IPET and Advanced IPET on the Pre-‐General Assemblies and Pre-‐Regional Meeting. Concerning IPET: since they are called Peer-‐Education Trainings I would like to see the Standing Committees involved, since they can highly benefit from the experience of the SCORAngels when it come to IPETs, as peer-‐education is an useful tool also on their work. And concerning Advanced-‐IPET, I would like to focus them on certain subjects, according to the needs of my SCORAngels.
I will help the Countries or Regions that want to organize their own IPETs, ensuring the quality of the training and supporting them with the resources. I will also help you whenever you are willing to give a Training concerning Sexual and Reproductive Health.
Beside from getting them involved on IPETs, I think SCORA has the mission to also help the other Standing Committees wanting to explore the Peer-‐Education methods. Therefore I want to promote it next to them and give them the resources and trainings to also use it on their work, or in common work with us.
I would like to develop Training Manuals on issues SCORA Related, as "Discrimination" or "How to talk about sex” that can be used for sessions on Regional Meetings, National Meetings or General Assemblies.
SHAPE, is the SCORA umbrella project and giant platform of materials concerning peer-‐education. That said is really important for me to work close with the SHAPE Team, promoting it in the NMOs (to help them establish or improve their peer-‐education programs) and on making a very complete database with: workshops, activities, materials and a list of peer-‐educators by region.
Work, together with the Regional Assistants, with all the Regions to make a Cooperation on Sexual Education (like SECSE and NECSE) in every of them. I will start that work by creating a Manual on "How to do Cooperation on Sexual Education".
I would like to introduce SCORA Webinars as another way for us (International Team) to keep in touch with you and also make it a learning experience. This webinars can be on soft skills or with Externals talking about some pertinent topic
Regional Meetings and General Assemblies
The IFMSA meetings are key moments in the life of all IFMSAians! Thus as a Standing Committee we have to work to live up the expectations of all the members that want to come to learn as much as they can to go home and act locally...
I will work with the Regional Assistant on the agenda and preparation for the Regional Meetings and Pre-‐Regional Meetings. Since often the people that go to the RMs are not the same that go to the GA, being the first ones frequently on their first meeting, this is an amazing opportunity to teach them more about SCORA and show them the really dimension of this Standing Committee and the big things they can do with it. I will also help them with the construction of the Regional Meeting SCORA Manual.
Prepare together with the SCORA-‐LO and the International Team the Agenda for the General Assemblies. To build and high quality agenda I will look for motivated and experienced SCORAngels to facilitate the sessions and I will particularly support the SCORA-‐LO work on searching for Externals that can enrich our agenda. Additionally I want to keep making happen the joint sessions with the other SCs. Also for every GA I will update the SCORA GA Manual and provide it to all of you. And as every GA has a pre-‐GA, has I mentioned on the previous sector, I will keep working on the Pre-‐GA trainings related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and AIDS.
Every Meeting will be followed by a Report that will be shared with all of you.
Communication
The motivation comes from the seeing work being done and seeing change happening, so to keep all the SCORA members motivated, I want to be sure that everyone knows about what is rocking on SCORA! I prospect communication in 2 main directions:
1) From SCORA to the World
I will keep updating the SCORA Facebook group, to make sure that all the news and information arrive to my SCORAngels, and making that a place for you to also share your accomplishments and articles or publications SCORA related that you find and believe that must be interesting and useful for the rest of us.
I will update the SCORA information on IFMSA.org and will develop a SCORA-‐Blog, with the International Team (particularly the Media Assistant), that people will be able to access from that SCORA page and where will be everything that matters for a SCORAngel! That blog will have plenty of training resources (to be worked together with SHAPE), publications (policy statements and manuals), the SCORA projects, SWG work, useful links to our Colleagues Organizations and a SCORA Database with the info from the NORAs and also the projects done in every NMO.
I hope to develop the SCORA E-‐newsletter! This is an opportunity for NORAs, LORAs, any SCORAngel to send news about the work they have been doing or promote activities they are preparing. I also incentive the SWG Coordinators and SCORA programs coordinators to use this newsletter to keep us updated on the work they will be doing.
2) Between SCORA IT and NMOs
On the beginning of the term should be sent a Survey to all the NORAs to get contact information, find out their biggest activties, what are their obstacles and what they would like to develop during the upcoming time. Knowing what is already being done and the goals and problems you have, is fundamental to tailor SCORA activities according to the needs of the NMOs.
A really cool, short and easy way to reach people is by a video! So I hope to see International Team Videos with updates on the work that is being done, every 2 months.
As I said before, I'm here for you! So I'm totally available to hold regular online SCORA meetings. They can be topic based, project based, region based or personal counseling and mentoring
Manuals! They are precious to explain to people what is SCORA, what is our Mission and Vision, what kind of work we do, who we are... And people definitely need to have this information when they come to the IFMSA Meetings, or when they felt in love and want to get more involved on SCORA. So having this in mind, I will keep updating the SCORA Manual that we already have and I will also work on a SCORA NMO Starting Manual.
3) Between NMOs
The Buddy system: I hope to see NMOs paired, with a common background but with different levels of development on the different SCORA Areas. This way they can learn from each other, help each other to grow and at the same time empower themselves.
Also, having updated contact info about all the NORAs on the already mentioned SCORA Database will help them to reach each other and share thoughts, projects, ideas and get involved on each other activities!
SCORA Campaigns
We are the campaigns we make! They are a reflection of what we stand for! And they can come from inside or they can result from a new (or old partnership)
I want to keep highlighting the International Days that we are already involved (as IDAHO, International Women's Day, World AIDS Day).
Looking for new important campaigns in which we should be involved (like International Day of Action for Women’s Health) and together with the SCORA-‐LO look for Partners with whom we should join forces and campaign together (like we did with Candlelight Memorial Day this year)
To motivate the SCORAngels to get involved and participated, keep the tradition of the Awards: Best WAD Campaign, Best Poster, Best Video... But also use it on other campaigns!
SCORA Programs/ Projects
If the General Assembly decide to make the transition from Projects to Programs, I feel it is my responsibility to help the SCORA Projects to face this transition, together with the Programs Assistant. Particularly, we should help on:
Assure the maintenance and proper transition of the currently called Projects that cover the SCORA working areas into Programs
Help establishing of new Programs that allow all the SCORA Focus Areas being covered Help on the promotion and expansion of the Programs, supporting them (logistically, reaching pertinent externals, facilitating access to materials) besides from connecting the NMOs that want to join existent Programs or creat new programs
I also hope to see more Inter-‐SC Programs Promote Programs Trainings, as "how to set up a program", "how to prepare a proposal", or "fundraising", always oriented for SCORA based Projects. And this trainings can happen during the GAs, RMs and also on SCORA-‐Webinars
And again, to keep the interest, motivation, inspiration...I want to give visibility and promote the SCORA Programs via Programs Presentations and Programs Fairs during IFMSA meetings.
Advocacy
Advocacy is one of the areas with biggest growing potential that we currently have on SCORA. During this term I want to help all the SCORAngels to be active and well prepared advocators and policy makers!
This is one of the main areas we need to keep investing on training, so I want to create a pool of trainers in advocacy, campaigning and policy among SCORA members that will give trainings at GAs and RM, helping all the SCORAngels to be active leaders in advocacy, campaigning and policy making.
To complement the mentioned trainings, and to help the SCORAngels to go home and be strong advocators, is essential to create a SCORA Advocacy Toolkit
We also need to keep producing Policy Statements on SCORA Related issues, that will be that we can use as Federation to show in External Meetings and to the World that is what we advocate for!
SCORA Externals:
Our strengths are also on the people we work with! Considering this I plan to work closely with SCORA-‐LO on the development of sustainable relationships with the externals that will allow us to bring plenty of opportunities to our SCORAngels!
I will work, together with the SCORA-‐LO on assuring the presence of some of our Externals on the Agendas of our Meetings (both Regional and General)
I want to make the access to this contacts, easier for the SCORAngels, hopping that this might result on opportunities for grants or access to material.
I hope to find and promote next to our SCORAngels, internship opportunities, conferences and scholarships appropriated to people working on Reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
Capacity B
uilding
RMs&GAs
Comm
unication
Campaigns
Programs/Projects
Advocacy
Externals
Personal Details
Name: Maria do Espírito Santo da Cunha
Nationality: Portugal
Birth Date: April 30, 1990
Address: Urb. do Vinhal, nº 45, 4760-‐116 V. N. Famalicão. Portugal
Cell Phone: 912125520
Email: [email protected]
Skype: maria.es.cunha
Fields of interest
Maternal Health, Gynecology and Obstetrics, Neonatology, HIV and other Sexual
Transmitted Infections, Global Health, Health Promotion.
Languages
Portuguese Mother language
English FCE, by Cambridge University 2009
Italian Level C1 2013
German Level A1 2012
Spanish Fluent
Education
2009-‐
current
Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute
Master in Medicine, 6th grade
Porto, Portugal
Experience
June 2010-‐May 2011
AEICBAS -‐ Abel Salazar's Institute of Biomedical Sciences Students Association
Full member of the board, member of Education Department
Porto, Portugal
June 2010-‐ May 2011
PorMSIC -‐ Portuguese National Association of Medical Students
Local Officer on Medical Education
Portugal
June 2011 – June 2012
AEICBAS – Abel Salazar's Institute of Biomedical Sciences Students Association
Full member of the board, member of Medical Department
Porto, Portugal
Curriculum Vitae
June 2011-‐ Dec 2011
PorMSIC – Portuguese National Association of Medical Students
Local Officer of Reproductive Health including AIDS
Work developed:
Organizing Committee SCORA on TOUR, Santo Tirso
Organizing Committee of National Peer Education Training
Portugal
Jan 2012 – Dec 2012
PorMSIC – Portuguese National Association of Medical Students
National Officer on Reproductive Health including AIDS
Work developed:
Creator and Coordinator of Med on Tour
Coordinator of RMA’s (Assisted Medical Reproduction – Summer Internships)
Coordinator of National Peer Education Program and Training
Organizing Committee of VIII Medical Students Cooperation Meeting, Lisbon
Trainer at VIII Medical Students Cooperation Meeting:
-‐ Health and Discrimination
-‐ Health and Peer Education
-‐ Heath Promotion and IFMSA Projects
Organizing Committee of +Humans Congress, Porto
Trainer at +Humans Congress:
-‐ Health andiscrimination
Portugal
Jan 2013 -‐ Dec 2013
PorMSIC – Portuguese National Association of Medical
Students
President of the Advisory Board and Supervising Council
Trainer at 8th YES Meeting -‐ Young European Scientist Meeting:
-‐ All Different, All Equal
Portugal
March 2012 -‐ Sept 2013
International Federation of Medical Student’s Association (IFMSA)
SCORA Training Assistant for 2013
Member of For a Homophobia Free World Project
Organizing Committee of Training 4ALL, Lisbon, Portugal
Trainer of IPET at Training 4ALL, Lisbon, Portugal
Participations:
IFMSA General Assembly (GA) March 2012 in Accra, Ghana
-‐Attendance to SCORA Sessions
-‐ Project Fair: SCORA+SCOPH on Tour
IFMSA Pre-‐GA (March 2012): IPET 12
SCORA X-‐Change Poland, August 2012
IFMSA General Assembly (GA) March 2013 in Baltimore, USA
-‐ Attendance to SCORA Sessions
-‐ Project Fair: Med on Tour
-‐ Presentation of SECSE at European Region Session
-‐ Facilitate a session on Peer Education at SCOPH Sessions
Global
Oct 2013 -‐ current International Federation of Medical Student’s
Association (IFMSA)
SCORA Regional Assistant for Europe
Participations:
SWIMSA TNT, October 2013, Hasliburg
IFMSA General Assembly (GA) March 2014, Hammamet, Tunisia
-‐ Support Person at SCORA Sessions
-‐ Facilitate a join session on Peer Education for Exchanges
-‐ Project Presentation: II ABC Biomedical Congress
NECSE 2014, Switzerland, April 2014
EuRegMe XI, Poland
-‐ Prepare and Facilitate SCORA Sessions
Global
Skills
Personal: social, dynamic, creative, motivated, organized, thoughtful.
Professional: Organizing activities and meetings, Fundraising, leading teams, training.
