“The degree to which you can heal, grow, model, and share true health and healing is the degree to which families and communities can also heal, grow and thrive. When everyone is healthy and striving for health, we can come into a place of peace.” —Jinmee Graham
The global pandemic has brought to light the integral connection between health and peace. We have learned to slow down and take care of ourselves and our families, learning that strong immune systems and healthy bodies are important to peace in the family, community, nation, and world.
Ms. Kripa Sigdel, Founder/Executive Director, Psychbigyaan Network Nepal-PNN (left) and Dr. Jinmee Graham, Naturopathic Doctor and Master of Public Health, USA (right).
“When someone is sick in the family, all attention goes to making them better. The more we can come back to supporting our health on a regular basis we can live in a state of health, not illness,” said Dr. Jinmee Graham, a naturopathic doctor and Masters of Public Health based in the United States, at the webinar “Holistic Health Practices for the Home and Society: Strategies for a Strong Immune System,” on May 22, 2021. The webinar was the fourth in the series “Women-led Peacebuilding from Home to Society,” organized by Global Peace Women.
Dr. Graham gave compelling reasons and tips on holistically improving personal and family health through strengthening the immune system. He emphasized a holistic approach for overall well-being, giving simple strategies for improving health of the mind, body, and spirit. All three, she emphasized, are interconnected, working together to support a healthy immune system.
Dr. Graham introduced 3 strategies for each area: body, mind, and spirit.
She encouraged everyone to start with simple ways to strengthen our family’s immune systems. “Health can be simple. There are simple things we can control and simple things are important and profound.”
Mrs. Kripa Sigdel, a mental health counselor and a Global Peace Women Leadership Academy (GPWLA) graduate from Nepal, introduced her GPWLA Project that focused on mental health awareness and support for school children during the transitional phase from childhood to adolescence.
“Peace begins in the home and health begins in the home. When one person is doing healthy practices, everyone is influenced and everyone benefits.”
“Healthy mental health during childhood can support a person through adulthood,” she said. Her project was implemented in two phases. The first focused on students, grades 8-10, and the second phase engaged parents and teachers, teaching them mental health identifiers and improvement strategies. Her simple advice for mental health, “It’s okay to not be okay, let’s just talk about it.”
The session drew participants from 30 countries and closed with a robust question and answer session that addressed questions ranging from how to start improving family health to how to deal with mental health stressors in challenging environments. It concluded with the empowering realization that with small positive steps each person can influence their families and communities.
“Peace begins in the home and health begins in the home. When one person is doing healthy practices, everyone is influenced and everyone benefits,” said Dr. Graham.
The webinar series will conclude with the final session on June 26 with Dr. Nona Ricafort, a distinguished educator and women’s advocate who has long promoted empowerment of women in the Philippines, addressing building a culture of peace that can be passed on through generations.
In August, Global Peace Women will be co-organizing the 2021 Global Peace Convention on August 14 and 15 to share best practices.
Please contact [email protected] for more information.
