Introduction to Health Justice
This program has been taught and developed since 2006. The Radherb Collective developed these trainings from 2006-2009. Since 2009, Lauren Giambrone (Good Fight Herb Company and Mary Blue (Farmacy Herbs) have been polishing them up and sharing them at herbal classes and conferences. Since 2011, it has been taught by Mary Blue and Mandana Vassehgi at the International Herb Symposium and is a regular part of the Farmacy Herbs level 2 curriculum. It has also been co-taught by Mary Blue, Lauren Giambrone and Emily Ruff (Florida School of Holistic Living) at the NE Women’s Herbal Conference.
Health Justice Principles
- Create access to all types of healthcare regardless of a person’s race, class, gender identity, age, ability level, culture or religious or spiritual beliefs.
- Do no harm. These principles create a health care system that does not pollute the planet or our bodies, while acknowledging and preventing environmental racism.
- These principles work towards creating a healthcare system that is not based on profits, biased clinical trials, animal testing, trademarking of traditions and cultural mis-appropriation.
- Health Justice principles incorporate preventive healthcare measures (access to non-toxic food), historical/cultural evidence based medicine and a wholistic view of the body (non-symptom based).
- Allows for individual empowerment in health and healing through education, access and community support.
The class programs below will explore the main principles of critical-thinking compassionate herbalism based on Health Justice principles. It will explore language that can be used in classes and consultations and broaden the herbalists understanding of our role in cultural competency within our communities. Whether you are a current student of herbalism, or have been teaching for years, this class is a great way to broaden your awareness and language skills and expand compassion in order to support our clients, classmates and teachers more effectively.
**Teachers of this class should have completed cultural compentency trainings or health justice trainings and will have experience incorporating these principles into their classrooms or practice.**
Health Justice Classroom Guidelines
Introduction to Compassionate Herbalism and Health Justice Teacher Notes
Introduction to Compassionate Herbalism and Health Justice Student Notes
Full permission from Farmacy Herbs/ Mary Blue to use in classes, clinics and health justice trainings.