Writing with Juliet Iwelunmor

We spoke to our inner selves today. In the middle of a festival for the public’s health by the public. There were stories of bravery, stories of change, stories of ovaries, stories of light. I left the day full. I imagine there will be moments like this in public health, moments where the source of our joy, is us the public. We have truly become what we have been waiting for. A space for the public’s health by the public. Every single one of you that graced this space, embraced this spaces and made it your own, gave a gift I will forever treasure. That what we are doing here with light is for light and the public will always lead the way. So keep light. Keep our light festival and most important keep the public in public health. See below my address shared during Light Festival that was held today. It was our second festival and we look forward to many more. Amen.

Welcome

When I tried to imagine what I would say to you all today, the word reimagining kept coming to mind, that I begin this address welcoming you all to our second annual festival, where we reimagine what can be when we center the public, and everyday lived experiences into health.

I am a mother to a son on the autism spectrum and I begin with his story because my life is full of light.

Autism doesn’t define us, rather, it is the stories of resilience, of overcoming one meltdown or another, of using art to reflect a life few know so well, that I choose to dwell on because living through our experience changed all I thought I learnt about public health in schools.

The public has long understood that they need a space of their own, to remind us all of the struggle, our history, what might be, what should be, to show us our true face, all of them, those muffled or in silence, to make concrete what it means to be the public in public health.

To write directly and overtly as a member of the public, out of a lived experience, to take these stories seriously as theme, as source of healing, was something I have been hungering to do, needing to do, and light truly paved the way for me.

Our stories are not different from those of you all gathered here today, with stories, poetry, art, letters, that showcase how you navigate your own health or those of the people you love, your community, or simply your people.

Its for this reason we bring light, our experiment with a goal to center the public in public health.

Our is a story full of struggle, full of even asking ourselves questions like will they come when we build it. Yet we do, know that this work of putting people first is no luxury.

We don’t take it lightly and we will do all our best to ensure that you have voice, that your experience matters, your stories and art, too, hence why we say welcome to light, the possibilities of life between the public and their health is the reason why we attempt to transform, reimagine public health as we know it. So welcome to the second annual festival of LIGHT.

Introducing Mati

Mazi Kunene, a south African poet, has a poem that begins with the following lines, and the great ones are here.

When I think of Dr. Mati, I see her reflected in the poem.

My 11-year-old daughter once described her as our public health hero, but these days, I see more than that.

I see her as one of the great ones, who has sat before fire, with hands that have glowed in deep flame.

Her face has been sculptured by smoke, and her eyes have wandered around, such that her voice rises, like humming bees in the middle of summer,

her voice rises, and enters hearts and souls, in need of light,

her voice sings a song, that narrates why centering the public in public health matters.

Its for this reason that the great ones are here, and we are so honored to have you, our great public health hero kick us off with hints of why a field for the public needs light.

LIGHT RECAP

I am enormously pleased to participate in this session where we unveil LIGHT for Public Health Issue 1, along with so many people that made this journey possible.

In this session, we will introduce two key people that got the issue to the finish line. But there are so many, the light steering committee, that Dr. Idia and I lead for one, the Light advisory board members, Nnenna Makanjuola of Radiant Health Magazine, for whom none of this would truly be possible without your expert advice and mentoring on it means to actually birth a magazine.

We are truly indebted to you, our family members and so many people who paved the way to make this day a reality. We thank and on behalf of all of you, we launch LIGHT 4 Public Health Magazine.

Now that we have this copy in our hand, now that we see these words and art come to life, as described by the public for the public, we see the absolutely necessity of LIGHT in these times, and the ethical responsibilities it demands.

For where does the public go for their health as defined for them by them. We want everything possible for public health, hence why we are here, in this session to reflect on the journey.

We don’t believe that every story or art or poem can truly reflect the public, but stories, art, poetry, letters can reach many of whom feel invisible, or without voice.

So we introduce light to showcase what is out there in public and can mean something to the public. We don’t think the field is for the experts only.

Its for the public too, and they deserve a space for their own lived experiences, or what June Jordan defined as the infinite connectedness of human life.