Applied Liberation: Community Solutions When Funding is Limited
Our communities of practice face an endless barrage of challenges to community health. We have compiled a list of liberation strategies that involve little to no costs. Public Health Liberation theorizes that increasing liberation expression and action are essential for accelerating health equity. A lack of public investment in communities’ liberation capacity is thought to be a causal factor in health inequity reproduction. In our conceptualization of community of practice, we share a common social identity and geographical space while also shouldering a shared health burden. We eschew instrumental use of communities. Their knowledge and skills are worth our investment.
Collect emails, phone numbers, and addresses within community of practice
Regularly email members within community of practice
Create email discussion forum
Testify at legislative oversight hearings of city agencies
Form community health coalitions
Create text-based channel to communicate with residents - group or individual
Regularly convene community meetings in-person or virtual
Engage independent experts on understanding and affecting community health challenges
Approve resolutions to send to persons or organizations causing harm to the community
Meet with elected officials and community
Host forum before political candidates and community
Submit questions to declared candidates for public office
Create community newsletter
Develop community vision for long-term health
Help to coordinate outside services to optimize service and care delivery
Enlist student or non-student volunteers to enlist administrative, research, or other support.
Partner with academic stakeholders to conduct research and policy analysis
Write letter weighing in on proposed laws or regulations that will impact community — negative or positive
Apply for grants to support capacity-building
Build a list of media contacts
Alert the media when acute harm is occurring
Stage protest — either one location or point-to-point
Establish private or public social media group to exchange information among community
Set up free phone line for individuals within community of practice to communicate with leaders
Document all incidents in details individuals or events harming community health
Engage in cultural practices to support community resilience and positive affirmation
Establish social groups to support health and well-being — walking groups, Bible study, yoga groups, praise and worship, etc.
Recognize individuals in communities who have made outstanding contributions
Develop and disseminate surveys to community of practice
Research sources of health inequity using multi-level analysis
Do walking tours of the neighborhood
Engage with local schools to support place-based importance of community of practice
Create coalition of community-based organizations
Define and propose community-based solutions to health equity challenges
Improve conditions for and address barriers to liberation expressions (e.g., literacy, writing skills, workshops, fear of retaliation)
Develop strategic plans
Issue coalition position statements
Challenge agency’s administrative decisions - does not require legal representation
Challenge policies in court - requires legal representation or quality pro se representation
Engage in discussion of individuals and community groups that advance or challenge health inequity reproduction
Identify and ex-communicate individuals or groups that engage in “poverty pimping” or instrumental use of communities
Develop a memorandum of understanding with outside stakeholders that are engaged in community
Schedule regular stakeholder discussions with outside stakeholder groups that are active in the community
Host forum with diverse stakeholders across public and private sector to evaluate and improve effectiveness of health equity services and programs
Designate individual(s) to monitor news and legislative proposal to assess potential impact on community of practice.
Develop strategy for resident engagement during a heightened period of policy change and decision-making that requires urgent and immediate community response
Use storytelling to communicate the state of the micro-Public Health Economy.
Establish educational events on disseminating information about the local Public Health Economy
Understand the local and state government structure and committee activity
Create a list of contacts on the insight of government
Establish tenant association or resident council
Record video interviews on community perspectives about the local Public Health Economy
Advocate for effective interventions against gun violence
