November 1, 2020

How we talk about global health

How we talk about global health: David Verga (PATH) November 2020:

As James Baldwin points out in Notes of a Native Son, “the root function of language is to control the universe by describing it.” Regardless of our intent, the words we use have material consequences. As NGOs, the way we describe our work shapes the way others see it, and think about it, and act on it. Verga’s examples include casual use of terms like ‘beneficiary,’ ‘on-the-ground,’ and ’empower.’

https://www.path.org/articles/how-we-talk-about-public-health-and-why-it-matters/