Speakers Bureau

From children’s literature to pop music, from ancient religious writings to contemporary poetry, the theme of “health” and what it means to be healthy makes its way into nearly every aspect of daily life. The pursuit of a life worth living, relationships that are dynamic and passionate, work that is satisfying, physical comfort and vitality, the ability to reach personal potential, these are the values that are embedded in our culture. Simultaneously, the ability to actualize these values is often thwarted by the very systems and practices that constitute American society and daily life. In a land of plenty, a disproportionate number of citizens are obese, while 1 in 5 children go to bed hungry on a regular basis. With some of the most advanced medical facilities in the world, 43 million Americans remain without adequate health care. In an age filled with countless opportunities to create social networks, increasing numbers report feeling isolated and disconnected. In light of these current incongruities, it is time to reexamine what we mean by “health,” in a materialistic, industrialized, and highly developed nation, and seek to eradicate the non-sustainable practices that allow for these unacceptable discrepancies, and challenge the paradigm that continues to promote individualism at the expense of community, and personal fulfillment as somehow disconnected from the whole.