Coming together as a whole: lessons from connecting across sectors, cultures, and contexts to elevate efforts for planetary health

Abstract

BackgroundAddressing complex and interconnected ecological, social, and health issues necessitates upstream, solutions-oriented, and whole-systems thinking. Specifically, exploring what it means to live in reciprocity with the planet and all living systems, now and for generations to come, can have a crucial role in advancing planetary health. MethodsIn this presentation, we show findings from four gatherings that we co-designed and co-hosted to connect communities, lands, waters, climate, and health. We draw lessons from two events in the Cowichan watershed (co-hosted by Cowichan Tribes) and the Stellako and Nechako watersheds (co-hosted by Stellat'en First Nation) that were co-designed with the ECHO Network. These gatherings brought together youth, Indigenous leaders, researchers, and health, community, and environmental decision-makers across British Columbia to learn how to address connected health, environmental, and community concerns. We supplement these findings with insights from two co-hosted conversations, that connected five continents and more than 40 countries, each enabling 24 h of continuous dialogue on the theme of working together for a healthy, just, and sustainable planet. FindingsGatherings took place between Oct 12, 2022, and Dec 1, 2023. These gatherings each provided lessons about how Indigenous-led, integrative approaches that connect the health of people to lands, waters, and ecosystems can elevate and enhance our work and scholarship to address ecological, social, and health issues. Specifically, initiatives co-designed in this way help overcome challenges that arise when addressing boundary-crossing, intersectional and intersectoral issues at the nexus of climate, public health, and planetary health. Our findings include insights into strengthening research and public health capacity for integrative approaches to complex issues that are relevant to place-based contexts and have implications and applications for planetary health. InterpretationOur presentation summarises how these gatherings—each of which were fuelled by a sense of love for the planet, each other, and future generations—have progressed intersectoral, intergenerational, boundary-crossing, and transformative approaches to planetary health. These insights help guide future directions for planetary health research, practice, and policy. FundingThe Canadian Institute of Health Research Environment (IP4150712), Michael Smith Health Research BC (RA-2022-2872), and Vancouver Foundation (FOI19-1781).