Feeding the 5,000: A Global Health Reflection on Pragmatic Solidarity in the Midst of Scarcity
Michael Gilbert, Duke University
“The ‘health care for all’ movement in the United States will never be morally robust until it truly means ‘all.’” – Paul Farmer, Pathologies of Power.
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied….” –Matthew 14:19-20, NIV.
It is well known that food insecurity and malnutrition are urgent global health concerns that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. In response to such issues being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an emergence of Ollas Comunes (OCs) — Common Pots — in impoverished Latin American communities. OCs are grassroots community kitchens that provide meals and a sense of solidarity to individuals and families living in poverty. As collective support networks operating out of necessity and as a means for social justice, OCs actively combat disparities associated with social determinants of health.
Pushed to the outskirts of Lima, Peru, and the margins of society by political, economic, and social forces, Collique is a shantytown consisting of over 200,000 migrants. To alleviate the effects of poverty here, Operación San Andres (OSA), a nonprofit organization, has been providing holistic (physical, emotional, and spiritual) care to Collique for over 20 years. With OSA’s support, Collique’s community members have established and operated over 60 OCs since March 2020. The work of Collique’s OCs, along with OSA’s support, exemplify “pragmatic solidarity,” humanitarian aid that manifests itself when the “sentiment [of solidarity] is accompanied by the goods and services that might diminish unjust hardship.”[1] A framework of pragmatic solidarity allows organizations such as OSA to actively work towards improving health outcomes and fostering a sense of belonging and dignity for all.
This paper will explore the implications of the work done in Collique’s OCs through the lens of the Gospel accounts of Jesus miraculously feeding the 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Parallels drawn between these two examples of pragmatic solidarity aim to offer a distinctly Christian framework for navigating a world and healthcare system characterized by scarcity and disparity.
[1] Farmer, Paul. 2003. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
“Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied….” –Matthew 14:19-20, NIV.
It is well known that food insecurity and malnutrition are urgent global health concerns that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. In response to such issues being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an emergence of Ollas Comunes (OCs) — Common Pots — in impoverished Latin American communities. OCs are grassroots community kitchens that provide meals and a sense of solidarity to individuals and families living in poverty. As collective support networks operating out of necessity and as a means for social justice, OCs actively combat disparities associated with social determinants of health.
Pushed to the outskirts of Lima, Peru, and the margins of society by political, economic, and social forces, Collique is a shantytown consisting of over 200,000 migrants. To alleviate the effects of poverty here, Operación San Andres (OSA), a nonprofit organization, has been providing holistic (physical, emotional, and spiritual) care to Collique for over 20 years. With OSA’s support, Collique’s community members have established and operated over 60 OCs since March 2020. The work of Collique’s OCs, along with OSA’s support, exemplify “pragmatic solidarity,” humanitarian aid that manifests itself when the “sentiment [of solidarity] is accompanied by the goods and services that might diminish unjust hardship.”[1] A framework of pragmatic solidarity allows organizations such as OSA to actively work towards improving health outcomes and fostering a sense of belonging and dignity for all.
This paper will explore the implications of the work done in Collique’s OCs through the lens of the Gospel accounts of Jesus miraculously feeding the 5,000 with only five loaves of bread and two fish. Parallels drawn between these two examples of pragmatic solidarity aim to offer a distinctly Christian framework for navigating a world and healthcare system characterized by scarcity and disparity.
[1] Farmer, Paul. 2003. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.