Invest in wellbeing, not weapons.
Invest in care, not catastrophe.
Invest in healthy bodies, not bombs.
Our Mission
The #DemandAccess campaign seeks equitable access to health and justice for all people by demanding access everywhere it is currently being denied. This will lead to a re-prioritization of how national resources are spent. The status quo must change and it will change.
#DemandAccess engages health professionals and concerned citizens in a campaign at the intersection of climate harm, nuclear threat, and social and racial justice. This campaign operates on an intersectional model: we believe that diverse progressive movements must work together toward a shared ambition that unite communities behind a common goal with the understanding that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color have been disproportionately denied access to resources as a result of skewed spending priorities.
The #DemandAccess campaign is led by a steering committee consisting of young health professionals carefully recruited by PSR. We believe it is important to provide young health professionals with the opportunity for professional growth by running a national campaign. It is, also, precisely this demographic that sits at the unique intersection of understanding the necessity for a robust public health infrastructure in the face of new and complex threats, while also being aware of the proximate security concerns of the American public — and how those concerns impact public health. The #DemandAccess leaders are advocates for justice, equity, and national budget priorities that put people first.
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Background
A global pandemic forced us all to reckon with difficult truths — among them, the realization that exorbitant spending on national security fails to protect civilians from the effects of climate change, and other threats to their health and wellbeing. It forces an already weakened and inequitable healthcare system to bear the crushing burden. Nuclear weapons very clearly reside at the apex of the system of violence.
Defined by lawmakers who prioritize perceived threats over real insecurities, the United States military budget is a reminder that this nation's notions of security are broken. Furthermore, military spending on weapons is a model of injustice, concentrating vast public resources into the hands of the entrenched constituency of the military-industrial complex.
As long as we fund violence to "keep the peace", our access — to healthy minds, bodies and environments — is denied to our communities. We cannot support thriving communities while subscribing to a "national security" system that robs communities of resources and puts their very existence at risk. Communities are genuinely safe when they are abundant in resources that provide them access to safe communities, proper nutrition, financial security, healthy environments and bodies.
With an intersectional framework guiding the campaign, #DemandAccess will naturally join forces with movements to establish equity, and at the same time bring racial justice to the forefront of the nuclear disarmament movement.
Get Involved
Are you a young health professional seeking an opportunity to join a national campaign demanding Congress reduce the military budget and reinvest in our communities? Become an Access Ambassador!
As an Access Ambassador, you will have the opportunity to take action and demand that Congress prioritize people over profit; over the pentagon. You'll also gain access to professional trainings, networking opportunities, and more.
Apply to become an Access Ambassador today, and share with other young health professionals.