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| “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.” - Buddha |
The Victoria Community Health Co-operative is built upon the foundations of Community Ownership, Accessibility, Integrative Health, and Co-operation.
Our Mission
To offer integrative, primary health care education and services that are accessible to all Victorians through membership with, and participation in, the Victoria Community Health Co-operative.
Our Mandate
- To inspire and nurture a sense of responsibility and participation in members with respect to their own health and that of their neighbours, family, communities and natural environment.
- To provide free, accessible education programs that are community responsive in order to promote health and to prevent disease.
- To create access to a broad range of healing services, both conventional and complementary and alternative, delivered through an integrated, multidisciplinary health team.
- To create co-operative community wellness centers in order to provide our programming and services, and to act as a community home for community gathering, co-operation, and development.
- To advocate for publicly funded and community managed, integrative primary health care in Victoria and British Columbia.
- To undertake research and evaluation of participatory, integrative health services offered by the Victoria Community Health Co-operative.
- To encourage co-operation and collaboration with other local, regional, provincial, national and international co-operatives and community organizations that are working towards healthy people, healthy communities and healthy environments.
Our Values
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You must be the change you wish to see in the world
-Gandhi
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We believe
- In equal access for all to a broad range of health and healing modalities, including both conventional, complementary and alternative medicine, based on individual and community need.
- That individual and community education in health promotion and disease prevention should be the primary focus of every primary health care intiative.
- That social determinants of health such as poverty, discrimination, marginalization, and a lack of housing are of paramount importance in a holistic health care model.
- That the health of individuals, of communities, and of our natural environment are interdependent aspects of a whole.
- In community participation in health care through governance, management, community development, philanthropy and volunteerism.
- That health care services should be universal; accessible; comprehensive and publicly administered.
- That co-operative community clinics are an ideal way to provide health services due to their ability to empower individuals and communities with respect to health and wellness.
