Why One Health Matters to Us

Why one health matters to me, because it recognizes the interdependence of humans, animals and environmental health. The holistic approach to the well being for all. As a community of humans, animals and environment I believe that it all has been divinely created and meant to live together in harmony. It is a gift and we are all connected. Learning to become detached from the “me doctrine” and materialism is key to a healthy society and freedom from sickness, degeneration, biases and culture selfishness. I want to help my neighbors to be who they are meant to be. Experience blindness is a cause for misunderstandings. However, the experiences of others have something beautiful to offer to benefit everything and everybody. I love people, animals and the earth.One Health Matters is an organization that wants to educate and improve our understanding of how we all are connected.  

One Health matters to me because it prioritizes the collective welfare of all stakeholders: animals, people, and the environment, through engaged collaborative thinking and complex problem-solving.  As a global society, we should seek harmony with nature and not dominance. Clean air, water, and land is essential for all life, and should not be infringed upon. I am a steward for One Health because my family’s health (mental and physical) and the health of all future generations depends on a healthy, well-balanced planet.

One Health matters to me because its core believes there is value in all species and the spaces we share. The more we step outside of ourselves, the more we look outward, where we can see that all beings have intrinsic significance. The first step to making a difference is by taking individual responsibility. The next is to collaborate with those who have equally unique perspectives and experiences, and that is what One Health provides.

One Health matters to me because it is a practical approach to living in our complex, interconnected world. It centers on learning from one another rather than competing with one another, or worse, dismissing one another. This is a value I try to instill in my daughter, whose fascination with the world is contagious and gives me hope.

One Health matters to be because, ultimately, our success is the success of others and the planet. As such, I believe we have a responsibility to understand the impacts of our choices and steward the planet and each other (human and non-human). Ecosystems are built upon nature and nurture, and we do not exist outside those systems. Rather, we are part of a behaving, emoting, thinking, metabolizing, and socializing continuum of species who dance with each other across space and time. To paraphrase Darwin, the difference between humans and other animals is one of degree, not kind. We are one of many species and a driving force of change – for better or worse.

One Health matters to me because first and foremost, I am a mom, and a wife; I’m a daughter, a sister, and friend who wants my loved ones and everyone else to live, play, and experience a world that can be shared freely with one another, our animals, and our plants. I believe that I can be a small part of a big change.