As we hit over 100 million worldwide COVID-19 cases, we all want to see an end to the pandemic. At the same time the price of these medicines and the terms pharmaceutical corporations have set are perpetuating global inequities. But you have the power to give people access to COVID medicine. Join our next round of Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 and learn how you, together with others from around the world, can use creativity and culture to make policy changes that will save lives.
Application deadline February 7.
Free the Vaccine for COVID-19 is a campaign calling for COVID-19 diagnostic tools, treatments, and vaccines to be free from patents and available to everyone everywhere, free at the point-of-delivery.
To meet this challenge we have brought together a collective of volunteers – artists, health workers, students, activists – from around the world to put pressure on public institutions and pharmaceutical companies to share their patents with the world. Our campaign is a collaboration between the Center for Artistic Activism, Universities Allied for Essential Medicines, and HealthGAP.
As part of the campaign, participants work in our advocacy innovation labs to organize creative actions to help the campaign achieve our objectives. Over the course of twelve weeks (from February 17 – May 12), participants commit several hours a week to join weekly live meetings, meet separately with their labs, and implement creative actions on the ground. This commitment is key to organizing awesome actions, building community, and pushing our campaign agenda forward. Two-week cycles will follow the pattern below:
No prior experience is necessary. As a participant you’ll learn about access to medicines, creative activism, and do both: learning and then taking action is what this is all about! Like past participants, you’ll build new relationships and become a part of our exciting community. Those who participate fully in all 12 weeks are eligible to receive a document certifying their participation.
Having launched in March 2020 we’re now going into Season 3! Each of our seasons are a bit different. This time we’ll focus on pressuring targets such as universities and publicly funded institutions to share their intellectual monopolies with the world in order to save lives from COVID-19. And we’ll also turn our focus to helping the public understand more about access to medicines and why it’s important–not only for getting through this pandemic but also for lasting, sustainable change. Join our growing community and campaign to Free the Vaccine for COVID-19!