In reflection with the Indigenous Network of the United Religions Initiative's Multiregion, Dr. Erick Gbodossou asks the Indigenous Community to both celebrate the Earth and all Beings, as well as to recognize that the Earth is suffering.
Strong Medicine: The Secret Healing Power of African Medicine is a documentary published by PROMETRA International.
Dr. Erick Gbodossou attends URI's Indigenous Gathering as a representative of Prometra Uganda, an organization dedicated to the restoration of African traditional medicine and indigenous science. Himself, both a medical doctor and traditional African healer, Dr. Erick Gbodossou's perspective is informed by many worldviews and faiths.
At Prometra, many ways of knowing are engaged in order to strengthen common understanding about the use and importance of traditional health care practices. To meet the medical needs of the present, they draw inspiration from the past. They find that by bridging indigenous healing methods with modern health care can alleviate problems that derive largely from inadequate access to doctors, hospitals and medicines.
Following the most recent Indigenous Gathering, Dr. Erick Gbodossou, shared the following message with the group:
"My Beloved Brothers and Sisters, we want to celebrate Earth and all Beings and we have responsibility and the need to recognize that our Earth is bad. In front of this situation, what is Indigenous Community's responsibility?
"It remains obvious that if the boat sinks to one side, we'll all sink together. We can rehabilitate our indigenous and ancient civilizations values to find solutions to contemporary challenges. They are numerous and in various multisectorial and pluridisciplinary domains. Also, if 21st century ignores universal spirituality, there is no future for our Earth. You know it, only indigenous peoples can bring and rehabilitate this spirituality to save mankind.
"If we work together to bring solutions to different challenges of our Earth, we would be more respected, more rehabilitated and will put others in need to come towards us to find solutions to their survival questions. That will allow us to play fully our role."
