15 October 2019 INAUGURAL PLENARY Beyond ‘Good Governance’: The Importance of Community Action in Accountability
Raising the slogan, “Our rights, your accountability,” right to information activist from India, Aruna Roy, set off the COPASAH Global Symposium 2019 to a rousing start while delivering the keynote address at the symposium’s inaugural on October 15 in New Delhi. Saying, “Today we’re all here to speak truth to power, as accountability is nothing else but speaking truth to power,” Roy stated that social accountability is the next step that takes forward the citizens right to information. The Community of Practitioners on Accountability and Social Action in Health (COPASH) global symposium from October 15-18 on ‘Citizenship, Governance and Accountability in Health’ brings together 500 delegates from 40 countries in Latin America, Europe, Sub Saharan Africa, Eastern and Southern Asia. Organised collaboratively, its aimed is to strengthen the linkage between communities and the health system to provide quality and accountable care. The theme of the symposium is ‘Leaving No One Behind – Strengthening Community Centred Health Systems for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals.’