Co-Chairs:

Ilene Fennoy, MD and Ambika Ashraf, MD

Mission Statement:

Our mission is to affirm the ideology of the PES as a scientific community that fosters inclusion, acceptance, and support for every person independent of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Towards this end, our focus is to:

  1. Recognize implicit and explicit bias in healthcare in Pediatric Endocrinology, and address related healthcare disparities that affect our patients and families, through research, quality improvement, health delivery science, education, and outreach efforts.
  2. Foster equity and diversity and provide an environment of equality and mentorship for all trainees, fellows, and faculty in Pediatric Endocrinology.

Goals:

Our task force goals for the coming year are to increase awareness in our society’s membership of implicit and explicit bias in medicine in general and Pediatric Endocrinology specifically, and the contribution of said biases to health care disparities as well as to career development of minority physicians. We also aim to start to amass resources to help us address and ameliorate these biases and resulting disparities. We will contribute regularly to the newsletter, develop a needs assessment survey of our society, and will plan to offer periodic education for the PES membership.

March: The Article of Confederation

Ambika Ashraf and Ilene Fennoy

The Articles of Confederation, ratified by all thirteen states on March 1, 1781, marked a seminal moment in American history, serving as the United States' first constitution. Although the Articles themselves were replaced by the current U.S. Constitution in 1789, they have had a lasting influence on the political landscape of today in several key areas of American political thought, governance, and federal-state relations.

The Articles of Confederation emerged from the Continental Congress, a body formed by representatives from the thirteen colonies initially convened to coordinate resistance against British rule. As the American Revolution gained momentum, it became clear that a form of government was needed to manage the collective efforts of the colonies. The Articles were drafted in 1777, amidst the uncertainties of war and the strong libertarian ethos that characterized the American revolutionary spirit. The Articles of Confederation were primarily focused on common defense, securing liberties, and fostering mutual welfare.

One of the most significant contributions of the Articles of Confederation to the modern political landscape is the concept of federalism and the emphasis on state sovereignty. The Articles established a confederation of states where the central government had limited powers, and the states retained a significant degree of autonomy. This framework laid the groundwork for the federal system under the current Constitution, where power is divided between the national government and the states. The tension between state and federal authority continues to be a central theme in American politics, influencing debates on issues ranging from education and health care to immigration and environmental regulation.

The Articles of Confederation underscored the importance of civic engagement and democratic participation. By granting significant powers to the states, the Articles encouraged political participation at a local level, a principle that remains vital in American democracy. The emphasis on local governance under the Articles has influenced the decentralized nature of political engagement in the U.S., where state and local governments play a key role in addressing the needs and concerns of their citizens. This decentralization fosters a closer connection between citizens and their government, encouraging active participation in the democratic process.

The process of ratifying the Articles of Confederation, which required unanimous consent from all thirteen states, highlighted the importance of compromise in governance. The lengthy ratification process, particularly the resolution of disputes over western land claims, demonstrated the necessity of finding common ground among diverse interests. This spirit of compromise is a foundational principle of the American political system, evident in the structure of the Constitution itself, which resulted from revision of the Articles of Confederation  in 1787.

The Constitution,  was the product of numerous compromises (e.g., the Great Compromise resulting in the creation of our two congressional houses: one providing each state with representation by population, the other providing each state equal representation irrespective of size; and the Three-Fifths Compromise resolving the issue of whether slaves were property or people by permitting States with slaves to count the slaves as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of determining population size and taxes).  It is the 3/5 compromise that is often referred to as the enshrinement of African American slavery in the formation of this country and the constitution which ultimately was repealed with the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in 1868.   The ability to negotiate and compromise remains crucial in contemporary American politics, facilitating the functioning of a diverse and pluralistic society.

The Articles of Confederation represent a critical step in the evolution of American constitutionalism. By establishing the United States' first national government, albeit a weak one, the Articles set the stage for the development of the U.S. Constitution. Although the Articles of Confederation represented a critical step towards nationhood, its weaknesses became apparent soon after its implementation. The lack of a strong central government to regulate commerce, levy taxes, or maintain a standing army left the United States vulnerable and financially strained. These deficiencies led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which resulted in the drafting of the Constitution, a document that significantly enhanced the powers of the national government while also embedding checks and balances within the system.

The principles of federalism, the importance of compromise, the evolution of American constitutionalism, and the emphasis on civic engagement and democratic participation are all legacies of the Articles that continue to shape American political thought and governance. By laying the foundational principles of the United States' political system, the Articles of Confederation have had a lasting impact on the nation, underscoring the importance of unity, governance, and democracy in the American context.

Archive - Monthly notable dates/events

Podcast Club - Postponed, check back soon!

The EDI Task Force invites all to join our Podcast Club on the CODE SWITCH podcast 'Remembering and unremembering, from Kigali to Nashville' by Leah Donnella, Veralyn Williams, Courtney Stein, Jess Kung, Gene Demby

Listen to the podcast beforehand, then join us for a discussion!

Listen on Apple
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Google

The EDI Task Force invites all to join our Podcast Club on the CODE SWITCH podcast 'Remembering and unremembering, from Kigali to Nashville' by Leah Donnella, Veralyn Williams, Courtney Stein, Jess Kung, Gene Demby.

Listen to the podcast beforehand, then join us for a discussion!

Listen on Apple
Listen on Spotify
Listen on Google

For centuries, the idea of the "American Dream" has been a powerful narrative for many immigrant communities. But for just as long, many African Americans have known that the American Dream was never meant to include them. So, what happens when those beliefs collide? Today ten percent of the Black population in the U.S. are immigrants, and many grapple with this question. In this episode, we'll hear from Claude Gatebuke, who moved from Kigali to Nashville as a teenager in the wake of the Rwandan genocide. He talks about how the move to the U.S. likely saved his life, while simultaneously challenging his belief that he could have a full, meaningful future as a Black man.

Stay Tuned for Updates on Date/Time!

 

 

Additional EDI Resources of Interest

PES EDI Specific Research Award

Each year we solicit applications for the PES EDI Research Award. The Purpose of this award is to support the development of research and education in equity, diversity and inclusion involving pediatric endocrinology that will enhance pediatric endocrinologists’ ability to understand the needs of their patients and colleagues and deliver more equitable and inclusive education and services to a diverse population of trainees, colleagues, and patients. The current open call will close December 14, 2023!

Click here for more information

PES Cookbook Initiative

On behalf of The EDI Committee of The Pediatric Endocrine Society, we are very pleased to inform the PES membership of a new initiative: The “PES Cooking Initiative.”

Each day is a new opportunity for us to eat healthily. We are creating a PES Cultural Cookbook, a collection of culturally diverse recipes. Please share your favorite recipes here https://pedsendo.org/pes-cooking-initiative/ it can vary from a family recipe from your ancestors or one you have invented yourself.  We believe this initiative will help us understand our history, diversity, interactions, cultures, and traditions.  Please include carbohydrate counting information with your recipe.

GET INVOLVED!

Email Info@pedsendo.org if you are interested in getting involved!