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Dr. Harold E. Robles from Oostvoorne inaugurated in the Third Chamber: Healthcare is a human right

Oostvoorne, 19 August 2008-  In the weekend of 12 and 13 September the inauguration of the "Third Chamber" will take place. One of the 150 members, who will be officially inaugurated for this shadow parliament for development cooperation, is Dr Harold E. Robles from Oostvoorne, who has dedicated himself to the HIV/AIDS issue in Southern Africa for many years. Robles, Founder and President Emeritus of the Albert Schweitzer Institute for the Humanities in the Unites States of America is also the Founder and President of the Medical Knowledge Institute (MKI), an international non-profit healthcare education and healthcare information organization dedicated to the premise that healthcare is a human right.

“MKI's programmes have been developed to improve the quality and the humanitarian values of healthcare, in particular in the developing countries. Medical experts from all over the world are deployed for this", said Robles, who is honoured with the invitation to become a member of the shadow parliament for development cooperation. "I have visited Africa since 1969 and with my knowledge and experience I hope to be able to ask a lot of attention for education and information in the field of healthcare."

One of MKI's many successful initiatives is the HIV and AIDS Training Program aimed at the prevention of vertical transmission of HIV/AIDS in Africa. It concerns an information and training program that instructs trainers of midwives and healthcare workers to prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mother to child.

The Third Chamber is the shadow parliament for development cooperation in the Netherlands. It is a platform to ask attention for international world problems. In addition to 120 Dutch members the Chamber has 30 members from developing countries, who represent the voice from the South. Dr. Robles and the other members will dedicate themselves this year to involve politicians and the Dutch in international cooperation. To achieve this members of the Third Chamber are writing motions addressed to politicians and they organize activities in their own region.

All the Members of the Third Chamber are volunteers. They dedicate themselves because they do not want to resign themselves to poverty and suppression in the world. They have been selected from more than 450 applications. The ratio man-woman, regional distribution, political preference, age and education have inter alia been taken into account for this. It is a diverse group, which is as much as possible a reflection of Dutch society. The 30 members from the various development countries have a very important voice as 'hands-on' experts. This year they come for example from Malawi, Bangladesh and Colombia. During the term of office an intensive dialogue will be held between the Members from the Third Chamber from the Netherlands and the members from the developing countries.