About Polycrisis, Uncertainties and Public Health
Graduation week is—and will always be—one of the most memorable milestones in your lives. Today, you say goodbye to unforgettable years: to the dear friends, faculty, and staff who have become like family; to a campus that nourished your mind, body, and soul; and to a journey that has challenged you, inspired you, and shaped you in countless ways.
Much has happened in the past few years…These have deprived you of a normal academic experience—but at the same time made you stronger and more resourceful. You have endured the shock of a catastrophic port explosion, and survived a crippling national crisis. You persisted through a war that disrupted your lives and brought much destruction to our country, thrusting many into deeper poverty and deprivation. And to this day, we remain deeply shaken and shocked by the world’s deafening silence, and complicity in the ongoing brutal war on Gaza.
Despite all these hardships—and in the face of all adversities and uncertainties—you continued to learn, to grow and to thrive. We have witnessed you navigating the waves and using your skills to aid others, engaging with the local community, service providers, and policymakers.
You all accomplished extraordinary things!
You conducted humanitarian assessments and led WASH trainings. You organized blood drives and helped raise funds for internally displaced persons, for pregnant women, for cancer patients. You convened rallies on climate change, renewable energy, and environmental justice. You co-authored papers with faculty and supported AUB’s projects as well as national initiatives. You were our voice in UN forums, and so much more.
The real world came for you long before your graduation: You were learning both from the streets and from your mentors in class… You did not simply study public health, you lived its deepest values: solidarity, service, AND strength under pressure.
Class of 2025, you made it—and you made it with brilliance and against all odds. To you all, to your loving families who stood beside you, and to our esteemed donors who believed in our mission—a heartfelt word of appreciation and a big round of applause!
In spite of some recent tranquility in the country, the past few months have brought dramatic and overwhelming changes to the globe, disrupting much of what we once believed to be largely stable.
Steep funding cuts to major UN agencies, to public health programs and to research institutions ARE threatening to undo many of the past advances in PH and are deepening public distrust in science. Combined with a range of intersecting and interrelated polycrises—the climate crisis, environmental degradation, geopolitical conflicts, displacement, and emergency preparedness—this era is definitely marked by unprecedented uncertainties and challenges, unlike any before.
So where does PH fall in all of this? What is our role—your role—as public health scholars, as activists, and as human beings?
-
In these times of uncertainty, there is no room for randomness. I cannot help but think of you to generate accurate and timely data, pushing for evidence-based policies and programs.
-
In today’s interconnected world of complex polycrises, the interdisciplinary nature of public health calls for you to take the lead, and to apply systems thinking addressing health challenges.
-
When health policies are shaped by economic greed and are driven by corporate interests, I cannot help but think and rely on your voice, the voice of truth to combat disinformation and restore public trust in science.
-
When health disparities are real, and where access to care is denied for those in need of it most, I cannot but think of the deeply entrenched PH values of empathy, compassion, social justice and of the universality of human rights.
Your mission today has never been more important and your work has never been more needed. Public health is a calling; a calling to lead, to innovate, to build systems, and to shape discourse. It requires agents of change, people driven by a selfless commitment and a humble yet steadfast dedication.
At the end of the day, you are the unsung heroes and the impact of your work is often unnoticed and uncelebrated, but it is there— it is in the clean water we drink, the good food we eat, in the number of never smokers, the years added, the disease before it begins, and the pandemic which never happened ...
In spite of the enormity of the challenges ahead, you leave us equipped with a wealth of skills to advance all of the above and drive a meaningful change.
Graduates of 2025—Stay curious, stay humble, stay connected. Leave this university with wonderful memories and lifelong connections with your mentors and classmates.
Abla Mehio Sibai