Balancing North-South partnerships in health: reflections on processes underlying synergistic vs. antagonistic outcomes

Abstract

This keynote is a defining presentation on the theme “Addressing complexities in health.” It will tune the audience to reflect on North-South partnerships and challenge everyone to adopt a critical lens to their own partnership experiences. The keynote uses systemic theoretical perspectives as frameworks to examine the operationalisation of partnerships, both idealistically and practically. While advocating for authentic partnerships, it shares research-based and practitioners’ experiences to exemplify processes that promote synergy and antagony.

Autobiography

Masego Katisi is Associate Professor at Western University of Applied Sciences (HVL). She is both a social work practitioner and a health promotion specialist. She holds a Masters Degree in Child Welfare and Applied Childhood Studies from Swansea University, Wales UK and a PhD in Health Promotion and Development from University of Bergen, Norway. Her research interests are on global health partnerships, and on resilience of marginalized children and their families. Her PhD was on Global Health partnerships. She is currently doing research on migration in Norway and on orphaned children in Sab Saharan Africa. Her main theoretical interests are Systemic theories, Resilience, Salutogenesis and other strength-based approaches. She is part of an international research networks for refugees in Norway and Europe. She has been an invited speaker in several International Conferences.