Healthcare Professionals Campaign
Our Objective
Build a network of healthcare professionals who can pressure their medical associations to speak out on Gaza – without jeopardising their careers in the process.
Medical associations carry enormous authority. When they speak, governments listen, media covers it, and individual professionals feel safer to follow. Right now, most are silent on Palestine – despite speaking forcefully on Ukraine. Breaking that silence creates political pressure, enables divestment and boycott campaigns, and establishes moral clarity across the profession.
Skip to: Roles We’re Recruiting For
The proof it’s possible: Professor Roberto De Vogli did this in early 2024. Starting from a rejected conference abstract, he moved three major European medical associations within days, gathered 15,000 healthcare professional signatures, and got published in The Lancet. His method is our model.
The De Vogli Proof – And Why Our Strategy Can Go Further
Why We Can’t Simply Copy Him
De Vogli succeeded in part because of advantages most healthcare professionals don’t have:
| De Vogli’s advantages | Reality for most healthcare professionals |
|---|---|
| Academic tenure – no job risk | Most professionals have mortgages, families, careers to protect |
| Famous co-signatories (Ilan Pappe, Ghassan Abu-Sittah) | Most don’t have ready access to high-profile names |
| European context – relatively open to the campaign | US, UK, Germany, Gulf and Indian contexts are far more hostile |
| Could be public from day one | Many professionals need anonymity, at least initially |
Why Our Strategy Can Work – and Go Further
BNM builds the protective infrastructure that De Vogli didn’t need but most professionals do. This is what makes our approach both different and more scalable:
| What we provide | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Pod model (3-5 people) | Collective action protects individuals. No one is exposed alone. Responsibility and risk are shared. |
| Anonymity where needed | Professionals who cannot be publicly visible can still apply pressure through internal association channels. |
| Sustained movement, not a one-time campaign | De Vogli’s campaign created a moment. BNM builds the ongoing infrastructure – pods, relationships, and institutional knowledge – that keeps pressure alive and grows over time. |
| Researched targets | We map each association’s governance, decision-makers, and record before acting – so pressure lands in the right place. |
| Tested assets and templates | The 90-second video, written interview, and letter templates mean volunteers don’t start from scratch. |
| Cross-context reach | We can operate across multiple countries and associations simultaneously, multiplying impact in a way De Vogli’s single campaign couldn’t. |
How It Works
The campaign runs through small, secure groups of trusted healthcare professionals called pods (3-5 people each). Each pod focuses on pressuring one or more medical associations from the inside – through letters, resolutions, and relationship-building with senior co-sponsors.
The Three Assets
BNM volunteers use three assets to recruit healthcare professionals into pods. Use them in order.
| Asset | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| 90-sec video | Low-ask introduction to the De Vogli story. Opens the door without pressure. | Always send this first |
| Written interview | Goes deeper on how De Vogli did it. Builds conviction and answers ‘but how?’ | After a positive response to the video |
| 10-min video | Full picture: strategy, pathways, pod model. Best watched together. | When someone is ready to commit |
Your Recruitment Workflow
Your job is to recruit healthcare professionals into pods. Here’s how – from first contact to first meeting. This can move quickly: De Vogli moved associations within days. Once someone is engaged, don’t let momentum stall.
| 1. Identify five healthcare contacts People you trust, who you sense are concerned about Gaza, and who have some professional standing.Start with the easiest conversations first. Think about who has made a comment – however small – about Palestine, Ukraine, or professional ethics. |
| 2. Send the 90-second video “Saw this and thought of you. 90 seconds, professor of public health who moved three medical associations on Gaza. Curious what you think.” No long explanation. No ask. Aim to send to at least three people in your first week. |
| 3. Follow up within a week If they respond positively: “There’s a longer interview if you’re interested – goes into how he actually did it.” If they don’t respond: “Just circling back – genuinely curious your take if you get a moment.” |
| 4. Have a short conversation If they engage with the interview, schedule a brief call or coffee. Listen to their reactions. Validate their concerns – fear of professional risk is rational. Show them the pathways. Ask: “Where might you see yourself in this?” |
| 5. Invite them in Send the 10-minute video and invite them to a watch party (host 3-8 people), an existing pod meeting, or the next BNM volunteer call. A watch party can be organised in days. Don’t wait for the perfect moment. |
| 6. Make the ask “We’re forming a pod to explore this together. One meeting, no commitment, just to see if it fits – would you be open to that?” If they say yes: connect them to BNM coordination immediately. |
Roles We’re Recruiting For
This campaign depends on people stepping into specific roles. Below is what we need. Some people will cover more than one role initially – that’s fine. As the campaign grows, roles are shared and distributed. No role requires heroism. All are designed to fit around real life.
| ★ PRIORITY ROLE: Healthcare Outreach Co-ordinator This is the first role we need to fill. The Co-ordinator will project manage the entire campaign, drive recruitment for all other roles, and be the central point of contact between BNM and the pods. Time: 10-15 hours per month | Skills needed: organised, strategic thinker, confident communicator, comfortable managing people and moving pieces simultaneously Tasks: oversee all pods and recruitment; coordinate between researchers, drafters and networkers; track progress; report to BNM Steering Committee; onboard new volunteers into roles. |
| Role | Time / month | Good if you… | Core tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pod Co-ordinator | 4-6 hrs | Are organised; comfortable facilitating small groups | Schedule pod meetings; distribute tasks; track progress; onboard new members; report to Co-ordinator |
| Researcher | 3-5 hrs | Like detail; can read governance documents | Map target associations: decision-makers, bylaws, Ukraine vs Gaza record; share findings with pod |
| Drafter | 2-4 hrs | Are a strong writer; can synthesise input from others | Draft letters, resolutions, petition language; adapt BNM templates for local context |
| Networker | 3-5 hrs | Have interpersonal confidence; existing healthcare networks | Identify and approach potential senior co-sponsors; gauge interest; connect to pod |
| Social Media Liaison | 2-3 hrs | Are comfortable on LinkedIn; good writer | Post De Vogli content on BNM LinkedIn; engage with commenters; track engagement |
| General Pod Member | 3-5 hrs | Want to contribute; reliable and responsive | Attend pod meetings; complete agreed tasks; support other members; use secure comms |
| General Volunteer | 1-3 hrs | Have healthcare contacts; comfortable 1-to-1 | Send assets to healthcare contacts; follow up; connect interested people to pods |
Training and templates are provided for every role. You are not starting from scratch.
What BNM Provides
You are not working alone. BNM supports every volunteer and pod with the following:
| What | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| The three assets | The 90-sec video, written interview, and 10-min video – ready to share. You don’t create them, you deploy them. |
| Letter and resolution templates | Drafted, tested written materials in Annex B. Adapt for context, don’t write from scratch. |
| Association research template | A structured brief in Annex C to guide pod research on any target association. |
| Pod Co-ordination | We’ll connect healthcare professionals with others |
| Secure communications | Signal setup guidance and protocols so pods can communicate safely. |
| LinkedIn guidance | Sample posts and comment templates and engagement tips |
| Central team support | A central point of contact for questions, escalations, and support. |
| Monthly volunteer calls | Regular group calls for updates, troubleshooting, and shared learning. |
What Happens in a Pod
Once a pod forms (3-5 people), it works through a focused sequence. The goal is to move from formation to first action within 2-4 weeks.
| When | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Formation. Agree secure comms (Signal). Choose a target association. | Pod ready to work |
| Week 2 | Research the association: decision-makers, governance, Ukraine vs Gaza statements. | Target brief complete |
| Week 3 | Draft first letter or resolution. Identify one potential senior co-sponsor. | Draft ready for review |
| Week 4+ | Send letter. Begin senior co-sponsor conversations. Coordinate timing with BNM. | First action taken |
Working with Existing Healthcare Groups
Several organisations are already doing vital work on Palestine in healthcare. We complement, not compete. BNM focuses on senior professionals who want to work through institutional channels but cannot be publicly visible. Activist groups serve those ready for public action.
• Refer people who want public activism to groups like Doctors Against Genocide
• Accept referrals of senior professionals who need a more protected, institutional route
• Coordinate timing on association pressure where useful – internal and external pressure works together
• Never criticise other groups publicly or compete for members
The goal is a movement larger than any single organisation. Healthcare professionals should find the right home for their risk level and style.
Start This Week
This week
• Watch the 90-second video if you haven’t
• Identify five healthcare professionals you could contact
• Send the 90-second video to at least three of them
This month
• Follow up with anyone who responds
• Send the written interview to those who engage
• Have at least one conversation
• Attend the monthly volunteer call
This quarter
• Help form or join a pod
• Host or attend a 10-minute video watch party
• Identify one potential senior co-sponsor in your network
Key Principles
| Start with the 90-second video. Always. | It’s the door. Everything else follows. |
| Move at pace. | De Vogli moved associations in days. Don’t let momentum stall once someone is engaged. |
| Validate fear. | Professional risk is real. The pod model exists because of it. |
| No shame, no pressure. | People choose their level. All levels matter. |
| Collective action, not heroes. | Pods protect everyone. Lone wolves burn out. |
| Evidence over emotion. | De Vogli succeeded with facts. So will we. |
| Report what works. | We learn together. Monthly reports matter. |
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re reading this, you already care enough to be here. That matters.
The work ahead is not simple, and it won’t happen overnight. But it is possible – De Vogli proved that. And with the infrastructure BNM is building, it is possible for far more people, in far more places, than a single professor acting alone could ever reach.
The first step is a conversation. One colleague. The 90-second video. This week.
To get involved or find out more about any of the roles above, contact us at info@bystandersnomore.org or complete the application form below
We review applications on a rolling basis and typically respond within 2 weeks.
Questions first? Email us at info@bystandersnomore.org