There are only a few days left to register for T1International’s annual #insulin4all Workshop: Advocate, Don’t Celebrate. This event is an opportunity for advocates from around the world to learn from each other, build community, and take action in the fight for #insulin4all.

2021 marks the 100-year anniversary of the isolation of insulin. While T1International celebrates the discoverers of life-saving insulin, and how they gave the patent away so that all could access and afford it, we will not be celebrating the pharmaceutical industry who has turned insulin into a profit machine, price gouging millions of patients worldwide. Instead, we’re powering up our efforts to be even stronger advocates, holding pharma, our governments, and others accountable. That is why this year’s workshop theme is Advocate, Don’t Celebrate.

Alongside our workshop, we’re hosting a Digital Demonstration to amplify the fact that Big Pharma is keeping insulin out of the hands of so many. According to Health Action International/ACCISS, one in two people worldwide can’t reliably access or afford insulin. 100 years after the discovery of insulin, this reality is wholly unacceptable. The 1 in 2 Digital Demonstration is happening between September 10th and September 20th, so we ask that you join in and participate now! We’re lucky to be working with the wonderful Miss Diabetes, who has turned Demonstration submissions into amazing artwork. That artwork will be featured in our 100 Years: From Gift to Greed video which will be played during the workshop.

This year’s workshop will operate on a two day format, with day one being open to the general public and featuring content that raises awareness of the #insulin4all movement, the global insulin crisis, as well as the advocacy work of T1International and our key volunteers. Day two has been specifically curated for our Key Volunteers (#insulin4all Chapter Leadership, Global Advocates, and Digital Advocates) with a focus on community, leadership growth, and advocacy skills-building.

Featuring over twenty-five speakers on day one alone, the workshop brings together the voices of Digital and Global Advocates, T1International Staff, partners, community leaders, medical professionals, and many other powerful advocates. All of them share T1International’s dedication to building a world where access to affordable, quality healthcare is a reality for everyone with diabetes.

Some day one session highlights and topics include:

• Global Perspectives Panel, where you’ll hear from advocates from four different countries
• Advocacy Through Community Mobilization in the Arab Region
• Diabetes as a Trauma, thinking about this through three different lenses
• The Unfulfilled Promise of Insulin: A Canadian Perspective
• Strategies for Addressing Racial Inequities in Healthcare
• In 100 Years performance by three actors and creators living with type 1 diabetes
• How to get Involved with #insulin4all and T1International

T1International’s annual workshop has seen growth since year one in spite of many challenges faced by COVID-19 and other world altering events. The first workshop was held in 2019, which culminated in a powerful vigil outside of Eli Lilly where nine families who lost loved ones due to insulin rationing shared their stories. In 2020, the workshop went virtual, making it accessible to a much larger portion of our community. That year, we carried out our first Digital Demonstration: One Decision, including a billboard near Eli Lilly’s headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Year on year, we have remained committed to our yearly goals of fostering community and taking direct, tangible steps in pursuit of #insulin4all.

“The incredible level of support we’ve received and engagement we’ve seen for our workshops shows how strong our advocacy network is and that their dedication to driving sustainable change is unstoppable,” says Elizabeth Pfiester, Founder & Executive Director of T1International. “I’m really excited for the workshop this year. With input and suggestions from our community, the T1I team has put together an awesome event.”

There is still time to register to join the workshop that is sure to be enlightening, authentic, and full of genuine passion to get you fired up to advocate. You can use the link here to register and, if you have the means, make a donation to our cause. See you soon!

Note: Even if you are unable to attend, registering today will give you easy access to recordings of the workshop on our YouTube channel and connect you to related resources to maximize your advocacy.