Phoenix Zones Initiative 2023 Annual Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

2 

LETTER FROM 

THE PRESIDENT 

6 

THE NEED FOR CHANGE 

3 

MISSION 

7 

THE PILLARS OF PROGRESS 

4 

IMPACT BY 

THE NUMBERS 

8AN OPPORTUNITY FOR 

SOCIAL IMPACT 

5 

A MILESTONE YEAR 

9FINANCIALS

Dear Friends, 

First, I’d like to start by thanking you for your ongoing support and 

dedication. 

2023 was a difficult year for many—with the rise of global conflict, a 

warming planet, and increasing uncertainty about the future. These 

challenges remain, and they underscore the importance of our work 

together. 

2023 was also a milestone year, made possible by our partners and 

supporters. It was our most impactful year yet, marked by several 

achievements that will bring us closer to our mission to advance justice for 

all. Highlights included international recognition through the United 

Nations (UN), a new partnership with a leading legal institution, and 

meaningful collaborations with hundreds of other leaders and advocates at 

nonprofit organizations, private corporations, and academic centers. 

Phoenix Zones Initiative is now officially five years old, and we’re more than 

halfway through the 10-year strategic plan that we set forth in 2019. The 

road ahead will be arduous, but we’ve already met or surpassed established 

benchmarks. As we look to the future, we will continue to be a force for 

ending suffering and exploitation across the globe and protecting and 

uplifting the most vulnerable. With the extraordinary generosity of our 

donors, we remain steadfast in our work toward a reality in which everyone 

has the right to thrive. In 2024, we will work with even greater urgency and 

efficiency. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Hope Ferdowsian, MD, MPH 

President 

Nik Kulkarni, MD 

Vice President 

Kavita Rajasekhar, MD, MPH 

Secretary 

Sonia Silva, MPA 

Treasurer 

John Gluck, PhD 

In the coming year, we will use our new special consultative status with the 

UN Economic and Social Council and our accreditation with the UN 

Environment Program to enhance our push for international changes that 

recognize the connections between rights, health, and justice. Similarly, we 

will expand our work with our national and international partners to 

advance social, economic, and legal norms that protect people, animals, and 

the planet from harm. 

We will endure with the knowledge that our power is found together, in 

partnership with others who are equally committed to dismantling forces 

that drive the exploitation of vulnerable human and nonhuman beings and 

fuel global crises such as violence, disease, and environmental degradation. 

Thank you for investing in a world of Phoenix Zones—places that advance 

the rights, health, and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet. Your 

generous support provides comprehensive education and outreach to 

transform social and cultural values; bold research and innovation to map 

out new legal and economic paradigms; and visionary leadership and 

advocacy to make a tangible difference in the lives of those who need it 

most. 

Onward, in solidarity, 

Hope Ferdowsian, MD, MPH 

2

THE MISSION 

Phoenix Zones Initiative is working to create a world of 

Phoenix Zones—places that advance the rights, health, and 

wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet, allowing society 

to rise. 

THE VISION 

We envision a world that protects the most vulnerable and 

enables people, animals, and the planet to thrive. 

THE IMPACT 

We use our medical and public health expertise to change 

lives and reimagine social, economic, and legal frameworks 

for the better. With your support, Phoenix Zones Initiative 

makes a global impact, ending suffering and shaping a better 

tomorrow. 

3

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS 

education and outreach 

stretched across 

6 

continents 

883 

attendees at events 

195 

organizations 

received technical support 

125 

organizations 

brought together in 

coalition 

193 

nations directly affected 

by global agreements 

4

2023 

A Milestone Year 

2023 was our most impactful year yet, 

marked by several achievements bringing 

us closer to our mission to advance 

justice for all. 

ECOSOC Status 

Gaining special consultative status with 

the UN Economic and Social Council, 

which gives us greater access and 

influence with UN bodies 

UN Talks 

Speaking to UN Member States about 

the nexus between human, animal, and 

environmental health 

Launching a national commission 

dedicated to establishing more ethical and 

appropriate research standards for people 

and animals 

Model Legislation 

Drafting legislative language to heighten 

ethical and scientific standards in 

medicine, research, and public health 

Impact Assessment Tools 

Developing tools and metrics that go 

beyond outdated economic models to 

improve the rights, health, and wellbeing 

of people, animals, and the planet 

Climate & Environmental Policy 

International Leadership 

Influencing international priorities 

designated by intergovernmental 

organizations so that they better promote 

rights, health, and justice for all 

Sustainable Development 

Advancing the promotion of the rights, health, 

and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet 

in the Sustainable Development Goals 

Technical Consultations 

Providing technical expertise to nearly 

200 organizations to help them craft 

policies and practices that improve the 

health and wellbeing of humans, animals, 

and our shared environments 

Thought Leadership 

Engaging with corporate, academic, and 

government leaders on the importance of 

transforming our social, economic, and 

legal frameworks so that they better 

promote justice for all 

Trailblazing Scholarship 

Publishing pioneering articles, op-eds, and 

reports in regional and international outlets 

to inform decision makers and transform 

cultural values 

Public Outreach 

Advancing a UN Environment Assembly 

Resolution on the nexus between human, animal, 

and planetary health and wellbeing, and working 

with coalitions to address the root causes of 

climate change 

5 

Offering events and speaking engagements, 

which inspire and empower countless 

professionals, students, and the public to 

take action in their own fields of expertise 

and interest

OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES 

At Phoenix Zones Initiative, we use a central ethic to guide our work for people, animals, and the 

planet, following the principles embedded in Phoenix Zones: 

Respect for liberty and sovereignty 

Compassion and justice 

A belief that each individual possesses dignity and potential 

THE NEED FOR CHANGE 

Decades of research illustrate the deep connections between human, animal, and planetary 

health and wellbeing. Together, we’re creating a world founded on 

Compassion and Justice, not 

Violence and Oppression 

Food Security, not Hunger 

Prevention, not Pandemics 

Wellness, not Illness 

Climate Resilience, not 

Climate Catastrophe 

Clean Environments, not Pollution 

6

THE PILLARS OF PROGRESS 

Your support enables us to work with individuals, communities, and institutions to advance justice 

in policies and practices, ranging from food systems to community development to medical 

research. 

EDUCATION & OUTREACH 

We train partners to tackle 

problems that impact people, 

animals, and the planet, including 

diseases and environmental threats. 

We offer free public events such as 

expert panels, webinars, and special 

skills trainings to educate and 

mobilize individuals committed to 

creating a better future for all. 

We publish articles, editorials, 

and reports to forge a path 

toward policies and practices 

that advance health and justice 

for everyone. 

RESEARCH & INNOVATION 

We offer technical expertise for 

organizations and corporations 

that want to craft policies and 

practices that improve the 

health and wellbeing of people, 

animals, and the planet. 

We work with partners to develop 

transformative social, economic, and 

legal frameworks, such as tools that 

go beyond traditional economic 

metrics to measure human, animal, 

and planetary wellbeing. 

We're leading a national 

commission to improve ethical 

standards in research, work 

toward the reduction and 

elimination of the use of animals 

in research, and enhance 

scientific inquiry. 

LEADERSHIP & ADVOCACY 

We advocate for international 

policies and practices that address 

the root causes of global challenges 

—from climate change to violence 

and conflict. 

We’re part of an international coalition 

to advance a World Health 

Organization-negotiated treaty focused 

on a justice-centered pandemic 

prevention and response. 

7 

We’re developing legislation that 

would heighten ethical and 

scientific standards in medicine, 

research, and public health.

OUR ORIGINS 

Working across six continents and over 20 years, physicians Dr. Hope Ferdowsian and Dr. Nik Kulkarni 

witnessed the global impact of climate change, hunger, disease, violence, and conflict. They also witnessed 

the incredible promise of resilience—how people and animals can heal in healthy environments. Hope wrote 

about this phenomenon in her book, Phoenix Zones: Where Strength Is Born and Resilience Lives. 

Hope and Nik launched Phoenix Zones Initiative to advance the essential links between human, animal, and 

environmental health and wellbeing, and to fuel the creation of more Phoenix Zones. 

In less than five years, Phoenix Zones Initiative has had a global impact across seven continents. Phoenix 

Zones Initiative has become an international voice for people, animals, and the planet and has taught others 

how to use their voices and expertise. With partners worldwide, Phoenix Zones Initiative has advanced 

changes in local, regional, and global policy and practice. 

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOCIAL IMPACT 

A child working in a slaughterhouse. A suffering animal. 

A community poisoned by dirty air and water. 

This is who we work for every day. 

Stories of individuals, families, and communities who have suffered conflict, abuse, and displacement—and 

the Phoenix Zones where they've healed—show us how it's possible to turn despair into hope. 

As global problems accelerate, how can we advance the interdependent health 

and wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet? 

This broad and critical question fuels our vision, mission, and work to change lives and reimagine social, 

economic, and legal frameworks for the better—from diverse communities to the nation’s capital and the UN. 

The exploited child, the abused animal, and the community enduring environmental degradation all suffer 

from the same broken paradigms. Many outdated policies and everyday practices drive the exploitation of 

vulnerable individuals and communities while fueling global crises, such as climate change, diseases, conflict, 

and pollution. We’re on a mission to change that. 

I am proud to support Phoenix Zones Initiative’s incredible work. They use evidence-based research 

across multiple disciplines to bring about effective policy reforms benefitting humans, animals, 

and the planet. 

~Nandita Bajaj, Phoenix Zones Initiative 

Leadership Circle Sustainer 

8

FINANCIALS 

Our work is supported entirely through donations. Donors like you entrust Phoenix Zones Initiative with 

your hard-earned dollars, and we promise to use every dollar to create the greatest impact possible. 

I support Phoenix Zones Initiative because I believe we’ve got to be more thoughtful about protecting 

people, animals, and the planet. 

~Dr. Ayanna V. Buckner , Phoenix Zones Initiative 

Leadership Circle Innovator 

You can show your continued solidarity with our movement by exploring all the ways to give to Phoenix 

Zones Initiative, including 

Online donations through our website 

A check mailed to Phoenix Zones Initiative, 13170-B 

Central Avenue SE, PMB 385, Albuquerque, 

NM 87123-5588 

Donor Advised Fund (DAF) grants initiated by contacting 

your grant administrator 

9 

Memorial or Tribute gifts 

Legacy Gifts by naming Phoenix 

Zones Initiative as a 

beneficiary of your estate plan 

Learn more: PhoenixZonesInitiative.org. 

Every donation makes a difference.

13170-B Central Avenue SE, PMB 385 | Albuquerque, NM 87123-5588 

503.269. 1200 | PhoenixZonesInitiative.org 

Phoenix Zones Initiative is a 501(c)(3) public charity, 

Tax ID #84-2337171. 

Copyright 2024 Phoenix Zones Initiative. All rights reserved.

Phoenix Zones Initiative 2023 Annual Report

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