2017. March. Wilson Center. Water from West Africa to the Middle East.

From West Africa to the Middle East, Water and the Rise of Insurgencies in the "Arc of Instability" Water scarcity and conflict over freshwater resources have contributed to an “arc of instability” stretching from West Africa through the Maghreb and across the Mediterranean to the Middle East. Rural livelihoods are collapsing, displacing many, and violent extremist organizations like Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, and ISIS are gaining footholds in areas where governance is weak. As local communities demand better provisioning of water, insurgent groups, building on discontent, use water to finance their operations and as a weapon of war. This panel will examine the causes of water conflict in the region, discuss implications for U.S. interests, and examine possible interventions to support better water governance. Speakers Marcus King John O. Rankin Associate Professor and Director of International Affairs Program, George Washington University Julia McQuaid Senior Researcher and Project Director, CNA Corporation David Michel Nonresident Fellow, Stimson Center Moderator Sherri Goodman Wilson Center Senior Fellow; former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense Related Content Global Water and National Security: Why the Time Is Now The Rising Tide of Water Insecurity: Moving from Risks to Responses Major Water Disputes Are Often Beyond War and Peace RSVP NOW » Forward to a Friend Wednesday, March 1, 2017 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Save the Date 6th Floor Flom Auditorium Directions Wilson Center Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center One Woodrow Wilson Plaza 1300 Pennsylvania, Ave., NW Washington, D.C. 20004 Phone: 202.691.4000 ECSP@WilsonCenter.org Want to attend but can’t? Tune in to the live or archived webcast at WilsonCenter.org (not every event is webcast live; archived webcasts go up approximately one week after the meeting). Media guests, including TV crews, should RSVP directly with Benjamin Dills. Media  bringing heavy electronics  MUST indicate this in their response so they may be admitted into the building. Join the conversation on Twitter at @NewSecurityBeat and find more coverage of these issues on our blog, NewSecurityBeat.org. Privacy Policy Sponsored by:

2017. Community Engagement. Knowledge of our government.

Explore Our New and Updated Content

Get the latest information on topics that interest you the most at USA.gov. Here’s a look at some of our most recent updates: New content explaining executive orders, presidential memoranda, and proclamations. The information you need about state and local elections. Branches of government information including our printable infographic. Our new look for our home page that makes it even easier to use! See all of our updates and experience our new look at USA.gov.

2017. INVITATION TO JOIN AN INTERACTIVE WEBCHAT FEATURING AFRICAN ENTREPRENEURS, OFFICIALS FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE, AND US EMBASSY OFFICIALS

#DIASPORAVOICES

LIVE WEBCHAT Q&A

WEDNESDAY, March 8th, 2017

9:30 - 10:15AM EST

Streaming page:

share.america.gov/diaspora-voices-africa

 ABOUT THE WEBCHAT

On March 8th at 9:30am EST, the Secretary’s Office of Global Partnerships (S/GP) and the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State — alongside its International diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA) program — will host #DiasporaVoices, a live-streamed interactive opportunity for diaspora communities to engage with top diplomats and entrepreneurs via social media.

We will discuss the importance of promoting entrepreneurship in Africa, which is one of the best ways to boost Africa’s economic growth, spur development and reduce poverty. It will also help bridge diaspora initiatives with those taking place within the U.S. government.

This interactive webchat aims to explore how African diaspora groups can partner with the United States in fostering entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth in their countries of heritage by forging connections, coordinating resources, collaborating on programs, gaining media exposure and more. Diaspora communities provide a strong and valuable link between the U.S. and countries all over the world.

Participants may tweet questions and comments before and during the chat, using the hashtag #DiasporaVoices.

   Consider this your invitation to sit at the table with leadership from the Bureau of African Affairs and other speakers including:

●     Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Peter H. Barlerin (moderator)

●     U.S. Ambassador to Togo, David Gilmour

●     Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy Lusaka, Zambia, Janet Deutsch

●     Nigeria-based entrepreneur, Abisoye Ajayi

Your question could be featured in an interactive chat session, addressing leveraging diaspora groups to spur entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth.  

To join the conversation, go to [share.america.gov/diaspora-voices-africa] on March 8th at 9:30AM EST/ 14:30 UTC.

TWITTER

#DiasporaVoices

@DiasporaIdea       @usembassytogo           @AsstSecStateAF               

@GPatState            @usembassyzambia      @StateDept

                                               

                                                                                                                                               

FACEBOOK SAMPLE POST

Now’s your chance! On March 8th at 9:30 a.m. EST you can join a live webchat called Diaspora Voices that aims to explore how African diaspora groups can partner with the United States in fostering entrepreneurship and inclusive economic growth in their countries of heritage by forging connections, collaborating on programs, coordinating resources and more. Diaspora communities provide a strong and valuable link between the U.S. and countries all over the world.

Join us if you have:

-An interest in how the US government & African diaspora groups have worked together in the past, particularly on promoting business growth and opportunities.

-Questions for our diplomats covering that region about how they effectively engage with diaspora groups.

Submit your questions via twitter to #DiasporaVoices before and during the webchat to have them answered live by leading diplomats at the Department of State’s Africa Bureau and an entrepreneur with ties to the African diaspora community. Tune in at share.america.gov/diaspora-voices-africa

2017. Are we ready to take up the load? Hospital, and community response teams.

NOTE:

• ·        Keep in mind many hospitals in urban, and other areas may be in older structures and in need of full decontamination for possible dormant diseases.
• ·        Could volunteer fire\ems stations with faith-based and other organizations as part of the community response team fill the gap for those that may ‘fall between the cracks’, especially in our communities.
• ·        Gulf, and East Coast States the hurricane season will soon arrive.  Is your community ready?

PUBLIC HEALTH

Big Changes Coming for Hospital Emergency Managers

Hospitals will be required to develop more specific plans and procedures for emergency response.

http://www.govtech.com/em/health/Big-Changes-Coming-for-Hospital-Emergency-Managers.html?utm_term=READ%20MORE&utm_campaign=Spillway%20Threat%20Forces%20Evacuation%20of%20188%2C000&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email

PREPAREDNESS & RECOVERY

County Looking to Expand Volunteer Emergency Response Team

'When you have a FEMA disaster, some people have insurance.  Some people are helped by FEMA. There’s a small group of people that fall into the cracks that no one is there to help.'

http://www.govtech.com/em/disaster/County-looking-to-expand-volunteer-emergency-response-team.html?utm_term=County%20Looking%20to%20Expand%20Volunteer%20Emergency%20Response%20Team&utm_campaign=Spillway%20Threat%20Forces%20Evacuation%20of%20188%2C000&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email

Black Emergency Managers Association            International
1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097
bEMA

     

“Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.” ¯ David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas

Cooperation, Collaboration, Communication, Coordination, Community engagement, and  Partnering (C5&P)             A 501 (c) 3 organization.

2017. April 3-4. Local Food Impact Conference. George Washington Univ. Washington, D.C.

Food Security of national and worldwide security interest.

BEMA International.

Register at:    http://localfoodsimpact.org/

Free And Open To The Public

Livestreaming keynotes on April 3 and 4

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

What is the Local Foods Impact Conference all about?

Congressionally authorized grant and loan programs to support local food systems have expanded in recent years. Quantifying and evaluating the impacts of these programs is critical. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, in partnership with The George Washington University, will host a Local Food Impacts Conference April 3 and 4, 2017 in Washington DC. Please join us to explore how to best measure the impacts of local food investments, improve coordination across USDA agencies, and evaluate the extent to which disparate local food investments are complementary and reinforcing. Beyond metrics, this conference provides an opportunity to share local food stories with incoming members of the new Administration and Congress.

Where

Jack Morton Auditorium at the George Washington University

801 21st Street Northwest

Washington  DC

2017 FEB. Upcoming FARM BILL. George Washington Univ. Food Institute Newsletter.

GW Food Institute Newsletter View this email in your browser

February 10, 2017   Dear Friends, It’s officially farm bill season.  At our AGree forum last week, participants were polled as to when they anticipate passage of the next farm bill. A slight majority voted for 2019. I don’t agree with that prediction.  The first farm bill I worked on was in 1990 and since then I have worked on farm bills passed in 1996, 2002, 2008, and 2014. Do you see a pattern?  All even years - if I were a gambler, my money would be on 2018, and in a worst case scenario, 2020. The reason is that, following an election, a new Congress convenes in the odd years and it’s difficult to immediately take on such a large bill with new members and oftentimes shifts in committee membership.  And after a surprising 2016 election and potential congressional upheaval in the 2018 November elections, I’m convinced that Congress will strive to complete the bill sooner rather than later, particularly because dairy and cotton farmers are clamoring for new law.  The only wrinkle that I see is the potential for an essentially no-change farm bill to be wrapped up as part of budget reconciliation at any point in time, with cuts to key programs like SNAP contributing to overall budget reduction.  Regardless of timing, we are heading into a critical season for food and ag in Washington. Last week we partnered with Food Tank to host a Summit on our campus - the auditorium was packed, but it was the online audience that stunned me – 40,000 over the course of the day. Interest in food and ag has never been greater. Dr. Michael Fernandez, a Senior Fellow with the GW Sustainability Collaborative and a longtime colleague of mine, shared an interesting observation.  He was emphasizing the extent to which food discussions are widespread and diverse, and among his proof points was a contrast I found especially striking:  celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has 6.25 million followers on Twitter, whereas the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committees have a combined following of 78.8 thousand.  We’re going to be digging into questions of how people get their information on food and ag policy here at the GW Food Institute. I want to highlight two great blogs this issue.  Michael Fernandez provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of food venture capital and my students offer reflections on the Food Tank Summit. Have a great weekend, Kathleen New Commentary Venture Capital: Fueling "disruption" in food and agriculture  Written by Michael Fernandez, GW Sustainability Collaborative Senior Fellow 2/9/2017 There has been a surge in food and ag venture funding. Food Institute Faculty Affiliate Profile: Dr. Kim Robien  by Izzy Moody '19, GW Food Institute Student Fellow 2/3/2017 Dr. Robien's concentrations include food access, environmental nutrition, and sustainable food systems. Student reflections on Food Tank Summit, "Let's Build Better Food Policy"  by Sarah Pagan '17, Kayla Williams '17, Carly Giddings '17, Izzy Moody '19  Students attended the third annual Food Tank Summit on February 3rd, held at the George Washington University.

Upcoming Events with GW Food Institute February 18, 9am-4pm: 2017 Rooting DC Forum. For the past ten years, the Rooting DC forum has been the central meeting ground for individuals and nonprofits looking to grow a healthier food system in the nation’s capital. Find out more details about the event here.  March 29, 7-8:30pm:Chef José Andrés, Special Adviser to President Knapp on food issues, will host an evening lecture in Jack Morton Auditorium as the second installment of the Sustainable Plate series. José will discuss the role of chefs in food policy. RSVP here.        In the News     The successful Food Tank Summit, co-hosted by the GW Food Institute, made waves in the news. Chef José Andrés, Special Adviser to President Knapp on food issues and GW Food Institute faculty, reminded the audience that food is a call to action, and that immigration is a food policy issue. Kathleen Merrigan, GW Food Institute Director, also made headlines saying that"Dark Forces" are coming for organic foods at the Food Tank Summit. Mary Cheh, DC Councilwomen and GW Food Institute Faculty Affiliate, wasinterviewed by Food Tank giving more detail to her food-centered policies. Many of the GW Food Institute community partners that are fighting food insecurity in DC were featured in Washington City Paper, including DCGreens and DC Central Kitchen. Modern farmer gave readers a rundown on another community partner, Wholesome Wave and their FVRx program. Lance Price, Food Institute Faculty Affiliate, was featured in New Scientist in a piece about antibiotic resistance being spread from farms to people. The Institute for International Economic Policy, led by Stephen Smith -- a GW Food Institute Faculty Affiliate, held a conference reviewing the IMF Regional Economic Outlook Report.

Black History Month. Emergency Planning now part of our history.

Black History Month. Emergency Planning.

All our communities must have a basic, or full comprehensive plan to address all-hazards that could affect our communities.

Does your community have a plan for preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation, resiliency planning?

Why not?

Charles D Sharp

CEO

Black Emergency Managers Association International

Washington, D.C.

FOCUS:

Highland Beach (Maryland) Highland Beach was founded in the summer of 1893 by Charles Douglass and his wife Laura after they had been turned away from a restaurant at the nearby Bay Ridge resort because of their race.

http://www.highlandbeachmd.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={1BCD98F5-B03F-4818-92A0-DBB3CDB0CDE3}

An Agenda to Advance Integrative Resilience Research and Practice

February 2017 Newsletter Focus on Community Resilience

Dear Colleagues, We hope everyone is enjoying a healthy and productive start to 2017. While it has been a few months since our last newsletter, the issues related to strengthening the resilience of communities remain ever more resonant and critical in the new year. Not only do we have unprecedented events influencing our communities, our nation, and our world, but we still face a significant mix of stresses that will continue to affect the viability and robustness of where we live and work. We will need to remain vigilant in pulling together new approaches that blend the best of science and practice across disciplines and sectors in order to respond effectively to these challenges. We also have a great opportunity to use resilience science and practice to reimagine how we build our systems and communities. We look forward to sharing these new tools and recent reports with each of you, and hope that you will email us about your resilience activities to keep this important dialogue going. Anita Chandra Director, RAND Justice, Infrastructure, and Environment Joie Acosta Senior Behavioral Scientist

Featured Research Developing an Integrative Agenda for the Future of Resilience Research and Practice People are facing an increasing variety and number of stressors. The nature of these stressors ranges from interpersonal and financial difficulties to environmental hazards and societal forces, affecting individuals, institutions, and communities. Extensive research has focused on the healthiest and most effective ways that people and communities respond to and recover from stress. While resilience science has advanced greatly in terms of understanding the factors that promote individual as well as community resilience, there is increasing recognition of the need for transdisciplinary research (among disciplines such as psychology, environmental health, public health, architecture, planning and community development, economics, political science, criminal justice, etc.). This report summarizes proceedings from a unique meeting of leading researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in the field of resilience, convened by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the RAND Corporation. The document offers an agenda for the future of resilience research and practice. Learn More »

Tools and Resources ENGAGED Toolkit: Improving the Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in Disaster Response and Recovery The ENGAGED toolkit assists emergency planners and nongovernmental organization (NGOs) stakeholders in determining the capacity and capability of particular NGOs for disaster response and recovery. In addition, the toolkit fills an important gap in knowledge and understanding about the key elements that drive NGO participation. Download the Toolkit » Building Partnerships for Recovery Across The Sectors The RAND Corporation, in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH); the University of Colorado – Denver; and the University of California, Los Angeles, conducted a study to show how partnerships help government agencies, and particularly public health entities, support more efficient and effective recovery. The study resulted in a toolkit, called Partnerships for Recovery Across The Sectors (PRACTIS), which leverages the lessons learned from that study and translates them into actionable guidance for local health departments (LHDs). The toolkit offers LHDs three tools: (1) a sample survey and steps for fielding the survey to help LHDs identify the key CBOs that contribute to disaster response and recovery, (2) a quality improvement guide and sample quality improvement report to help generate guidance about the strengths and weaknesses of the partnerships between LHDs and CBOs and between CBOs, and (3) a tabletop recovery exercise that can be used to improve the relationship between LHDs and CBOs. While the tools are geared towards LHDs and CBOs, there is potential for adaptation to other sector relationships. Download the Toolkit »

Ongoing Research How Can Communities in the U.S. Gulf Region Effectively Build Resilience to Large Oil Spills? Michael B. Watins/U.S. Navy The Consortium for Resilient Gulf Communities (CRGC) aims to assess and address the ways in which the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill affects the health, social, and economic wellbeing of people in the Gulf Coast region. Established in 2015 with funding from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, CRGC is led by the RAND Gulf States Policy Institute, in partnership with Louisiana State University, Tulane University, University of South Alabama, and Louisiana Public Health Institute. Our transdisciplinary research and outreach activities include a wide range of efforts designed to help communities more effectively understand, withstand, and overcome the multiple stressors brought on by catastrophic oil spills. Information and tools for scientists and practitioners are available on the CRGC website. You can also stay updated with our efforts by liking us on Facebook. Community-based Action on Gun Violence Using RAND's Resilience Framework DenisTangneyJr/Getty Images A recent community-based participatory study to address gun violence in New Haven, Connecticut adapted RAND's community resilience framework to guide the work of multiple sectors and broader community response to gun violence. The study found that the framework was effective for mitigating exposure to gun violence in communities with persistent gun violence and activating community members and local officials to engage in gun violence research. The full study can be found here.

Access community resilience training and RAND reports on resilience at www.rand.org/resilience-in-action.