Monday, September 8, 2014

Intern Opportunity: World Food Program USA.

http://wfpusa.org/careers

WFP USA

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, reaching more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance last year. World Food Program USA builds support for WFP through fundraising, advocacy and education in the United States

POSITION TITLE: DEVELOPMENT INTERN

REPORTS TO: Manager, Foundation Relations
OVERALL POSITION DESCRIPTION: World Food Program USA seeks a development intern who is a college student, graduate student, or recent college graduate to support the day-to-day needs of the Development Department in Washington, D.C. The Development Intern duties may include donor acknowledgment, research, and administrative assignments. These efforts are undertaken in support of our communications, advocacy, and fundraising efforts and goals. The Development Intern will gain an understanding of how World Food Program USA’s advocacy, outreach, and fundraising efforts in the U.S. support the UN World Food Programme’s work on the ground in 75 countries.
The work schedule is flexible, but the candidate should expect to work 24 to 30 hours, 3-5 days per week, during the time period of August - December 2014.
PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Conduct donor research for corporations, individuals, foundations and civic organizations.
  • Assist with donor acknowledgments.
  • General donor correspondence and support.
  • Develop account strategy and draft deliverables.
  • Carry out special projects and other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
  • Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office applications.
  • Excellent written, verbal and organizational skills.
  • Strong research skills.
  • Ability to organize time and work independently as well as part of a team, follow directions, and complete tasks in an effective manner.
  • Interest in humanitarian aid/international development and nonprofit organizations.
  • Basic knowledge of database systems, and specifically Salesforce/Convio, is a plus.
COMPENSATION
A modest stipend is available.
TO APPLY
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
Interested candidates should submit the following:
(Please submit cover letter and resume as a single document, preferably in PDF format, and specify “Development Intern” in the subject line.)
  • Cover letter
  • Resume
  • Days/hours of availability
  • Start date
  • References (1-2 desired)
Emails should be made to the attention of Stephanie Eldred at seldred@wfpusa.org.
World Food Program USA is an equal opportunity employer.
No phone calls please.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Uganda Virus Research Institute. Publications

http://www.uvri.go.ug/index.php/publications/journal-publications






2012
Sobarzo Ariel, Eddie Perelman, Allison Groseth et al. (2012). Profiling the native specific human humoral immune response to Sudan ebolavirus (Gulu) by chemiluminescense ELISA. Clinical and Vaccine Immunology (2012), November 2012 vol. 19 no. 11 1844-1852 PMID 22993411. 19 September 2012, doi: 10.1128/CVI.00363-12

Trevor Shoemaker, Adam MacNeil , Stephen Balinandi, et al. (2012). Reemerging Sudan Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda, 2011.  Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, Dispatch, Volume 18, Number 9, September 2012.


2011

Sobarzo Ariel, Allison Groseth, Olga Dolnik, et al. (2011). The profile of humoral Immunoreactivity in survivors of Ebolavirus Sudan. Journal of Antiviral Antiretroviral 2011, 3:4 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/1948-5964.S1.16

Borchert M, Mutyaba I, Van Kerkhove MD, et al. Ebola haemorrhagic fever outbreak in Masindi District, Uganda: outbreak description and lessons learned. Bio Medical Central Infectious Diseases. 2011 Dec 28;11:357.


2010

Wamala, Joseph F. , Luswa Lukwago, et al. (2010). Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak Associated with a New strain of the Virus in Uganda, 2007 – 2008. Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal Volume 16, Number 7 – July 2010

MacNeil Adam, Eileen C. Farnon, Joseph Wamala, et al. (2010). Proportion of Deaths and Clinical Features in Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Infection, Uganda. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2010 December; 16(12): 1969–1972. doi: 10.3201/eid1612.100627




INTERNATIONAL RESCUE CALL’ TO HALT EBOLA EPIDEMIC. September 2014

http://africansuntimes.com/2014/09/ban-issues-international-rescue-call-halt-ebola-epidemic/ 


BAN ISSUES ‘INTERNATIONAL RESCUE CALL’ TO HALT EBOLA EPIDEMIC

WHO has donated 24 motorcycles to the Ministry of Health in Guinea to support Ebola contact tracing activities in eight districts in the country. Photo: WHO/A. Pallangyo
WHO has donated 24 motorcycles to the Ministry of Health in Guinea to support Ebola contact tracing activities in eight districts in the country. Photo: WHO/A. Pallangyo
5 September 2014 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today vowed to mobilize the United Nations in every possible way to respond to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and issued an “international rescue call” for a massive surge in assistance, warning that “the world can no longer afford to short-change global public health.”
“The next few weeks will be crucial. The people of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in particular are looking to us for support. They are counting on us for a massive surge in assistance: more doctors, nurses and beds; more equipment, trucks and other vehicles,” the Secretary-General said at UN Headquarters.
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced today that experts taking part in a two-day discussion on potential Ebola therapies and vaccines identified several therapeutic and vaccine interventions that should be the focus of priority clinical evaluation at this time, including two “promising” Ebola vaccines.
WHO Assistant Director-General Marie-Paule Kieny told a press conference in Geneva on the outcome of the experts meeting that it was not yet known if the therapies are 100 per cent safe or whether they will be effective. He added that their safety will be known in November 2014 and will be available for use in countries shortly after.
Dr. Kieny also noted that blood from Ebola survivors might help those who are still infected and still sick to fight the virus.
“We have agreed that whole blood therapies and convalescent serums may be used to treat Ebola virus disease,” Dr. Kieny told reporters.
“This can be done in Ebola-affected countries now,” WHO tweeted, citing Dr. Kieny.
In a WHO statement on the meeting outcome, “The participants cautioned that investigation of these interventions should not detract attention from the implementation of effective clinical care, rigorous infection prevention and control, careful contact tracing and follow-up, effective risk communication, and social mobilization, all of which are crucial for ending these outbreaks.”
At UN Headquarters, the Secretary-General warned that “the world can no longer afford to short-change global public health.”
He urged the international community to contribute to the WHO Roadmap and to provide the $600 million needed for supplies in West Africa in order to stop Ebola transmission in affected countries within six to nine months, and to prevent the international spread of the virus.
Mr. Ban was flanked by Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, and Dr. David Nabarro, the Senior UN System Coordinator for Ebola, who are spearheading the UN response.
“We are mobilizing in every possible way,” Mr. Ban said after convening senior leaders and experts from across the UN system on next steps in managing the epidemic. “We are together today to send out an international rescue call.”
He also said that there needs to be better awareness and understanding about the outbreak, and also urged airlines and shipping companies not to cancel flights and docking to the affected countries, adding that such restrictions will only keep medical teams from reaching people most in need.
Also today, a cargo plane carrying medical supplies from the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has landed in Sierra Leone. The 48 metric tons of supplies include protective equipment and essential medicine. UNICEF has delivered more than 400 metric tons of aid since early August.
The agency says that more emergency airlifts are expected to continue while a steady pipeline is being established to bring supplies into affected countries by sea as well.
WHO, in its latest report issued Friday afternoon, said the total number of Ebola cases now stood at 3,944 and deaths at 2,079 in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, countries identified as “those with widespread and intense transmission.” The fatality rate is 53 per cent. It ranges from 39 per cent in Sierra Leone to 64 per cent in Guinea.
In countries “with an initial case or cases, or with localized transmission,” WHO said there have been 22 cases and 8 deaths in Nigeria, and one case has been confirmed in Senegal.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

NOAA 2014-2015 Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions

The NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions Undergraduate Scholarship Program is accepting applications.  Program encourages advisers, mentors, and potential applicants to take advantage of the NOAA resources made available in this message.  Competitive applications: (i) address the NOAA mission; (ii) have resume and personal statements that are crafted to be relevant to the NOAA mission, and (iii) have recommendations that are well developed and made relevant to the NOAA mission.

What:  Provides scholarships for two years of undergraduate study. 

Who:  Rising junior undergraduate students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields that directly support NOAA's mission. 

The Program:
  • Students receive total awards valued at up to $35,000 in total support during their junior and senior years. 
  • Students complete a nine week paid summer internship at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD, between May and July of the first summer. During the second summer, students complete paid internships at NOAA facilities across the country. During the summer internships, students are paid a stipend and receive a housing allowance. 
  • Student scholarship recipients attend a two-week orientation at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD, and begin their first summer internship in early June.
  • At the end of both summer internships, students present the results of their projects at an education and science symposium in Silver Spring, MD (travel expenses paid).

Undergraduate Scholarship Application Link:  https://oedwebapps.iso.noaa.gov/uspa/


Wednesday, September 3, 2014

International OR U.S. National Exercise Event. September 11, 2014

http://www.drc-group.com/project/rrce.html

September 11, 2001 marked one point in a new era in response, recovery, and to a greater extent the PROACTIVE planning to emergency\disaster events within the U.S.  Airports, and other transportation sectors closed for days, and weeks to ensure a threat was contained and response plans reviewed and implemented.

The closing of the city of Boston, Massachusetts transportation, and business sectors closed for days to contain a known threat, a suspect in the Boston Marathon Bombing of 2013.  

BEMA members throughout the U.S, Caribbean, Central & South America, African Union member states, the Middle-East, and throughout the diaspora, September is the U.S. National Preparedness month.  Join every member of BEMA in participating in preparedness activities throughout the entire month of September.

Exercises whether in the form of drills, table-tops, functional, or full-scale are a key to determine vulnerabilities in your plans, procedures, and in communication. 

Register and plan for your communities to participate in the following FREE influenza pandemic exercise scheduled for September 11, 2014 NOT ONLY IN THE U.S. BUT INTERNATIONALLY.  

Plan for your communities to be resilient, and sustainable.  Sometimes changing one word from INFLUENZE to EBOLA, or INFLUENZA to ANTHRAX can make a difference in your community response and in saving lives.

Be safe, be prepared.

Charles D. Sharp.  CEO.  Black Emergency Managers Association (BEMA) 

Exercise Date/Time

DateThursday, September 11, 2014
TimeParticipant Login: 4:30 PM
Exercise Begins: 5:00 PM

National Neighborhood Influenza Pandemic Readiness & Response Exercise

Good & Ready, the disaster preparedness and response program of Points of Light, has developed an easy way to engage neighborhood residents and community volunteers in becoming Good & Ready for an Influenza Pandemic by participating in “Resilient Response,” a disaster readiness and response exercise hosted online and available in communities across the country.

Influenza Pandemic Exercise

For additional information and to register yourself or your organization to participate in the Influenza Pandemic Exercise scheduled for the evening of September 11, 2014 visit the following web site today:
  

This important exercise is FREE and open to the public.

Neighborhood residents and community leaders should organize their friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to participate in the exercise series.

Four steps to participating in a Resilient Response exercise:
1.     Click here for additional information and to register.
2.     Mark the date of the exercise on your calendar. 
3.     Host an exercise from your family room, office, church or school.
  1. Share what you learned on the Good & Ready website.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

BEMA...Every Month is Preparedness Month.....September is National Preparedness Month


TO our members in Canada, South & Central America, the Caribbean, Cuba, Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, and the Middle-East join your U.S. members in planning a preparedness week or day in solidarity & unity of all our communities.

Join our members in Nigeria currently experiencing the devastating effect of the Ebola pandemic affecting the nations of West Africa, and in hope that all the member nations of the African continent select a scheduled date(s) to show solidarity & unity by joining Sierra Leone, Liberia, and others by voluntarily closing their borders, transportation sectors, and reviewing their public health plans and procedures to contain this disease.

September is a month of preparedness, and reflection on September 11, 2001 where the entire country reacted to a planned threat and shut-down all both internal and external transportation (airlines) sectors to contain a threat to ensure the nation, the constituents of the U.S., and world that the U.S. was safe.

Be safe, Be prepared.


Charles D. Sharp.  CEO.  Black Emergency Managers Association




http://www.ready.gov/september


September is National Preparedness Month - Be Disaster Aware, Take Action to Prepare.

During National Preparedness Month  you, your family, community and workplace can take action by planning a National PrepareAthon! Day on or around September 30th. Recommend that you use digital media tools as a way to promote National Preparedness Month, September 1-30th.

What you can do to promote National Preparedness Month:


Friday, August 29, 2014

Federal Grants to Local Fire Departments Offer Up-to-Date Equipment and Training to Stations Large and Small

BEFORE THE DOOR IS SHUT!

Paradigm Shift:  
                     Redirecting grants and funding from 
                     community law enforcement, and fire departments 
                     to community 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

           How:   -Establish a volunteer fire station,
                       -Utilize FEMA 'free' online learning classes,
                       -Attend Program Manager and Train-the-Trainer
                          CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
                          FEMA courses in Emittsburg, MD
                       -Establish a CERT team specifically for your community
                       -Have volunteer fire station as training, and education
                          facility for FEMA, fire and other training,
                       -Have volunteer fire station designated as a polling\voting
                          location in your community,
                       -Unlimited possibilities
                   

08/29/2014 10:53 AM EDT


New York, NY -- The Atlantic City Fire Department has some 250 full-time firefighters and six fire stations serving a southern New Jersey population of 40,000.  The department received last month a federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) of almost $490,000 to replace personal protective equipment ravaged by Hurricane Sandy and years of on-the-job use.  The local share of the grant brought the total to $543,400.

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