One Voice Can Make a Difference

http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2013/07_05_2013/story4.htm

Deaf Employee Is Heard NIH Mission Statement Is Amended By Rich McManus

At the suggestion of a National Eye Institute employee who is deaf, NIH recently amended its official mission statement.

The one-sentence statement had said, “NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability.”

But because David Rice, a management analyst at NEI since October 2009, felt that his particular disability was not a burden, he wanted to know if NIH director Dr. Francis Collins would be willing to modify the mission statement so as not to offend people who do not consider their disabilities to be burdensome.

Recently, the phrase “the burdens of” was removed from the statement, which now reads, “NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life and reduce illness and disability.”

According to Debra Chew, director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, this was a lesson in NIH compassion and responsiveness.

“This was a very important event from a diversity perspective,” said Chew, who arrived at NIH last July. “It shows that an individual employee can raise concerns that Dr. Collins will take seriously and address. I think that’s good. NIH has no wish to have a mission statement that offends people…It just goes to show you that we all have different perspectives.”

NEI’s David Rice objected to NIH’s mission statement and took his concerns to NIH leadership, who ended up agreeing with him.

Chew met Rice last fall at a “meet and greet” and mentioned that he had a problem with the mission statement. As she recalls, “He told me, ‘We don’t consider ourselves to be burdens, nor do we consider our disability a burden…Would you ask Dr. Collins to consider a change?’”

Chew broached the issue with Collins, “who was immediately agreeable to a change,” she said. “No one had really looked at [the statement] this way. David really raised a good point.”

Chew took the suggestion to Kim Kirkpatrick, OEODM’s disability program manager, who also chairs NIH’s disability committee. “Once we realized that Dr. Collins was open to a change, we got input from the disability committee on proposed language,” said Chew. Two versions were proposed and the three-word change was adopted.

“This is a symbolic moment for NIH,” said Chew. “It’s really about [Rice’s] courage. He did a great thing for the NIH.”

Rice, who became deaf at age 4, recalls the “grace and integrity” with which his parents dealt with his removal from the school system once he became deaf; they found a school better equipped to handle his needs. “It was the fire that my parents had that led me to want to become an advocate not only for the deaf community but also for all those who have a disability,” he said.

“I know it was not the intent that NIH had [to offend people with disabilities],” Rice continued, “but it could look to some as though, in trying to improve the health and life of American citizens, NIH is only looking for cures to reduce disability because [people with disabilities] are a burden on society. The new mission statement takes out that stigma that we are a burden and conveys the message that NIH’s goal is to reduce illness and disability because it can improve the livelihood of American citizens and not because we are a burden on society.”

Rice said he didn’t think his suggestion had much chance of being taken seriously at first. “To be honest, I did not expect much,” he said. “All I wanted was for them to listen, which they did. Debra told me that she spoke to [NIH principal deputy director] Dr. [Lawrence] Tabak, who wholeheartedly agreed. At that point, once I knew Dr. Tabak was in the picture, I knew that something was going to come of this.

“Let me tell you,” Rice continued, “there was no greater feeling than when Dr. Collins used the new mission statement on Capitol Hill. I take no credit for the new mission statement. All I did was raise questions and concerns. But I felt that my small change made a difference, and that alone is my lifelong goal—making small changes to create big impacts.”

He concluded, “I can only imagine that the change will be a positive one. The biggest reason why NIH was so appealing to me was its ability to be open to change as well as moving forward, a lot quicker than some government agencies do. That is a product of the vision that Dr. Collins has for NIH. But like anyone who has a large responsibility, it is hard to envision everything—that’s where everyone else comes into play. [We can all] make NIH [a] leader in science as well as a great work environment where everyone can feel they are making a small but important impact on the American public.”

Syracuse community builder Brenda Muhammad on the power of storytelling

http://blog.syracuse.com/cny/2013/07/syracuse_community_builder_brenda_muhammad_on_the_power_of_sharing_ones_story.html

Brenda Muhammad of Syracuse is a volunteer and community builder who believes in the power of sharing one's personal story to help others. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

By Jennifer L. Owens | Guest columnist 
on July 05, 2013 at 7:56 AM, updated July 06, 2013 at 8:41 AM

Email

"Some people are born knowing their purpose," said Brenda Muhammad. "Other people, like me, have no clue why they are here. But if I just keep moving I hope that one day I'll figure it out."

Muhammad is always moving. There is no other way to end up with the sizable list of volunteer activities and educational pursuits that she is juggling at any one time. This juggling is what earned her the 2013 Unsung Heroes Award during Syracuse University's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration earlier this year.

How Muhammad has remained 'unsung' for this long is a mystery. She has twice served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer coordinating Women Build at Syracuse Habitat for Humanity, is a key player in the nonprofit FORCE (Focusing Our Resources for Community Enlightenment), and participates in the Black Syracuse Project to capture community stories.

She describes her life as a journey to discover her true purpose. Along her path, she has channeled her interests and community engagement activities to become a connection-maker. She sees value in sharing the things that she learns with her community.

This makes her well-suited for her role in FORCE, a nonprofit that combats neighborhood deterioration by inspiring residents to pool their resources to improve their condition. She sees opportunity to further the work of FORCE by sharing the oral history collection techniques she learned through the Black Syracuse Project training. 

Muhammad believes that sharing our stories with each other strengthens connections and promotes healing.

"We need to know about hard times, and we need to know about success stories," said Muhammad. "When you tell that story others can relate to you. They learn that there is hope."

Muhammad believes that there is a desire to be known and acknowledged that is hard-wired within us. She is drawn to oral history and storytelling as a way to give others the opportunity to satisfy this basic need.

"Sometimes telling your story is part of a healing process," she said. "Somebody has to hear me. What if no one knew you were alive?"

Telling the story is good for the storyteller, but it is also a tool for improving the lives of those who hear your story. "People can relate to your story," said Muhammad. "Sometimes you think that you are alone in something, but then you find out about connections."

The more connections that Muhammad and others facilitate through the Black Syracuse Project's initiatives, the more opportunity there will be for community members to identify opportunities to work together toward neighborhood improvement.

Muhammad is not one to remain still. She keeps moving, always looking for the next opportunity to expand her skills and serve her community. She is currently pursuing a Certificate of Advanced Study in Cultural Heritage Preservation at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies, as well as studies at SUNY Empire State College. She hopes to intern for the Black Syracuse Project in the near future to continue making the connections that she believes make a difference.

Despite her energy and palpable enthusiasm, even she sometimes wonders about the limits of any one person.

"I had a motto, and I haven't said it in a long time," Muhammad says wistfully. "I don't know if that's because I stopped believing it or I'm just too tired to think it. I used to always say, 'I shall not be conquered.' I thought I could do anything. But right about now I'm a little close to that conquered."

Despite these moments of doubt, she is propelled forward by the support of her friends and family. They know that she can make a difference and encourage her to explore new paths in her quest to find her life's purpose.

"My friends are amazing. They don't discourage me from trying anything," said Muhammad. "Sometimes I wish they would!"

In the end, Muhammad believes each of us has something we are meant to give to others. It can be both a burden and our life's greatest joy to figure out what that is; to tirelessly make connections, to tell our stories past and present, and to keep on moving.

To learn more about the Black Syracuse Project and listen to oral history recordings captured by through the project, visit www.blacksyracuse.org

Training Opportunity: Lessons from New Zealand

Putting the “How-to” in Resilience:

Lessons from New Zealand

Join us on Thursday, July 11 from 3-5 pm at George Mason University, Arlington campus  for an interactive discussion with Dr. John Vargo, co-leader of the Resilient Organizations program at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand. 

For the past eight years, Resilient Organizations has asked: What is it that makes some organizations able not only to survive, but thrive in the face of adversity?  The program has transformed research into resilience tools including:

·         Resilience Benchmark Tool allowing organizations to perform a self-analysis of resilience strengths and weaknesses and support a business case for internal resilience initiatives.

·         Resilience Quick Assessment Tool providing high and low performance benchmarks for 13 resilience indicators.

·         Resilience Thumbprint Survey creating a 5 minute snapshot survey that covers key resilience indicators, especially targeted for small and medium sized enterprises. 

Please join us for an informative session and an international perspective!

Where: George Mason University, Arlington, VA, Hazel Hall, Room 215

When: July 11^th, 3-5 pm

Campus Directions: http://cip.gmu.edu/index.php/component/k2/item/171

RSVP:

Ms. Manal Farooq

Research Assistant                                                                                       

Office:  703-993-8591                                                                                                                   

E-mail: mfarooq7@masonlive.gmu.edu                                                                              

Dr. Mark Troutman

Associate Director

Office: 703-993-4720

Email: mtroutma@gmu.edu

Tuskegee Airman is buried in custom casket detailed by his sons

http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130630/NEWS/306300003/Tuskegee-Airman-buried-custom-casket-detailed-by-his-sons

Retired Lt. Col. Harold J. Trabue, 86, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 24 in a custom casket designed and crafted by his sons. (Photos courtesy of Ulysses Centaur)

One airman received more than just his military honors as he was laid to rest June 24 at Arlington National Cemetery, Va.

Retired Lt. Col. Harold J. Trabue, 86, was buried in a custom casket designed and crafted by his sons, Mark Trabue and Ulysses Centaur.

ZOOM

Retired Lt. Col. Harold J. Trabue, 86, was buried at Arlington National Cemetery June 24 in a custom casket designed and crafted by his sons. (Photo courtesy of Ulysses Centaur)

“We were thinking of a lot of ways we could commemorate our father, and how we decorated the casket, we just felt like this reflected our emotions about him and his death,” Centaur said.

A national member of the Tuskegee Airmen, Lt. Col. Trabue died Feb. 23 in Arizona. He was part of the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and later retired from the Air Force in 1971. He acquired a Distinguished Flying Cross with two Oak Leaf Clusters during his career.

For the brothers, who both own auto-body shops that detail and customize cars, it was the first time they had decorated a casket.

“We figured with our skills, and the way we wanted to honor him, that was enough inspiration to do this,” he said.

Centaur explained it didn’t take more than two days to design the stripped-down, blue metal casket. He and his brother used computer-designed graphics for the detail before they polished it up. The casket included a picture of their father from his time in the Air Force, three aircraft and other Air Force emblems.

For now, the brothers will go on with their day jobs enhancing cars — Centaur in Charlotte, N.C., and Trabue in Phoenix. They painted the casket in Phoenix and had it flown to Arlington.

But Centaur said they could do this in their spare time and are even willing to paint caskets for other service members in other military branches.

“With the turnaround time, we can do this, and with how expensive regular caskets are, we can devote part of our shops to making these,” Centaur said. “It would sure be nice if we could help others send their loved ones off in style.”

Healthy You and A Healthy Community: Eliminating The Parasites That You Almost Certainly Have

http://www.realfarmacy.com/eliminating-the-parasites-that-you-almost-certainly-have/

Eliminating The Parasites That You Almost Certainly Have
by Thomas Corriher

Parasites have far surpassed epidemic levels in the United States, with most sources estimating that a massive 85% of Americans have parasitic infections.  Because of this, we recommend a parasite cleanse every six months, care in choosing restaurants, and cleaning up after exposure to animals.

Unfortunately, most conventional doctors are not trained in the treatment of parasites.  It is only when parasites are visually seen that American doctors will suspect them, which requires a horrific case.  There are many symptoms of parasites that people express in daily life, believing that these are completely normal.  While sickness has become normal in the modern lifestyle, it does not have to be.  The amount of damage that can be caused by parasites is virtually limitless, because many are small enough to travel anywhere in the body through the bloodstream.  They exist by robbing the body of nutrients.  Parasites are the root cause of Lupus, with all other symptoms being secondary to the parasitic infection.  Therefore, Lupus cannot be cured without a parasite cleanse.  Of course, Lupus is said to be just another “incurable disease” and an “autoimmune disorder”, according to the conventional doctors.

Identifying The Different Parasites

• Roundworms - Living in the stomach and intestines, these worms enter through undercooked and contaminated food.  Remember that the manure which is used in farming may be contaminated with worms.  Always wash your hands after dealing with pets, or their feces.
• Heartworms - It is extremely rare for these to occur in humans.  In the few cases which have been seen, they usually occur as a single worm in the lungs, rather than the heart.  They cannot be spread through from one animal (or human) to another, but must be spread through mosquitoes.
• Tapeworms - Enter the body through undercooked beef, fish or pork.  They live in the lower intestinal tract.  Use gloves and wash thoroughly after preparing meat for consumption.
• Pinworms - Living in the intestinal tracts and lungs, these small white worms come out at night to lay eggs around the anus. The eggs hatch and the worms reenter through the anus.  If the human scratches during this time, the eggs lay under the fingernails, spreading to wherever the person touches.  It is believed that they are small and lightweight enough to become airborne, leading people to inhale them.  This is how they can live inside the lungs.  Perhaps smoking does have a benefit, after all.
• Hookworms and Threadworms - These can be found in contaminated drinking water, or they can enter directly through the feet.  They are tiny in size, and can enter through the soles of the feet, even without any open wounds.  Always wear shoes when walking outside.  These worms are unique because they have a lifespan of several years, and the eggs can incubate for up to 10 years.
• 
  

Symptoms of Parasite Infection

• Repeated diarrhea or constipation
• Chronic, unexplained nausea, often accompanied by vomiting
• Fatigue and weakness
• Intestinal cramping
• Unexplained dizziness
• Foul-smelling gas
• Indigestion
• Bloating
• Multiple food allergies
• Loss of appetite
• Itching around the anus, especially at night
• Difficulty sleeping
• Difficulty maintaining a healthy weight (over or underweight)
• Itching on the soles of the feet, often accompanied by a rash
• Coughing blood (severe cases)
• Palpitations (Hookworms)
• Anemia
• Facial swelling around the eyes (roundworms)
• Wheezing and coughing, followed by vomiting, stomach pain and bloating (suggesting roundworms or threadworms)

Treatment Options

If a conventional doctor believes that you have parasites, he will prescribe you an anti-parasitic pharmaceutical.  These pharmaceuticals are always toxic, for it is their toxicity that kills parasites.  Thus, swelling of the lymph nodes, hands and feet are common, whilst vision problems, lack of coordination, and convulsions can also occur.  Diarrhea is typical with these drugs.

These are the most commonly used natural substances for eliminating parasitic infections:

• Black Walnut Hulls
• Wormwood (from the Artemisia shrub)
• Common Cloves (from the clove tree)
• Pumpkin Seeds, or Pumpkin Seed Oil Capsules
• Garlic
• Neem (Do not take neem if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, because it can work as a contraceptive.)
• Thyme leaf and seed
• Marshmallow root
• Diatomaceous Earth
• Blends of the above ingredients, with marketing names like ‘Para-Clear’.

We would not recommend choosing one of the corporate formulas, since they are usually overpriced and formulated with low concentrations.  Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to examine each formula, and evaluate them.

Diatomaceous earth is the best natural anti-parasitic medication.  It is actually an all-natural pesticide which does not harm humans or pets.  It is believed to kill insects, worms and parasites by dehydrating them.  When used on ants, it usually takes around 20 minutes before they are all dead.  One tablespoon of diatomaceaous earth taken by an adult once a day for seven days is believed to be extremely effective at killing all parasites.  If this is going to be given to children, bear in mind that height is a better indicator of the size of their G.I. tract than their weight.  Thus, a child who is 4 feet tall should take 2 teaspoons, and a child who is 2 feet tall should take 1 teaspoon.  If you take this route, we advise you to only buy food grade.  Industrial diatomaceous earth is used for swimming pool filters, but it has been chemically treated, and this type is not safe to eat.  Try to avoid rubbing it onto your hands, as it can have a drying effect upon the skin.  Diatomaceous earth contains heavy metals as part of its mineral content, but it also contains the natural antidote, selenium, which allows otherwise accumulative heavy metals to be flushed from the body.  Therefore, it is not really a health concern despite the presence of aluminum and lead.  We recommend taking selenium supplements for a week after discontinuing this treatment to ensure that the body thoroughly flushes all of the heavy metals.  Our research indicates that diatomaceous earth is the best overall parasite treatment for humans, because it should likewise kill all microscopic blood-born parasites as well.  When using it, be sure to drink plenty of fluids, because it will dehydrate a person considerably.

Wormwood and black walnut hulls are known to kill adult worms, whilst cloves kill worm eggs.  Some people use this trio for treating parasites, instead of diatomaceous earth.  It is recommended that you take 500 mg. of wormwood and black walnut hulls, whilst taking 1/2 teaspoon of cloves daily for around 14 days.  All other herbs mentioned are used in addition to these two core protocols.

As parasites die, they release toxins through their excrement, and from rotting.  The most common parasites, the worm type, attempt to escape by burrowing deeper into the intestines, which can cause sharp pains and cramps.  Even when dead, the body is still burdened with the task of flushing them out.  This whole process can initially make the person feel sicker than before he started the cleanse, but this is only temporary, and it is a sign that the cleanse is working.  While fatigue and grogginess are also to be expected, normal life may be continued, and diarrhea should not occur.  Ensure that you are eating a good, wholesome diet throughout the cleanse to ensure that your immune system is at its strongest.  After the cleanse, you should feel better, have more energy, and experience sickness less often.

Source: The Health Wyze Report

Sheltering: Another Alternative: IKEA has a new idea.

Why do we still put refugees in tents? IKEA has a new idea.

This World Refugee Day, Swedish furniture maker IKEA offers up a new design for a shelter that would offer more privacy and comfort than the ubiquitous canvas tent.

By Jeremy Ravinsky, Contributor / June 19, 2013

The Refugee Housing Unit, designed by Ikea, provides significantly higher living comfort and safety compared to emergency tents. The spatial volume is more than double that of the UNHCR family tent and the RHU Panels and RHU Shade net provide higher thermal comfort.

Courtesy of UN Refugee Agency

Nothing says misery like a hot tent in a refugee camp. That's especially true when a family spends year after year under a triangle of canvas meant to last only six months. 

More than six decades after the United Nations passed a convention pledging to protect refugees, very little has changed about the way they are sheltered – until now.

The IKEA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the iconic Swedish furniture maker, has helped come up with a more comfortable refugee shelter. Just like the coffee table or nightstand sitting in your home, the IKEA shelter is flat-packed, requires no tools to assemble, and can be taken apart and rebuilt again elsewhere. Instead of canvas flaps, the shelter is made up of hard panels, which stand up better against harsher climactic conditions and offer more privacy. 

As Syrian refugee flood escalates, UN asks record $5.1 billion in aid

 

The clever innovation heralds a new era of refugee assistance, one where the United Nations approaches the private sector for ideas and investment, not just donations. If the shelters work, the design will be made available by IKEA to other companies for commercial production, while the swelling numbers of refugees from conflicts like those in Syria will have a more humane place to call home.

“We’ve been working on this for three years and it’s… a significant investment,” says Per Heggenes, the CEO of the IKEA Foundation. “[W]e hope that this will be a product that can be manufactured commercially and offered in the market to all organizations that are dealing with emergency and disaster situations.”

Beyond tents

An estimated 3.5 million of the world's refugees – civilians driven from their homes and across international borders by conflict – are living in tents. 

Searching for a better alternative, the Refugee Housing Unit, a Swedish design firm specifically aimed at improving the living conditions of displaced persons, approached the IKEA Foundation in 2010. Intrigued by the idea, IKEA reached out to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the initiative was born.

Each of the IKEA shelters is designed to house one family. The shelters employ technologies to keep the interior cool by day and warm at night; a solar panel on each provides electricity.

“The new shelter has the potential to provide a more dignified temporary housing solution to refugees,” said Olivier Delarue, UNHCR's senior adviser on private sector partnerships, in an e-mail. “Essentially it could be a temporary home until people are able to return to their place of origin.”

The full range of benefits – and drawbacks – will not be completely known until the prototype goes into field testing next month. Several units of the shelter will be introduced to the Dollo Ado refugee camp in southeastern Ethiopia, which houses approximately 190,000 Somali refugees. The site was chosen in part because of its harsh conditions.

"It is critical to set the units in a harsh environment to have feedback on their technical resistance,” says Mr. Delarue, “and also [to] have refugees’ views on the cultural suitability of the units.”

The testing phase is supposed to take between four and six months, during which time adjustments will be made before the shelter goes into production. Until then, it won't be known whether the shelter will be suitable for the needs of those living in camps.

"We don’t know enough to [say] whether it is an ideal solution yet,” says Prof. Alexander Betts, an associate professor at the University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre and the director of the Humanitarian Innovation Project. But he adds, “there are reasons to believe it’s exciting: The idea of moving beyond the usual tent structures … that often characterize that sort of terrain in the Horn of Africa, to provide something more durable, more sustainable.”

The shelters are more costly than typical refugee housing, but if enough are produced then the cost will be lowered to just above the price of tents, and they last up to six times longer. 

Coming soon to a border near Syria

However, this process may be sped up in order to help ease the pressure of continued refugee flows out of Syria.

“We have also been testing the shelters in Iraq and Lebanon,” says IKEA's Mr. Heggenes. “[We] decided to move from just testing it in Dollo Ado to testing it in all three areas, at the request of [the] UNHCR because the needs are so great in and around Syria.”

Over the past two and a half years, the civil war in Syria has produced 1.6 million refugees, most of whom have taken shelter in neighboring Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey. The strain of supporting the displaced Syrians is immense, with the UN recently asking for a record $5.1 billion. Organizations such as the UNHCR are looking for innovative ways to handle these emergency situations.

The IKEA Foundation is currently the single largest private donor to the United Nations ever, and their contribution has created the groundwork for more innovative ways of approaching refugee management issues. The Dollo Ado camp serves as a sort of laboratory, where IKEA can question and potentially improve upon the services and solutions normally applied to refugee emergencies.

“[A] foundation like ours, we can afford to take risks, so we can go when we see the opportunity,” says Heggenes. “We can go invest in a product like this and maybe change the way we look at emergency housing in the future. The potential of this is huge.”

Great potential, possible pitfalls

The partnership with IKEA marks a new phase of UNHCR-private sector relations. "It also potentially moves the whole way in which we look at refugees from one of a logic of charity to that of a logic of sustainability," says Prof. Betts.

But, as Betts cautions, wider engagement with the private sector comes with its own risks, especially when introducing them to vulnerable populations such as refugees.

"If one had private sector companies working [in] camps for the wrong motives, who didn't respect human rights or protection needs, that would be extremely problematic and would seriously undermine the UNHCR's ability to ever work with the private sector again."

Though Betts does not think this is the case with IKEA, he recommends that if the UNHCR’s engagement with the private sector continues, regulations should be set up, such as a voluntary code of conduct.

"It can be very exciting, it can make a contribution, but it must be done in the right way."

http://m.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2013/0619/Why-do-we-still-put-refugees-in-tents-IKEA-has-a-new-idea

Question: Have the States become to dependent on FEMA for recovery from Disaster Declarations?

Training Opportunity: National Service Criminal History Check

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National Service Criminal History Check New Online Training Course for the National Service Criminal History Check Requirements  CNCS has developed a new online training course for grantees on the National Service Criminal History Check requirements.  The course walks you through scenarios on determining who to conduct checks on, what types of checks apply to whom, considerations for accompaniment, what should be maintained as documentation, along with other helpful guidance.  A link to the course and its associated materials has been posted to the Knowledge Network.  Reach the course by clicking here:  Online Course

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: DEVELOPMENT OF DISASTER RESPONSE KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTS

The African Center for Disaster Studies has created a Knowledge Shop for Disaster Risk Reduction with the help of the USAID. There are already a number of modules available for download (once you have registered) in the Knowledge Shop http://acds.co.za/index.php?page=knowledge-shop.

The ACDS together with USAID has decided to expand the total number of modules. This means that there are 13 new modules to be written. If you follow this link http://acds.co.za/uploads/usaid/ksproposal.pdf  you should be able to download the call for  proposals.

Please note that the date has been extended to the end of June 2013.

If you are having trouble downloading the file, please contact Mr. Gideon Wentink on gideon.wentink@nwu.ac.za for assistance.

Best regards The SASDiR Team

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: DEVELOPMENT OF DISASTER RESPONSE KNOWLEDGE 

PRODUCTS

1. Orientation and background

The continuing conditions of disaster risk and subsequent disasters in the SADC region are a clear
indication of the dire need for appropriate skills and competencies in disaster and risk
management. The need for these appropriate skills is well known and becomes extremely clear on
perusal of the regional and national policy documents and frameworks on disaster risk reduction in
southern Africa. The need has also been identified by regional and national fora for standardised
training and education, which will assist in ensuring a common understanding of the dynamics of
disaster risk reduction, which will also promote uniform standards and application.

It is against this background that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has
awarded funding to the African Centre for Disaster Studies (North-West University, Potchefstroom
Campus, South Africa) to provide support to develop a flexible, multi-sphere and trans-disciplinary
disaster risk reduction training programme aimed at various practitioners working in related
disaster reduction fields in South and southern Africa. This project runs over a five-year period and
commenced in 2010.

Initially, 37 knowledge products (modules) on disaster risk reduction related topics have been
identified and developed, and are available on the Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Shop on
the African Centre for Disaster Studies (ACDS) website:

http://acds.co.za/index.php?page=knowledge-shop. 

During the development process of the initial knowledge products (modules) a further need has been identified to develop knowledge products (modules) on Disaster Response ‘issues’. During a strategic session, attended by experts in the field of Disaster Risk Reduction, 13 additional knowledge products (modules) on Disaster Response have been identified (see Table 1.1).

http://acds.co.za/uploads/usaid/ksproposal.pdf

Nigeria: From Response to Proactive Planning

http://www.unisdr.org/archive/33565?preview=b9b583c75ba

Nigeria agrees to strengthen disaster resilience

Photo copyright NEMA. The 2012 floods which impacted the country's GDP and displaced over six million people provided the backdrop to discussions this week between the Nigerian Government and UNISDR on disaster risk management.

 

ABUJA, June 12- The Nigerian government has requested the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) to facilitate the development of a comprehensive disaster risk management plan for Africa’s most populous country.

The agreement to move beyond a predominantly response-focused approach to disaster planning came after wide ranging discussions between Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo and the head of UNISDR Margareta Wahlström in Abuja.

Vice President Sambo summed up the philosophy that would guide his government’s approach when he told Ms Wahlström: 'It is time to come back to what the wise man said, prevention is better than cure.’

The strengthening of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was a top agenda item and Ms Wahlström said UNISDR would support NEMA’s efforts to complement its response capacity with more advocacy of disaster risk reduction, stronger local and state capacity and more proactive coordination of various actors.

‘Nigeria is already convinced that disasters are a development concern and it is increasingly aware of the impact of climate change so it is very encouraging to see the strong political commitment to strengthen disaster risk reduction as integral for protecting development gains,’ Ms Wahlström said.

‘It is impressive how key government ministries are really focused on strengthening Nigeria’s resilience and preparedness for disasters and climate change.

‘The recent floods have had a huge impact on public and official perception of disasters. It is the first time that Nigeria talks about the financial impact of disasters on the state and the people.

‘It is encouraging to see this deeper interest in the triggers of disaster and it’s important that we make progress because building a safer and more resilient country will be a long and challenging road. The need for good early warning systems is especially important.’

Other important outcomes from the talks included the organization of a national discussion to strengthen public-private partnership so that business can be an increasingly central actor in reducing disaster risk.

The Vice President and Ms Wahlström also agreed on the need to address the impact of disasters on children’s education in Nigeria. Many children directly affected by disaster are unable to attend school and in addition several schools are used for months at a time as centres for disaster displaced people, which means teaching cannot take place.

The Vice President also urged that the growing issue of armed conflict over resources, such as grazing land and water, between various groups, such as pastoralists and farmers, be a key part of the post-2015 replacement of the current Hyogo Framework for Action on Disaster Risk Reduction.

Nigeria has suffered repeated floods in many of its cities and continues to endure an ongoing drought in the north of the country.

The need for prompt action to reduce disaster risk was highlighted in a World Bank report, ‘Toward Climate-Resilient Development’, released this week in collaboration with the Federal Government. The report made ten practical recommendations for Nigeria to grow its economy and its resilience but warned of the consequences if concerted action was not taken.

Commenting on the report, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Federal Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said: ‘The 2012 floods in Nigeria were a stark reminder of the vulnerability of our communities, infrastructure and economy to climate-induced natural disasters.’

Nine of Nigeria’s 36 states in the Sahelian northern part of the country are currently severely affected by drought. The Ministry of Finance estimated that the 2012 floods reduced GDP by 0.36 per cent. At the time, the Guardian Nigeria newspaper reported: ‘Lagosians gasp for breath as flood ravages city’.

UNISDR’s recently-released 2013 ‘Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction’ said the floods from 2011 resulted in the highest claim settlement in the history of the Nigerian insurance industry.

The report focused on the port of Lagos, the country’s biggest urban area and Africa’s second fastest growing city, and said that the state government faced huge costs from corrective mitigation measures as a result of uncontrolled urban development that has generated increased risk.

About 70 per cent of Lagos’ population lives in informal, poorly regulated settlements. ‘While sound urban development policies exist, implementation of building and safety codes remains marred by corruption and limited capacity,’ The Global Assessment Report says.

‘About 80 per cent of artisans engaged in the construction industry are either unskilled or uncertified owing to an absence of standardized training.’

Date:

12 Jun 2013

June 16-22 International Fire & EMS Safety & Health Week

Join ICISF in Supporting International Fire & EMS Safety & Health Week June 16-22 The International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Volunteer Fire Council are sponsoring a week long event to call attention to the importance of the safety and health of Fire and EMS training and education.  Given our mission of providing leadership, education, training, consultation, and support services in comprehensive crisis intervention and disaster behavioral health services to the emergency response professions, other organizations, and communities worldwide, ICISF is pleased to offer its support of this very important effort. This year's international effort will capture the importance of responders taking responsibility for looking out for their own and each other's mental and physical well-being. Participating departments are encouraged to develop a week-long training program that focuses on a variety of issues that address their specific needs and environment.  A major focus of the international campaign will be behavioral health issues, a topic that many still see as taboo in the hard-charging world of emergency response, but many departments are struggling with.  Please join us in supporting this event by visiting the website for International Fire and EMS Safety and Health Week, where you will find an assortment of resources, including materials you can use in your own department or agency to promote and focus on responder health and safety. The resources include a list of activities that you can implement during this special event. Thank you for all that you do to support the well-being of the first responders in your community. Sincerely, Donald Howell Executive Director ICISF, Inc. 3290 Pine Orchard Ln, Ste 106 Ellicott City MD 21042 (410) 750-9600