AFRO-NETS> The Drum Beat - 47 - Emergencies and Disasters

[Warren Feek <wfeek@coastnet.com>]

The Drum Beat - 47 - Emergencies and Disasters
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EMERGENCIES AND DISASTERS

Assessment Tools 

1. The CGP Rapid Survey Method: A New Survey Tool for Broadcasters in 
War Zones - Audience surveys are important management tools for 
groups that create radio and television programs to advance peace, 
reconciliation, and resettlement in war zones. Yet these groups often 
see no way to mount field surveys of useful quality. CGP is develop-
ing its capacity to conduct or commission related pre-broadcast audi-
ence research and outcome evaluations. Developed by Ed Palmer. 
http://www.cgponline.org/research/index.htm 

2. Defining the Partnership With the Media - explores the relation-
ship between the media and conflict resolution. It finds that indi-
viduals and organizations should not marginalize or ignore the media 
because they influence public opinion, which, in turn, can influence 
government policies that might lead to conflict resolution. 
Contact Lina Maria Holguin 
mailto:lina_jy@ns.sympatico.ca

3. Forced Migration and Health Program - Through repeated assessments 
of health conditions, surveillance systems and the systematic analy-
sis of health data collected in the field, policy makers and program 
implementers were able to describe patterns of morbidity and mortal-
ity that were common to a variety of refugee settings. On the basis 
of these findings, an epidemiology of refugee health emerged. A set 
of 'best practices' began to emerge. The initial assessment is in-
strumental in guiding communication responses. 
Contact: Ron Waldman
http://www.globalhealthcouncil.org/reports/report.php3?id=2

4. Medecins sans Frontiers - three books that provide guidance on as-
sessing and taking action on health issues in emergency situations 
with implications for communication issues and roles: Refugee Health 
- An approach to emergency situations; Rapid Health Assessment of 
Refugee or Displaced and Populations; and Public Health Engineering 
in Emergency Situations 
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/publications/

5. Children's Health in Emergencies: practical guidelines for health 
workers Health Link - practical information on appropriate policies 
and procedures to follow in the event of an emergency. Explains what 
health workers can do in the early stages of an emergency, how man-
agement and prevention of childhood illnesses such as diarrhoea and 
malaria differs in emergency situations, and how to work with commu-
nities and other organisations. Single copies free to indigenous or-
ganisations in developing countries. 
Contact Coral Jepson 
mailto:jepson.c@healthlink.org.uk 
mailto:info@healthlink.org.uk 
http://www.healthlink.org.uk

Programmes

6. Operation Lifeline Media - Mozambique - Media Action International 
- Principle: Assisting victims of war or natural disaster is not just 
a matter of providing food, water, shelter, sanitation, or medical 
relief. Crisis-affected populations also need to know what is going 
on. They need to receive information on what is being done by inter-
national aid agencies, governments, and the military to help them 
cope more effectively with their plight. Disseminating relief and re-
habilitation information to the more than 300,000 people, who have 
lost everything in the recent floods. Over 5,000 wind-up radios dis-
tributed. 
Contact Gordon Adam 
mailto:gmadam@btinternet.com 

7. Los Nuevos Vecinos - Columbia - "New Neighbours" - After the 
earthquake, radio, news press and television were used to promote 
conflict prevention and resolution, and inform about the reconstruc-
tion process. Commercial and community radio broadcasts and newspa-
pers reached severely affected regions, while a TV program is design 
mainly to inform the rest of the country about the reconstruction. 
Contact Lina Maria Holguin 
mailto:lina_jy@ns.sympatico.ca

8. Civic Education - Somalia - UNESCO - used a radio team to educate 
for peace and good governance in refugee communities. Aims to con-
tribute to long-lasting, secure peace in Somalia through developing 
discussion among Somalis and agencies about culture of peace and good 
governance values, attitudes and practices. 
Contact Pamela Collett 
mailto:civedsom@unesco.unon.org

9. "Peace in a country at war" - Columbia - 60-minute documentary 
film on the tragedy of displacement and the hope of reconstruction 
and peace building in the middle of a war. Uses the methodology of 
dialogue to show images of those that suffer the war cut against the 
thoughts and opinions of those that make the war. One of the compo-
nents of a "peace building kit" to be used as a tool for reflection 
and learning about peace building, conflict resolution, and the use 
of dialogue. 
Contact Adelaida Trujillo 
mailto:citurnas@unete.com

10. Simunye Media Dialogue Project - South Africa - born out of the 
conflict between Africa National Congress and Inkatha Freedom Party 
supporters. Members of both sides produced a video analyzing the con-
flict. The video was shown to the leadership of both sides of the 
community. Discussion centered on to what extent, and how, this type 
of intervention brings about peaceful change. The process structured 
the conflict resolution and started building relationships between 
the parties. 
Contact Wiseman Ndebele 
mailto:ashokas@sn.apc.org

11. Peace and Community Radio - Somalia - NGOs and community radio 
stations are producing a series of radio programmes which will be 
broadcast throughout Somalia. The magasine programmes include inter-
views, plays, discussions and songs. The work is based on participa-
tion and feedback from community groups in Somalia and refugees in 
other countries. These groups also provide taped material regarding 
their activities for peace. 
Contact Pam Collett and Jim Lindsay 
mailto:mukinduri@form-net.com 

12. Peace and Reconciliation Radio - Memo of Understanding to de-
velop/deliver a radio training program for peace and reconciliation 
has been agreed by Curtin University and Notre Dame University, The 
Philippines. A pilot course for radio producers is planned for next 
year. It will be evaluated, expanded and offered for delivery in 
other countries. 
Contact Ross James 
mailto:rwjames@health.curtin.edu.au

13. Communicating hurricane preparedness for agriculture, forestry 
and fisheries in the Caribbean - "Hurricanes are a natural disaster 
that have become a fact of life in many parts of the 
world....preparedness and impact mitigation techniques require cul-
turally relevant and effective communication...communication strategy 
that links culturally appropriate materials for the most vulnerable 
groups, along with greater public awareness... was viewed as having 
the most chance of being succesful." Highlights experiences and best 
practices. 
Contact Maria Protz
mailto:mekweseh@uwimona.edu.jm 
http://www.fao.org/sd/CDdirect/CDan0028.htm

On-Line Discussions 

14. Youth-4-Peace discussion list - explores the role of youth in 
peace building and reconstruction. Objective is to develop project(s) 
that can be implemented by school networking initiatives. Focus is 
Africa. 
http://www.egroups.com/group/youthforpeace/

Organisations

15. Children and Armed Conflict Unit - Goals are protection and rec-
ognition of the legal and human rights of children in conflict. Com-
munication strategies include providing information and guidelines 
regarding the impact of conflict on children to humanitarian agen-
cies, empowering children through capacity building, and advocacy ef-
forts. 
Contact Federica Donati
mailto:armedcon@essex.ac.uk

16. Internews - expanding operations relating to Africa. Provides re-
ports of the United Nations war crimes tribunal for Rwanda, surveyed 
the state of radio in Central Africa, and provided news coverage of 
massacre sites in Western Congo. Plans an emergency response program 
with television and radio reports from crisis zones and the produc-
tion of "Vis ? Vis: Blue and Black", and "The Other Algeria".
http://www.internews.org/PROJECTS/ICTRnews.html 
http://www.internews.org/PROJECTS/Africa.html

Research and Development 

17. Lifeline Media - ICHR/RP - 3-phased project that includes: field 
research to determine key players and innovative projects in media 
and peace-building; literature search to identify resources in the 
field; and an international workshop for media and conflict resolu-
tion practitioners. 
Contact Loretta Hieber 
mailto:info.ichr@ties.itu.int

Analysis

18. FORUM: War, money and survival" - ICRC - To what extent do eco-
nomic conditions bring about war; who profits from war and who loses 
out; does business thrive on war or help promote stability? Under-
standing the complex interactions between war and the economy is vi-
tal for humanitarian agencies. 
Contact Wendy Vermeulen 
mailto:wvermeulen@icrc.org 
http://www.icrc.org/icrceng.nsf/5cacfdf48ca698b641256242003b3295/d21b841c4fc.5b10d412568a1005b2d23?OpenDocument

19. From ID 21 

- Africa's wayward climate. Can information, risk management and dis-
aster readiness outwit it?: Anne Thomson et al - SOS Sahel Interna-
tional - study casts light on how and by what channels perceptions of 
risk from El Nino were picked up by different players and what action 
they were able/willing to pursue in response. 

- Shoring up against hard times: social vulnerability and environ-
mental hazard in the Caribbean - Mark Pelling et al - social networks 
and social capital are key resources in times of hardship, particu-
larly for those individuals and communities excluded from accessing 
economic and political resources. But what exactly is social capital 
and can it be strengthened or shaped by aid agencies or governments 
to enhance security? 

http://www.id21.org 

20. 2000 - International Year for a Culture of Peace - Women as 
Peace-Builders and Peace Makers - is the theme for the latest issue 
of the IWTC Women's GlobalNet. 
Contact Anne Walker
mailto:iwtc@igc.acp.org

--
Edited by Warren Feek 
mailto:wfeek@comminit.com

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