Monthly Archives: June 2011

B is for Bandage! IIRR offers CERT for kids

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Global climate change has increased the number and magnitude of natural disasters within the past decade, and developing countries are the most affected by their unforgiving force. Thus, one of IIRR’s key initiatives is Disaster Risk Reduction.  With this initiative, IIRR has taken preemptive measures to reduce the impact of catastrophes in highly-vulnerable communities.  Making disaster-preparedness a cultural norm in these communities is a key objective of the program. As of this month, IIRR has expanded its Disaster Risk Reduction work to include youth. In June, IIRR successfully conducted and completed the first Junior Community Emergency Response Team(CERT) Training for twelve children ages 6-13 at the Yen Center in the Philippines. 

The youth participants were trained to identify frequently occurring disasters in the Philippines (i.e. typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and landslides). They were also taught to make head-to-toe assessments of individuals wounded in disasters, and how to treat them using basic first aid.  They learned everything from CPR, to shock assessment, to the dealing with impaled objects. Along with first aid, the children were taught basic fire safety and Light Search and Rescue (LSAR) techniques.  The kids then applied their learning with a role playing game.

Jrcert

 “IIRR will be offering this new customized training course in Junior CERT to schools, local organizations and other institutions in order to build the resilience of children against the impact of disaster and climate change.” – Jun Servano

The Junior CERT Training is spearheaded by Gonzalo “Jun” Servano, Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Risk Reduction Project Officer, assisted by Maggie Rosimo, Learning Community Coordinator and Mark Cervantes, Program Specialist on Disaster Risk Reduction.

For more information or to inquire about Junior CERT Training, please contact: Jun Servano @ gonzalo.servano@iirr.org 

-Mary Ireland, IIRR Fundraising and Communications Associate

Conference on Building UN Legitimacy. Go to the People!

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How can the UN maintain or obtain legitimacy for its operations? Go to the people!

(Mary Ireland, IIRR)

On June 8, 2011, IIRR attended the United Nations University’s Conference on Legitimacy and Peacekeeping. UN Peacekeeping Operations goals are to end violence and to enable communities to rebuild their lives and societies. The operations have had substantial success, however, they have also had very public failures. The critiques are endless, and most focus on the UN’s loss of legitimacy as a key issue. The UN, looking to avoid further failures, held an open discussion with NGOs, journalists, scholars, and students about how to better maintain or perhaps further obtain greater legitimacy for its operations. The speakers made an interesting point that the perception of legitimacy completely depends on the audience leading to the question: whose perception of UN legitimacy matters the most? the West’s perception? the media’s perception? One speaker, Roland Paris, the University of Ottawa Research Chair in International Security and Governance, proposed a solution that dovetails with IIRR’s mission. He suggested that the UN should do what it takes to gain legitimacy with local communities on the ground in these war-torn areas, which is a more “bottom-up” suggestion than the typical peacekeeping “top-down” approach to success. The idea sparked fervent discussion. His exact quote was, “Human security demands that public policy must be directed at enhancing the personal security, welfare, and dignity of individuals and communities”. The audience at the conference agreed that this new way of thinking was indeed…legitimate.

Gotothepeople