Sunday, January 29, 2006
Best in Disaster Relief
NANAIMO, BC, Jan. 28, 2006 (Community Involvement Project) - Ian Lethbridge of the UK organization, Free The Children, says that Rotary International’s ShelterBox is the most efficient disaster relief tool he’s seen in 20 years. The ShelterBox is a compact and fully equipped green tote that can provide up to 10 people with instant shelter, warmth and comfort in times of need. Recent photos from Kashmir where snow now covers the mountains at 8000 feet captures the first aid arriving in that area on January 8th. More than 17 million (US) dollars (half from non-Rotarians) has been donated to ship the ShelterBoxes, most since the aftermath of the Asia tsunami in Dec. 2004. Since ShelterBox began in Cornwall, England, 5 years ago, the Rotary International project has been able to house more than 90,000 people worldwide. Rotary’s current vision in Canada is to see the ShelterBox project become better known among Canada’s own relief agencies. Alan Lomax of the Rotary Club of Ladysmith, where the program is administered for Canada, will be displaying the box and it’s contents on Feb. 4 at the Home and Garden Show, from 10 – 4 pm, at the Ladysmith Agricultural Hall. To learn more about ShelterBox, see – http://www.shelterbox.org.
Building Materials for Low-cost Housing
EMAIL Referral, Jan. 2006 (CIP, Suzanne Gregory) - I thought I'd send along some info. on the affordable construction that Phil Carson is doing with "eco-lumber" and non-toxic insulation, etc. It looks like he can do anything from a small garden shed to a full house – in square, rectangular, or octagonal form, including modules to fit in between trees, for example. He was even talking with some folks about sending shelters to the earthquake-devastated areas of Pakistan. If you'd like to check it out, here are two websites: http://seatosea.ca/sanctuary // http://seatosea.ca/sticksnstones/ There may need to be some modifications for different applications, but it might be a chance to think about some "what-ifs."
Winners of the "Meeting Disaster: How to Prepare and Respond" Competition
ELIST, Jan. 27, 2006 (Changemakers/Ashoka) – Changemakers Innovation Awards -The Changemakers community voted for the winners from a slate of eight finalists selected by a panel of judges. Each winner is awarded a $5,000 cash prize. The three winners are:
Building Low-Cost Disaster Resistant Housing Programs with Women (Peru) constructs housing units using the prefabricated components they produced themselves, providing disaster resistant housing to low income communities while generating livelihoods.
Building Sustained Nationwide Participation - Pre/Post Disaster (India) maintains a network of grassroot organizations that recycle goods to the needy and provide relief supplies for a wide range of disasters with greater speed and sensitivity to the needs and values of the recipients than most relief agencies.
Garifuna Disaster Response as Proactive, Holistic Development (Honduras) uses Garifuna traditions and values to acquire land for rebuilding; build and repair homes, community centers, schools and businesses; equip schools and health centers; and restore livelihoods and food security.
View the 3 winners and 8 finalists, selected from a field of competition entries on Changemakers.net.Breaking News on Changemakers: "2005 Lessons Learned: The Power of Community Participation," a report on how the tragedies of the past year (tsunami, hurricanes, earthquakes) give us surprising insights about the best ways to prepare for and respond to disasters. See http://www.changemakers.net/journal/300510/raghav.cfm
