Why a Campaign on disaster risk education and school safety?
- Children
are among the most vulnerable population group during a disaster,
especially those attending school at the time of the
catastrophe. During disasters, school buildings are destroyed, taking away
the precious lives of children and teachers and stalling access
to
education
in the aftermath of disaster. Rebuilding these schools can take
years and is very costly
- Learning about disaster risk in primary and secondary school help
children play an important role in saving lives and protecting
members of the community in times of disaster. Making disaster risk education
an integral part of the national school curriculum helps to build
greater awareness of the issues across entire communities
- In addition to their essential role in formal education, schools
must also protect children in the event of a natural hazard.
Investing in strengthening school structures before a disaster occurs, reduces
long-term costs, protects generations of children and ensures
educational
continuity after the event
- Disaster risk education and safe school buildings are two key priority
areas for action outlined in the Hyogo Framework for Action 2005-20015:
Building Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters,
which 168 Governments adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction
in January 2005
-
Integrating disaster risk education into national curricula and building
safe school facilities are two priorities that contribute to a country’s
progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
Who is
organizing the Campaign?
- The UN/ISDR secretariat takes the lead in coordinating biennial World
Disaster Reduction Campaigns. These campaigns aim to raise
awareness, mobilize action, and harness existing practices to reduce loss
of life, livelihood as well as social and environmental losses caused
to communities and nations as a result of disasters. The
Campaigns' themes reflect the five priorities outlined in the Hyogo Framework
for Action 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations
and
Communities to Disasters
-
The UN/ISDR partners, such as UNESCO, UNICEF, IFRC, ActionAid, and
key regional organizations within and outside the United Nations,
contribute their knowledge and expertise and link their initiatives
to the Campaigns. The 2006-2007 Campaign, "Disaster risk reduction
begins at school" enlists the support of all of the UN/ISDR
partners, including the ISDR system's thematic cluster on knowledge
and education. For a comprehensive list of who is doing what, please
visit our website: www.unisdr.org/wdrc-2006-2007
What
are the Campaign’s
main objectives?
- To promote the integration of disaster risk education in school curricula
in countries vulnerable to natural hazards
- To promote
the safe construction and retrofitting of school buildings
to withstand natural hazards
How can we
achieve the goals of the Campaign?
- Promote best practices to show how beneficial safer schools and disaster
risk reduction education are for vulnerable populations
- Involve
actors at different levels to convey the main messages of the
Campaign
- Sensitize schoolchildren, parents, teachers, policy/decision makers
and practitioners at local, national and international
levels, and civil society organizations to lobby for safer schools and disaster
reduction education
What
are the Campaign’s main messages?
- Disaster risk education empowers children and helps build greater
awareness of the issue in communities
- Safe school facilities save lives and protect generations of children
in the event of a natural hazard
- Disaster risk education and safe school facilities will help countries
progress towards the MDGs
Who
are the Campaign’s
main targets?
- Primary and secondary school children, teachers, education policy
makers, parents, engineers and building professionals
- Government ministry/agency in charge of disaster management issues,
ministries of education, national-level political
leaders, local authorities and community decision makers
What are the
expected results of the Campaign?
-
Local and national governments’ investment in safer school
facilities and mainstreaming of disaster
risk reduction into national school curricula
- Increased awareness on the positive impacts of school safety and
disaster risk education in school
- Increased action and use of good practices to mobilize coalitions
and partnerships, facilitate South-South
exchanges, build capacity and guide others to existing resources for training
in
the area of disaster risk education and school safety
Who can participate
in the Campaign?
- School children, teachers, community leaders, parents and individuals
who are interested in disaster risk
education and safer schools
- NGOs, community-based organizations (CBOs), UN organizations, international,
national, regional and local associations/institutions,
the private sector and public sector
How long does
the Campaign last?
- The Campaign led by the UN/ISDR will last for two years, through
to the end of 2007, but it
continues thereafter under the auspices of the UNESCO Decade of Education for
Sustainable
Development
Where
can I read more about the subject?
- The UN/ISDR website provides a number of links, contacts that can
help you to understand the
topic better. Please visit: www.unisdr.org/wdrc-2006-2007
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