GTZ holds disaster management course for journalists
PESHAWAR (May 16 2008): A two-day training course for journalists on ‘disaster management and response’ began at a local hotel here on Thursday. GTZ, German Agency for Technical Assistance organised the course in collaboration with United Nations’ IRIN News Bureau/OCHA.
The first day of the training course was attended by dozens of the local journalists from both print, electronic media and students of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Peshawar. Christian Muller, Principal Advisor of the Disaster Preparedness and Management Project of GTZ was also attended the training course.
Dr Ishaq Mohmand, Advisor to GTZ on Disaster Risk Management gave presentation on the basic concepts and definitions for disaster risk management. He in his detailed presentation differentiated disaster, emergency, hazards and vulnerability to these natural calamities.
He also spoke on the disaster risk reduction through systematic development of policies and practices to avoid and prevent or to limit the mitigation and the adverse effects of hazards, minimise vulnerabilities and disaster risk throughout a society, within the broad context of sustainable development.
Khalid Khalifa, head of the United Nations’ IRIN News Bureau for Asia and Middle East stressed the participants for exhibiting humanity, neutrality and impartiality in covering disasters in broad aspect of both natural and unnatural forms. He also briefed the participants regarding the basics of Sphere Project, based on the humanitarian charter and minimum standards in disaster response.
The project, he said was launched in 1997 to develop a set of universal minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian assistance. Ahmad Rajab, head of the newsroom for IRIN’s Middle East and Asia Bureau, spoke on technicalities of reporting from the field during the phases of the rescue and rehabilitation operation after occurrence of a disaster and role of media and civilians in such kind of environment.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:5/16/2008
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