Nirmal Adhikari
Kathmandu, 15 December 2009
Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS), Communication and Humanitarian Values Department organized a Communications and Media Relations Training to build up communication capacity in the disaster prone areas and strengthen the network of emergency communication. The training, a part in the implementation of the Communication Strategy 2008-2010, was held in Ilam from 7-8 December, 2009.
The participants during the two day training were oriented on disaster management policy, communication policy and strategy, disaster management with focus on emergency response, beneficiaries' communication, emergency communications, news writing, editing, feature writing, photography, media relations (approaching and networking with local, national and International media), advocacy, press release, interview giving, and role and relationship of communication focal persons.
At the end of the training, the participants showed their commitments to define focal persons in the Red Cross units, train and orient them, define a network and guideline, manage minimum technical facility for communication focal person, maintain a contact list of the media and media persons in the network, regular communications with the media persons and to invite them in the Red Cross activities.
The training was participated by 22 persons from Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam and Jhapa districts of Mechi zone. The participants were presidents/secretary of the district chapter (1 person) and sub-chapters (2 persons), RCAT volunteers (1 person) and staff (1 person) from each district chapter and a print media journalist of Ilam and a FM radio journalist of Jhapa district. Both the Red Cross volunteers and the media persons are expected to work together for communication, especially during emergency.
The IFRC regional office at New Delhi (South Asia Regional Delegation) is supporting the National Societies of the region to build the communication capacity.