PHA-Exchange> PHM Tsunami Dialogue - From Humanitarian Aid to Community Empowerment

[PHM - Secretariat]

Dear Friends

 

Greetings from PHM Secretariat (Global)!

 

Re: PHM Tsunami Dialogue - From Humanitarian Aid to Community Empowerment

 

The last week 7th to 13th April have been hectic organizational week for us since we hosted the PHM Tsunami dialogue in Chennai (Tamilnadu, India) on 8th - 10th of April and the PHM Global Steering Group meeting in Bangalore (Karnataka, India) from 10th to 13th of April 2005.

 

Many reports and communications will follow, but here are the highlights of the Chennai Dialogue.

 

PHM Tsunami Dialogue
 

  1.. The participants of the Dialogue included Tsunami activists from Sri Lanka, Thailand and South India; PHM mebers from Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Egypt, Australia, UK, USA, Tanzania, South Africa, Philippines and some representatives of international resource groups and funding partners.
  2.. Apart from interactive discussions on a whole range of issues, a large number of audio visuals were screened; posters displayed and handouts / manuals distributed.
  3.. Group discussions took place on Health and Psychosocial challenges; Gender and Social exclusion; Disaster preparedness and the challenge of Rehabilitation / Development; Human Rights issues; the Politics and Power of Aid.
  4.. A Chennai Declaration of Action, addressing the paradigm shift from Humanitarian aid to Community Empowerment evolved.
  5.. The Post Tsunami Watch based in Chennai and supported by PHM, was introduced and linkages for its core team were established (www.indiadisasters.org/tsunami)
  6.. Field visits to interact with Tsunami affected communities were an important part of the programe.
    1.. On 8th evening, the Dialogue participants visited Sreenivasapuram - a badly effected slum community near the Chennai beach. A People's Health Day celebration was organized with a popular theater group and some reflections by resource persons, who were invited for the event.
    2.. On 10th morning, one group visited Kannaginagar - a resettlemt colony for Tsunami affected families on the outskirts of Chennai and a smaller group visited Tsunami affected communities near the island of Palaverkadu.
  7.. The interactive meeting with the associated field visits were a great learning experience for all the participants.
 

A more detailed report and all the documents will be available on the website www.indiadisasters.org - Tsunami site, and will also be circulated soon.

 

Best wishes

 

Ravi / Prem / Prasanna / Abraham / Srinidhi

 

PHM Secretariat Team

 

PHM Secretariat (Global)
c/o CHC
No. 359 (old No. 367)
Srinivasa Nilaya, Jakkasandra 1st Main
1st Block, Koramangala
Bangalore - 560 034. India
Tel: 00-91-80-51280009
Fax: 00-91-80-25525372
Email: secretariat at phmovement.org
Website: www.phmovement.org

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20050415/08877416/attachment-0001.html>