Knowledge sharing is a key part of the CWS security plan.
Bangkok – ACT Alliance’s “Safety and Security Awareness Week” is our opportunity to increase security awareness and good practice amongst Alliance members and our organisational partners. This task is especially important given that concerns for safety and security in the delivery of humanitarian assistance have risen significantly in recent years. Last month, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted that in the past decade violent attacks against humanitarian workers have tripled, reaching more than 100 deaths per year.
As part of “Safety and Security Awareness Week” – and as part of our regional risk management project – Church World Service is sending out three key resources to Alliance members in the Asia Pacific region (i.e. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Myanmar and India).
These include:
- A policy paper, Responsibilities Towards Local Implementing Partners, which highlights the importance of humanitarian organizations’ accountability towards local partners. We hope this will serve as a key tool for advocacy with governments, donors and within the wider humanitarian system.
- ACT Alliance’s Security Induction Course DVD, aimed at the staff of aid organizations. This tool introduces the basic principles of dealing with insecurity and provides practical guidance on responding to security issues. It should be seen as complementing, rather than substituting for, security training.
- The newly revised 2011 edition of the ACT Alliance Security Handbook. This contains practical security advice and procedures that can be used as a reference for all ACT members.
“We believe security initiatives should be field-focused and integrated into our programs, rather than considered ‘add ons’,”says Kathrine Alexandrowiz, head of programs for CWS Asia/Pacific. “We’d like to share these key security resources with as many Alliance members as possible. We also hope you will share them with every member of staff in your organization – including drivers, kitchen staff and security guards – because security is everybody’s responsibility.”