Humanitarian Values Expected Result 1. The Red Crescent in the region have increased their involvement in advocacy within and outside the Movement Profile of the national Societies in the region is enhanced and their advocacy messages reflect the main conc erns of the vulnerable within the region or country; 2. Promotion of the RC/RC Movement s fundamental principles and humanitarian values has been an intrinsic part of all communication activities. North African Societies have been very active in the promotion of the RC/RC Fundamental Principles and Values both at national and local level, using the celebration of the world days as opportunities (see below table) to deliver RC/RC advocacy messages. It is worth to acknowledge that in many societies, the RC branches are developing on their own initiatives and on their own budgets, activities in partnership with the local key players. Youth and volunteers are the main actors and are mobilized to implement those activities. Activities to promote and disseminate the Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values are well integrated with the core programmes where appropriate (Health/HIV-AIDS, Disaster Management, First Aid) Despite the lack of an efficient coordinated approach, without adequate material, tools and funding, the RC branches have increasingly managed to raise key social and health issues on respective national agendas thus contributing to a gradual change of attitude to the benefit of the population at large. Celebration of RC/RC Days Women 08 March Water 22 March Dates Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia X / Branches/ Hqs X/Branch level/moh X/Women associations X/UNICEF UNDP/Ministry Environment Health 07 April X / MoH X /WHO X/MoH X/MoH/UN agencies/ngo s X/TRCS Branches/MoH/WH O Road Safety 27 April X/ Ministry of Transport X / Hope project X/Police/Civil Defense RC/RC 08 May X/ Branches X/ Branches X / Schools Youth 12 X/Branches X/ERCS August Branches/Min istry of Youth First Aid 13 Sept. X /MoH/ Civil Defence X/Branches X / Schools Risk Reduction 09 Oct. X / Branches X/linked to WDR launch X/ Partnership with National Office / SMUR (private doctors.) X Branches/Headquarters (Celebration with Partners) X Branches X/linked to WDR launch /Ministry of Environment X/National Road Safety Office/NGO s X/TRCS Branches/ X/TRCS Regional Youth Camp Branches/National Youth Division X/TRCS Branches/MoH/Civi l Defence X/linked to WDR launch
Tolerance 16 Nov. HIV/AIDS 01 Dec. X/ MoH X/MoH X / MoH/Schools Volunteers 05 Dec. X / Branches X/Branches X / Schools X/MoH/ Global Fund/WHO/UNAIDS/UNFP A/NGO s X/UNDP X/MoH/ UNAIDS X/UNDP/Scouts Other Dates Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia Events Tuberculosis 24 X/National TB association March Tobacco 31 May X/ X/MoH X/ Branches/Youth sections/ X/National TB association Addiction Branches schools Old people 01 Oct X/ X/MOSA X/TRCS Branch Branches Food 16 Oct Vaccination campaigns X / 5 campaigns in 2004 X/MoH X/MoH/UNICEF Public Awareness campaigns World Disaster Report (DM / Health) Federation with MoH X/ Blood donations HIV/AIDs X/LRCS branches/ Youth/School/Universities Federation Federation /UNICEF/UNAIDS/UNDP (DM, HIV/AIDS, Often celebrated at the time of the International Day for Risk Reduction and Disaster Prevention (Libya, Morocco, Tunisia) Regional launch are supported by the Federation Regional Office in partnership with the various Ministries and UNDP. In 2004, the regional launch of WDR was organized by the Moroccan RC together with the Ministry of Land Management, Water and Environment and UNDP. 3. Advocacy plans and communication strategies have been developed by at least three national societies; Communication and advocacy skills of NS Staff have been upgraded by support and training from the Federation. National Societies Website have been created or upgraded in at least three RC societies and became a widely used communication tool; North African NS are increasingly realizing the importance of positioning their Red Crescent in the civil society, to clarify their role and mandate as well as to profile better their image. They progressively understand the need for adequate information/communication strategies both at the internal (Headquarters/Branches) and external level (Media, Partners). Most of these National Societies do have good relations with the media, use them well on an ad hoc basis but need to reinforce their partnerships on basis of a stronger, dynamic and strategic approach. Except from one Red Crescent, Advocacy Plans and Communications strategy are not yet in place. However, some important steps were taken in 2004 (identification of focal points, development of information networks, reactivation of Documentation/Resource Centres, creation or development of NS Websites, electronic platforms for data collection, development of Databases), which will help to build their plans and strategies, to increase their visibility as key actor in their societies.
Information/com. Algeria Egypt Libya Morocco Tunisia In country Workshop Regional FedNet Training NS Website 3 jointly organized with www.cra-dz.org (in place since March 2002) 2 Information 1 Information/Com for National Intervention Team (DM focus) X X X X www.egyptian rc.org (Nov 2004) In process Info/Com Unit X Lack of coordinator Info/Com network X (48 branches info Mainly Regional coordinators) through network In process, to be operational in May 2005 Info focal point identified Youth Info/Com Strategy X In process In process Resource Center X X X X Regional Strategy Use of local expertise and resources to support NA NS in establishing Info/Com Units, to support a clear and strategic planning, the development of tools, the dissemination of promotional material to the branches providing documents in and French. 4. The Red Crescent Societies are increasingly perceived as a prime source of information relating to natural and man-made disasters in North Africa, through fast response and the provision of news related to the needs of the affected people to media, donors and the humanitarian world; As a result of the Red Crescent efficient response to the recent disasters in the region (Earthquake, Floods, bomb and other armed attacks, Population Movement, technological disasters) the Societies have gained visibility and are emerging as indispensable actors. This recognition and promotion of the Red Crescent role generate new interest as well as expectations. Red Crescent Societies are de facto increasingly perceived as a good source of information meanwhile they are also measuring how little prepared they are to adequately fulfil their role and meet these expectations. Five information workshops were organized in North Africa to tackle these important issues. As a result, three national societies have started to establish national or regional networks increasing their communication capacity. More work needs to be done with journalists and media in general 5. National Societies of North Africa will have been closely associated and involved in the development of the common platform of the Federation Extra-Net (FEDNET) Four out of five national societies have received FedNet training. Two out of these four have replicated the training within their own national societies. Still the access to FedNet remain problematic as National Societies concerned do not provide internet access to their staff and have still very strict rules regarding information management: The regional Office has developed with three societies a information project which consists on the establishment of a regional platform meant to facilitate the collection data: This project is to be linked to the data input for the MENA section of the FedNet. The regional Office works and discuss on a regular basis with the FedNet Manager to identify best ways and tools to contribute to the project.
6. Tools and information material including standardized information and public relation kits have been made available in and in French Following an assessment made at national societies level, it was made clear that the Red Crescent were poorly equipped in RC/RC Documentation both at the central and branch level. Most of the societies have libraries, documentation centres but poorly resourced. The Regional Office offered its assistance to revitalize those centres acting as a resource centre aiming at reinforcing their role in the dissemination of documents to the branches. Lists of key documents available were sent, stocks in the Federation Secretariat were assessed, agreements were made with plane companies (Tunisair, Royal Air Morocco) to get free transport to the country concerned. Faced with a lack of key documents translated in and in French, the Regional Office decided to systematically reserve in each programme budget funds for translation of documents. A special thanks needs to be addressed to the Cairo Delegation who has kindly offered the service of their translation Unit to support national societies in accessing documents and tools. This approach will be continued in 2005. Documents Language Funding Source Disaster Management - Training Manual, Facilitator Handbook - ERU procedures - Operational Framework for Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction - Federation Rapid Needs Assessment checklist - Federation sudden onset disaster evaluation sheet - Ensuring safe water & sanitation - Reproduction of Disaster management and coordination Pack (2,500 copies) - Procurement of 130 copies of Sphere Handbook Health and Care - ARV Manual (Reproduction of 5,000 English copies for all 18 MENA NS (done in cooperation with the Secretariat Health Dept and Regional Health Unit Amman) - Disaster Epidemiology - Federation Mental HealthCare - International Harmonization of First Aid - CBFA Manual for MENA (partial payment) - Organisational Development - Capacity Building Framework - Governance Training ( 9 newly re-visited Modules) - Country Fact sheets for the 5 NA NS - Management Handbook - Gender Handbook French /French /English French/English /French /English /French /French /French /French French
Promotional Material - Posters of the Principles, Protecting Human dignity, World Disaster Report 2004 - Support to NS for the celebration of events (Leaflets, Files, photos exhibitions, cards. Provision of audiovisual equipment to NS) - Regular sending of RC/RC documents to NS, Regional Office acting as Resource Center French/ French/ French/English/ Impact The Red Crescent Societies are through this increased celebration of events, becoming more visible, making their mission and mandate clearer at national and local level among communities, local authorities, partners and targeted groups. Realizing the need to reinforce their message, the importance to communicate better, the National Societies are starting to plan better at a central level, delivering clear key messages to their branches, providing them more promotional support, sharing better RC/RC documents and materials. The Media have demonstrated a clear interest in the RC actions but have also indicated their willingness to be treated as partner rather than being called at the last minutes on ad hoc basis; Better understanding of the RC/RC Movement which results in an increased promotion and integration of the Fundamental Principles in NS regular activities. Constraints Lack of adequate Information/communication strategies and structures within North African Red Crescent. The information /communication role is too often perceived as Power and in some case it can lead to retention of informa tion. For too long, national societies remained self-centred, seeing no added value to internal as well as external communication, sharing of information. Lack or week internal communication strategies with the local branches. In most societies the branches have a certain degree of autonomy, do have their own budget and are not accountable to the central Headquarters. Therefore, no return of information was requested, building an increasing gap between branches and Headquarters Because of funding constraints, the Secretariat is not in position to systematically translate key documents in the four official languages. It affects its image as perceived as an Anglophone organization and marginalize the non-english societies. It poses a serious problem if not a contradiction with the knowledge sharing policy the Secretariat promotes. Thanks to non-earmarked funding, to support, the delegation managed to contribute to this translation effort and hope that documents available in French and in will soon be posted on FedNet for the benefit of other national societies in Africa and in MENA. Lessons learnt The different disasters that have affected the North African national societies (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia) have exposed the Red Crescent to Media and have outlined the importance of dealing adequately with it. It has been a kind of starting point from which National Societies also realized the possibility to use better the Media to raise and improve their public image. The development of partnership, the accountability concept required by the partners have also had an impact on establishing better links, on involving better the branches in the
project management. All this helped in developing an increased communication and knowledge sharing. The development of the technology (computerized system, Internet, ADSL) is speeding the process and RC Youth sections are also key actors in supporting this change in NS. The Regional Office will continue in 2005 the work started, and support the development of communication capacity within the North African societies to ensure better advocacy for the vulnerable groups they served, to improve their visibility and representation. In 2004, the Regional Office identified the Algerian RC Info/Com Unit Manager as a regional resource and discussed with the societies the possibility to use her to support other North African national societies and coordinate the work of the Federation in the region. Due to the heavy agenda of Algerian RC in 2004, it has not been possible to start using this resource but plan of actions were discussed for 2005. For better impact, North African Red Crescent are requested to participate actively in the design and production of tailored material, with the technical guidance of the Secretariat Design and Production Unit. A special thanks to the Officer in charge of this Unit who has been very supportive, helping the Regional Office in the production of posters, jackets. A Movement approach (through joint planning and harmonized work with Regional Office) needs to be strengthened for the benefit of the North African NS (support to NS staff, networks, Documentation centres with provision of material and tools) and to avoid confusion and duplication (work with Media, Dissemination of Fundamental Principles and Humanitarian Values).