SIRC joins "Our world. Your move" campaign

By Niniu Oligao (SI Red Cross Dissemination & Information officer)

The Solomon Islands Red Cross takes part in a Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's global campaign to prepare a way for a Launch of the 150 years of its existence, as the world's largest humanitarian volunteers network.

The launch of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement's 150 years will be done on May5, 2009- The World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day.

SI Red Cross starts the campaign with an official slogan: "Our world. Your move". On December 5, 2008, the local Red Cross will celebrate the Internatioanl Volunteers Day to pay tribute to the dedication and selfless deeds of its volunteers and other volunteers around the world. Volunteers lay the foundation of the Red Cross through applying First Aid, disseminating humanitarian values, bandaging the wounded, and promoting healthy living in our communities.

On the same glimse, a joint official letter from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Socieites (IFRCS) this campaign is a call to action. The world today faces unprecedented challenges and we must all work together to address these challenges and promote a culture of engagement.

It says this concept is represented by a globe in disarray. Our message is that by becoming interested and aware, and by "making a move" to help others, everyone has the power to restore hope and order to a messy world. The slogan conveys a sense of responsibility (Our world.) and the power of both individual and collective action to make a difference (Your move.).

This campaign will be supported by a unique web portal that will serve as a gateway for members of the public to explore the world of the Red Cross and Red Crescent--the challenges we face, the work we do and the people we help. To access this, it will be available on March 2009 on web: www.ourworld-yourmove.org.

For more information on this, contact the SIRC Dissemination Program, email: dissem_sirc@solomon.com.sb. Telephone (677) 22682, SIRC HeadQuarters, New Chinatown, Honiara.

Blood Donor Recruitment to launch Club 25

Solomon Islands Red Cross Blood Donor Recruitment at the National Referal Hospital will launch a club for donors who interest to be members. According to Ms Deanne, Blood Donor Recruitment officer the club will be named Club 25.

"We call the new initiative Club 25 because of the three main objectives of this Blood Donor Recruitment program. Firstly, it will be encouraged for donor to give blood 25 times in his or her life time. It's better for potential donors to decide earlier or at age 25 to give blood. And finally, we will encourage Club 25 members to get in other 25 friends or relatives to be members of this club and becoming blood donors too", she said.

Ms Deanne said Club 25 will target the youths and schools especially, to be its members. But interested members of public are invited to join by filling in the Club 25 application form which will be available at the Blood Bank office after its launch this month.

November 24, 2008 the Solomon Islands Red Cross and the Ministry of Health will lauch the Club 25 at the Cultural Village with the Solomon Islands Governor General, Sir Nathenial Waena as a guest of honor.

Youths: Climate Change is Everyone's Responsibility

Youths who attended the Honiara Youth and Climate Change Forum, held last week, are calling for everyone in the community to take responsibility for reducing the impacts of climate change.

Over 50 young people met with climate change experts to build their understanding of climate change; visited sites in Honiara which are already suffering the impacts of climate change; and discussed the role young people have to play in the fight against climate change.

May Nonie, who attended the three day forum, says as young people it was important to see what climate change means for our future and the importance of why we need to start making changes.

"The forum gave young people in Honiara a good sense of how and why we should be concerned about our behaviour and how it affects our climate in the Solomons. Behaviour and activities (our actions); these are the things we need to modify because we now have a basic idea of how we act and interact with the effects of climate change."

The youth involved in the forum will now take their personal action plans which they wrote on Day 3, and implement them in their daily lives. The group also developed several interesting ideas for larger community action plans, which will require additional funding from donors in the near future.

The Honiara Youth and Climate Change Forum was organised by Solomon Islands Red Cross, Honiara City Council's Youth Division, Solomon Islands Youth for Change and Commonwealth Youth Programme South Pacific, with support from Ministry of Women Youth and Children's Affairs and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Meteorology.

The forum was inspired by the theme for this year's International Youth Day (August 12) - Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action.

"This forum was the first of its' kind; of bringing young people together to discuss climate change, its' impacts, how it affects us in Solomon Islands, and what we can do about it or how we can adapt. Attendance remained high, interest kept growing and the young people participating really showed an incredible enthusiasm for learning about how we can make some changes. Watching their energy is encouraging, and should motivate us all to get involved!" says Mary Jionisi, Honiara City Council's Youth Development Officer.

Source: Solomon Times online.