In recognition of the leading public private alliance for the support on the improvement of communication during humanitarian crises, the Vodafone Foundation (VF) was awarded WFP’s ‘partner of the year’.
On Thursday, January 29th 2009 the CEO of Vodafone, Mr. Vittorio Colao received the award from WFP Executive Director Ms. Josette Sheeran at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Positioned as the ‘Global Partners for Emergency Communications’, VF and the United Nations Foundation in 2008 become key members of the WFP’s select group of Global Humanitarian Partners, through a combined $6.1 million 3-year commitment to increase the effectiveness of the information and communications technology (ICT) response to humanitarian emergencies around the world.
Further expanding the partnership, WFP/VF/UNF has just launched the Vodafone’s Specialist Program, an opportunity for Vodafone staff to spend a year working side by side with WFP supporting their humanitarian efforts in humanitarian emergencies around the world.
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, also referred to as 'Davos', is attended by leaders from government, industry and civil society. It is a forum where leaders can talk about the current challenges facing the world and discuss ways to address these issues. Davos 2009 was an opportunity for WFP to address the hunger issue on the political agenda and push leaders to keep hunger on the agenda as they discuss the global financial crisis.
WFP/VF/UNF Partnership for Emergency Communications
For the first time, ICT is working with partners in the private sector who recognize the importance of investing in emergency preparedness.
In February 2008, the Vodafone Foundation (VF), the United Nations Foundation (UNF) and WFP have launched a three-year Global Partnership for Emergency Communications to create a groundbreaking ''ICT Humanitarian Emergency Platform'' in support of the entire humanitarian community (including UN agencies and NGOs) operating in emergencies.
The aim is to increase the efficiency and coordination of emergency communications by optimizing and standardizing ICT solutions in emergencies, expanding the pool of trained ICT experts, establishing a network of stand-by partners ready for deployment, and enabling immediate dispatch of ICT emergency responders. This new partnership builds on a project funded by VF/ UNF, started in 2006.
The ICT Humanitarian Emergency Platform includes four key activities:
1. ICT Solutions – Optimize and standardize the application of ICT solutions used for humanitarian emergency response, based on the experiences and needs assessments from ICT emergency responders from the wider humanitarian community
2. Capacity Building – Increase the response capacity and expertise of ICT professionals in humanitarian emergencies; train 500 ICT responders to ensure a faster and more efficient response
3. Stand-by-partners – Establish a network of stand-by partners ready for deployment by creating alliances with NGOs, government agencies and the private sector
4. ICT Rapid Response Team – Enabling immediate dispatch of ICT emergency responders through the availability of advance funding.
A first training, conducted in 2007, has helped build the capacity of emergency ICT team leaders to deal with issues going far beyond cables and wires. They include how to:
• accurately estimate communication needs and rapidly mobilize humanitarian response
• develop plans for coordinating efforts with various agencies
• cope with the stress of working in dangerous situations and the challenges of operating under extreme conditions
• react if ambushed or kidnapped while working in an isolated area.
More training sessions are being organized as part of this new partnership.
The next session of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Training (EPR Training) will take place in Spring 2009.
For the first time, ICT is working with partners in the private sector who recognize the importance of investing in emergency preparedness.