Since 1998, Church World Service has served as the coordinating agency for the emergency management initiatives of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International network. Working with other agencies within the ACT network who are also involved in various types of emergency management training activities -- including Africa University/United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR); Christian Aid; and Norwegian Church Aid -- CWS has planned and facilitated a number oftraining opportunities which have attempted to build an increased emergency response capacity within some ACT members and implementing partners.

A cornerstone of this work has been conducting 12 emergency management trainings in Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean and Latin America; the most recent trainings were held in Dominica (Nov.28-Dec. 2, 2000) and in Indonesia (Feb. 4-9, 2001). Church World Service hopes to hold future trainings in West Africa, Eastern Europe/the Caucases, East Asia/Pacific and South America.

The purpose of the trainings has been to train faith-based and community leaders on issues related to disaster mitigation, preparedness, emergency response, relief and recovery. Participants have been specifically trained in such areas as assessments, appeal writing and implementing response and recovery programs.

A cornerstone of the trainings has been a strong commitment to inter-faith and regional representation. The 35 participants in the Indonesia training, for example, were both Christian and Muslim; the 58 participants in the spring 2000 training held in Honduras were from throughout Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.

In addition, commitments have been made to attempt to have local trainers conduct the workshops. As Bob Arnold of the CWS staff said of the Dominica training: "Participants enjoyed the benefit of high-quality training conducted by knowledgeable, skilled facilitators from the Caribbean region," leading to a training event that "inspired, motivated, and educated participants. (They) left the event committed to sharing their new knowledge and promoting disaster management planning in their countries."

The energy, it seems, is contagious. "It was a very energetic and interactive training," CWS ERP Director Rick Augsburger said of the recent Indonesia workshop. "There was a real commitment to furthering a network of faith-based emergency responders.’’

Africa University, in partnership with Action by Churches Together (ACT) and the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) held a six week workshop on Disaster Management from October 23 – December 1, 2000. Thirty-one (31) participants from thirteen African countries attended the workshop. The primary objective of the training was to strengthen the participants knowledge and skills in the various areas of disaster management. Among the many modules included in the training were: Cultural/Gender Sensitivity; Effective Communication Skills; and Human Rights and International Law in Disaster Management. In 2001 another six-week disaster management training workshop is planned.

Through the Africa University Emergency Management Training Program there has also been an effort to identify potential trainers from participants in the six-week courses that have been held and to help them further develop their training skills. As well, Africa University has developed a newsletter that is sent out occasionally to those who have participated in emergency management training to share with them stories from participants who have, since their training experience, been involved in emergency response activities. This has been done as a way of sharing best practices and learning experiences among training participants.