Arvive: Roles and Needs of the NGO Community and Academia

For more information on this archive page, contact secretariat@gdin.org

Purpose

Summary

Twenty-two people representing NGOs, academia, emergency managers and industry attended the workshop on April 27, 2000. There were three panelists.

While noting the considerable progress of the GDIN concept over the past three years, the sum of comments from the floor and the panel was that serious issues remain concerning the engagement of NGOs and academics in GDIN.

It was generally agreed that NGOs and academics often play crucial roles in response to natural and technological disasters. However, the needs and concerns of these groups and not adequately reflected in the GDIN as it stands.

It was also clear from the workshop that the presence of NGOs and academics in GDIN would be crucial to help secure the conceptÕs eventual success.

Specific issues that arose include:

• NGOs and academia need seats at the "top table", to be shown that they are major players in what GDIN aims to do and to tap into NGO and academic resources.
• Both need to be shown, as soon as possible, that GDIN has significant added value for them. Failure to do this is likely to hamper major progress on GDIN.
• The proposed GDIN organization chart does not reflect the importance of the two groups in GDIN decision-making, multi-lateral information sharing and in disaster relief and mitigation generally.
• Continued concerns about the dominance of the U.S. government in the implementation of GDIN. This is despite significant progress demonstrated in bringing national government representatives from a broad range of countries to the latest conference.
• The need for specific language to ensure free and equal access to data via GDIN, while respecting the ground rules concerning intellectual property and national security restrictions.

Recommendations were made. These include:

• A GDIN "charm offensive", possibly through a small, multinational-led outreach to NGOs and academics (as well as governments and diplomats) in places such as Washington, New York, London, Brussels, Geneva, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.
• NGOs and academics should be asked what they need from GDIN and what they can contribute. If GDIN is not useful to them, they will stay away.
• Continue development of the GDIN website, highlighting its usefulness to deliver pertinent information to both groups.
• The Ankara Declaration should include language indicating that any unrestricted data shared across GDIN shall be available to all on an equal basis, including NGOs and academics.
• Place for NGOs/academics on the Executive Committee.
• GDIN should become a catalyst for identifying the educational/training, and research priorities to advance the GDIN effort. These priorities should be communicated to the National Research Council, in the United States, and appropriate funding agencies worldwide.
• GDIN should initiate one or more regional projects involving NGOs and academics.
• GDIN needs a clear mission statement.
• A regular GDIN reporting mechanism on its activities, possibly through the web.

John Owen-Davies (Chair)
Al Austin
Christopher Simpson

Presentations

Comments made at 3rd International GDIN Conference Ankara, Turkey, April 27, 2000 Role of NGO's and Academia in GDIN --John Owen-Davies

GDIN/Academia Partnership --T. Al Austin, PE, Ph.D.

Additional Information

The Role of Universities in the Global Disaster Information Network --T. Al Austin, Ph.D., PE Iowa State University, Ames, IA USA