Students Get Chance to Contribute to Global Disaster Debate |
A group of Northumbria students have contributed to the United Nations’ plans to prevent future global disasters by attending an international conference in Geneva.
The four MSc and two PhD students, all from the University’s Geography department, were part of a delegation invited to Switzerland as part of Northumbria’s Organising Partner role for the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR). It was the first time a student-led delegation had attended. The event saw more than 900 delegates come together from the world’s leading public, private and academic organisations working on Disaster Risk Reduction (DDR) and marked the launch of the UNISDR Science and Technology Partnership and the Science and Technology Road Map to 2030. Professor Andrew Collins said: “Of particular significance on this occasion was that while Northumbria staff and affiliates are veterans of helping steer global policy on disaster risk reduction, this was the first time there was a specifically flagged student-led delegation to champion their perspectives, this being unprecedented within the strategy to date. “The United Nations organisers have highly welcomed the approach giving very positive feedback, and in relation to which there will be inevitable follow up in the years to come.” Alongside other delegates, Northumbria students and staff were able to contribute to global decisions and strategy on the use of science and technologies in Disaster Risk Reduction. When the strategy was first launched more than a decade ago, Northumbria was the only UK academic institution to operate with UN partner status. Since then, other UK institutions have followed Northumbria’s example and signed up to provide support, with this number predicted to grow significantly between now and 2030 following the World Assembly of Nations meeting in Sendai, which made research, science and technology one of its central pillars for reducing future disaster risk. Northumbria had also played a significant role in various aspects of this main 2015 agreement now referred to globally as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. The latest Northumbria delegation to Geneva was one of the larger and most well established representations from the UK with contributions on multiple fronts, including the Northumbria Student Union-led Disaster and Development Society (DDS), the Disaster and Development Network (DDN) and DDN Health Centred Disaster Risk Reduction (HCDRR) initiative now also championed by the World Health Organisation in consort with other UN bodies. One of the students who travelled to Geneva was PhD researcher Mark Ashley Parry, who is also President of Northumbria’s Disaster and Development Society. He said: “The Disaster and Development Society was invited to attend the UNISDR Science and Technology Conference by its Vice-Chair Virginia Murray. “As a society, we felt it was a great honour to be invited by Virginia and we are hugely grateful to both her and Professor Andrew Collins, who has guided us at every step. During the conference, we had the great opportunity to give a presentation to all delegates that attended. The response that we received was great, and there was a lot of intrigue in the role that our society plays in promoting the Youth Voice in Disasters. “It was truly heartening that policy makers, practitioners and academics were really interested in our approach to spreading the understanding of disasters to young people and giving them a voice about disasters. Overall, as a group, we came away from the conference with an increased interest in our subject and it has encouraged us to talk about what we have learnt and to continue spreading the message of disaster risk.” Northumbria’s research into Disaster and Development has been ranked among the top 20 most impressive examples in the UK for its contribution towards global development. Of the 6,975 impact case studies submitted to the Research Excellence Framework (REF) – the system that is used to assess the research quality of all UK universities – judges from a group representing 14 Government Departments and Research Councils UK singled out work by the Disaster and Development Network (DDN) at Northumbria. Since its foundation at Northumbria in 2004, the DDN has been researching and facilitating the implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies to improve community resilience in some of the world’s poorest communities. Researchers from the University worked with communities in Bangladesh, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan and Zimbabwe to gauge ideas and perspectives on the risks they face. For more information visit: www.northumbria.ac.uk/ddn Northumbria’s contribution to this field is supported through its global MSc and doctoral alumni and annual Dealing with Disasters conference. The University offers a range of courses in Geography with the department ranked Top 30 in the UK based on research power following the results of the Research Excellence Framework 2014. Disaster and development research and teaching at Northumbria has also recently lead to it being elected as one of three Europe wide groups to represent Europe and Africa in the recently formed Global Alliance of Disaster Research Institutes (GADRI) hosted for its initial phase by Kyoto University, Japan and with an initial 91 member institutions from around the world, and similarly is a leading member of a new UK national research network for implementing the UK research strategy for the Sendai Framework. To find out more about studying at Northumbria go to: www.northumbria.ac.uk/geography To find out more about the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) Science and Technology Conference on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) 2015-2030 http://www.unisdr.org/partners/academia-research/conference/2016/ |
DDS at the UNISDR STAG Conference |
26th January 2016
Liverpool, United Kingdom Mark-Ashley Parry |
Tomorrow marks the opening of the UNISDR STAG Conference in Geneva, Switzerland. We are extremely proud to represented at the Conference. In addition, we have been selected to give a poster presentation on the first day, to demonstrate the great work that the Society has been undertaking over last six months. We will be taking five delgates (Mark-Ashley Parry, Anna Caygill, Lucy Kwe, Reuben McGarry and Jeb Saelens). Throughout the conference, we will be giving live updates from the conference on our Facebook, Twitter and Periscope pages.
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DDS Committee Shuffle |
25th January 2016
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom Mark-Ashley Parry |
It is with great sadness that I have to announce our Vice-President, Anna Caygill, is stepping down due to work commitments. I would like to personally thank her for all what she has done for the society. Anna has played a fundamental role in growing our links with Newcastle Sixth Form College and creating link with National Citizen Service. However, Anna will remain on the committee, in the new role as Youth Coordinator.
I would like to take this opportunity welcome back our Founder and former President, Max Clark, back to the committee. Max played a fundamental part in steering the society into what it is today. Max will be taking Anna former role as Vice-President. |
New Academic Year Committee and Geneva Invitation |
8th October 2015
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom Mark-Ashley Parry |
We are now three weeks through this first semester, so we felt it was time to give an update on progress of important matters.
Firstly, I would like to thank last year’s committee (Laurie Campbell, Max Clark, Tim Dean and Lisanne Schut) for all your hard work on getting this society started. On this note, I would like to introduce everyone to our new committee for the year.
Lastly, as most you probably know by now, we (Disaster and Development Society) have been invited to UNISDR Conference in Geneva in January 2016. There will be a special meeting about this on Monday at 3:30 in Red Bar. The invitation to Geneva is for only five members, a couple from Newcastle Sixth Form College and an outside representative. However, for the people who do not get the chance to go to Geneva, we are actively seeking another conference trip for later in the spring of 2016. So stay tuned!!! |
Students Go Wild at the 1st Disaster Awareness Day |
2nd July 2015
Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, United Kingdom Mark-Ashley Parry |
On the 1st July 2015, Newcastle Sixth Form College and the Northumbria Disaster and Development Society jointly held the first Disaster Awareness Day at Newcastle Sixth Form College. This years event was well attended with 60 students from Newcastle Sixth Form College and schools from the surrounding area. This years theme was on Ebola, which consisted of four aspects of Disaster Management. The main findings will be presented at the 9th Dealing with Disasters Conference, held at Northumbria University on the 17th and 18th September. In addition, the event was the launching pad for Newcastle Sixth Form College to set up 'Youth Voice' in Sustainability and Disaster Reduction.
Newcastle Sixth Form College said that "The Disaster Awareness Day which focused on the outbreak of Ebola was a great success. Our students and those from local schools thoroughly enjoyed being given the opportunity to discuss the causes, impacts and management of Ebola. We also had some guest speakers from our partnership school in Ghana discussing the effect Ebola has had on their tourism industry. We are looking forward to strengthening our partnership with Northumbria University and planning more exciting events like this in the future to continue to raise awareness of global disasters - Earth Studies Department, Newcastle Sixth Form College." Disaster and Development Society President, Mark-Ashley Parry, 21, stated that "Society is proud to have a partnership with a great institution like Newcastle Sixth Form College. We hope that this partnership continues to grow in the forthcoming years" |