ShelterBox partner with the Aid and International Development Forum for 2012
LONDON, United-Kingdom, April 13, 2012/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Aid and International Development Forum (AIDF) is pleased to announce its partnership with the NGO ShelterBox for the 2012 event at the Walter E Washington Convention Center, in Washington D.C. on 6-7 June.
“AIDF is an important event which allows aid professionals to not only see and experience new products and solutions for the field but also provides a platform for sharing best practice and developing networks. ShelterBox has taken its partnership with AIDF a step further this year with our Expert Advisor status enabling us to assist in defining a conference agenda that addresses the challenges aid agencies face today” said John Leach, Chief Operating Officer, ShelterBox.
ShelterBox is dedicated to emergency disaster relief. Based in the UK, they deploy thousands of their distinctive green boxes to post-conflict and post-disaster areas every year, providing survivors with essential supplies. These include specially-made tents that can withstand extreme weather conditions; cooking equipment; solar light bulbs; blankets and bedding and basic tools for chopping wood, digging latrines, and repairing damage in their communities. Families can use these items to create functional and comfortable temporary shelter until they are able to move to a new permanent home.
A team of volunteers help to pack the boxes, deploy them overseas, and accompany them as part of the ShelterBox Response Teams (SRTs). These teams are sent to affected areas, sometimes at a moment's notice, to help survivors and provide essential relief. These experienced teams cope in basic conditions with limited communications and supplies. SRTs aim to provide as much as help as possible without burdening the local people in any way. Supporters, volunteers and donors make ShelterBox's work possible.
This year, John Leach joins AIDF's panel of Expert Advisors. The panel has helped to shape the agenda and contributed their expertise to the event. John joined ShelterBox in 2009 after a career in the military, an MBA at the University of Bath School of Management, and work in management consultancy and logistics in both the UK and the US.
John will be speaking at two sessions – on Civil Society Working in Harmony with the Military, and Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness, a workshop session focusing on working to prevent hazards and lessen the impact of disasters by planning ahead more effectively.
Sula Bruce, AIDF Project Director said “we are delighted to be partnering with ShelterBox again this year and are excited about their input into the conference programme. The sessions they are involved in, particularly 'Civil Society Working in Harmony with the Military', are incredibly topical given the shifting nature of international relief and demonstrate the positive nature of such partnerships”.
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About ShelterBox
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most. Founder Tom Henderson OBE saw the humanitarian response in most disasters was in the form of food and medicine. Little or no assistance was being given in terms of safe, secure shelter to help families survive the first days, weeks and months as they try to rebuild their lives; ShelterBox was created to fill this void. For more information visit www.shelterbox.org
About AIDF
Connect with us: @FollowAIDF #AIDF2012 and facebook.com/AIDF2012
AIDF 2012 is a free to attend event for aid and development professionals and will take place on June 6-7 2012 at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. Previously International Aid & Trade, AIDF is a world leading forum for humanitarian relief professionals to cement relationships, build partnerships, gain understanding and share experiences. www.aidforumonline.org
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