Tuesday 8 October 2002

Press Briefing Notes
Tuesday 8 October 2002
Spokesperson: Jean Philippe Chauzy

COSTA RICA - Disaster Prevention in Central America
REPUBLIC of the CONGO - Programme to Collect Small Arms and Reintegrate Former Combatants in Jeopardy Because of Lack of Funds



COSTA RICA - Disaster Prevention in Central America - Tomorrow, in observance of the International Day for Disaster Prevention, 46 radio stations
throughout Central America will broadcast the IOM-sponsored radio soap opera titled "Tiempos de Huracanes" (Times of Hurricanes).

In the past few years, the natural disasters that have hit Central America have shown the alarming level of vulnerability of the region.

One of the most devastating was Hurricane Mitch, which ravaged the region in 1998. Its wake left approximately 18,000 persons dead, 2.3 million directly affected and material losses of over US$5 billion.

Hurricane Mitch and other natural disasters exposed the need to promote and strengthen local systems so that communities can participate in the design and implementation of programmes aimed at prevention and mitigation of natural disasters and their consequences.

The development of a culture of risk management partially depends on the availability of information. And this is where radio plays a vital role.

The IOM office in San José, working with the Center for Disaster Prevention in Central America, the Pan-American Health Organization and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction produced the radio soap opera. IOM also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Radio Netherlands Training Center, an international NGO that supports community radios throughout Latin America, to disseminate the Soap Opera through its network.

The 20 chapter soap opera deals with what can happen before, during and after a natural disaster (especially hurricanes and floods). It focuses on the negative consequences when there is a lack of awareness and preparedness and contrasts that with the positive experiences that communities with the proper level of preparedness can encounter.

The soap opera also analyses the different roles played in daily life by men and women, and how capacities can be strengthened to reduce the impact of natural disasters and its aftermath. Many times the aftermath means the break-up of families as fathers and/or mothers are forced to migrate illegally in search of work.

The soap opera contains four different stories, divided into 20 half-hour chapters. The project also includes a guide for community facilitators and radio programmers as well as radio spots to be used as information campaigns.

The famous composer, singer, and actor Ruben Blades provided the music used in the soap opera. Mr. Blades is well known as a socially committed artist whose lyrics tell the truth about the region's problems, but always with a message of hope.

Tiempos de Huracanes has been distributed throughout Central America, some South American and in the Caribbean. The soap opera campaign is being put in place by Voces Nuestras (Our Voices), a Costa Rican NGO that supports participatory communication in Central America.

For more information contact: Agueda Marin, IOM Costa Rica, tel: 506.224.1152 amarin@iom.int

REPUBLIC OF CONGO - Programme to Collect Small Arms and Reintegrate Former Combatants in Jeopardy Because of Lack of Funding - The joint IOM/UNDP programme launched in July 2000 to collect and destroy small arms and ammunition and to reintegrate former militia fighters into civilian life needs new funding.

So far a total of 8,009 former combatants have received reintegration assistance and 11,114 weapons have been destroyed, mainly assault rifles, grenades, mines and ammunition.

The programme provided reintegration assistance and income generating activities to 5,734 former combatants in Brazzaville. Another 1,130 ex militiamen were successfully reintegrated in the Pool region. The programme also helped former combatants in eight regions throughout the country (439 in Bouenza, 338 in Niari, 152 in Kouilou, 68 in Lekoumou in the south of the country, 60 in Deux- Cuvettes, 53 in Les Plateaux, 25 in Likouala, and 10 in Sangha, in the north of the country.)

"The programme is a success," says Stéphane Rostiaux of IOM's Office in Brazzaville. "But there are still thousands of combatants who need urgent reintegration assistance. It's a shame the programme is in jeopardy because of lack of new funds. As we stand, the programme will have to close by the end of November."

During the wars of 1997 and 98/99, young men facing unemployment and uncertainty were easily induced to join the militias. Although there are no precise figures, it is estimated that some 30,000 young men joined various militias. In August 1999, the government announced a general amnesty for the militia and at the beginning of 2000, a cease-fire took hold encouraging militia members to disband and disarm.

This programme is jointly financed by the EU, the Governments of Norway, Sweden, and the United States, and by the UNDP Emergency Response Fund. IOM has implemented demobilisation and reintegration programmes in Angola, East Timor, Guatemala, Haiti, Mozambique, Mali, and the Philippines; more recently in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For further information, contact Stéphane Rostiaux, IOM Brazzaville Tel: 00.242.63.21.14.