Understanding, prevention, preparation, proper response and recovery from disasters and humanitarian crises are an essential part of the first online course on Comprehensive Risk Management, a training course to be launched by UNESCO on July 24, 2014 at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Quito, Ecuador

The course has been prepared by UNESCO in collaboration with the International Red Cross Foundation, the European Commission, NGOs and the Ministries of Education of Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The initiative is framed within the project Reducing Disaster Risks through Education and Science in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (2013-2014), implemented with the support of the disaster preparedness programme of the Directorate-General of the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (DG ECHO), 2013–2014 action plan.

The content will be available in Spanish at the Red Cross virtual campus. This is a free, open and self-conducted induction tool, aimed at teachers, directors and employees of pre-school, primary and secondary educational establishments. It covers all stages of risk management in educational institutions, using different concepts, methodologies and tools that will allow the participants to plan and successfully perform comprehensive risk management in their respective institutions.

This training proposal arises from the limited offer in the region of training opportunities for educational communities in terms of risk management and planning, which is critical to this region of the world which continuously suffers the effects of disasters and crises. In order to reach the greatest number of people, the course is free and has been specially adapted to teachers’ needs, given their demanding workload.

UNESCO will also distribute one thousand electronic units of the course to the Ministries of Education and the UNESCO offices in Latin America for off-line access, especially in areas with limited Internet access.

Training for action

The incorporation of the comprehensive risk management focus in the educational sphere is fundamental to increasing our understanding of the causes and effects of disasters on individuals and the community, as well as to improve preparation and resilience capacity on all levels.

UNESCO, along with other agencies of the United Nations System and NGOs, promotes a global framework of Comprehensive School Safety, based on the following three pillars: protected educational institutions; disaster management in educational institutions; and education for the reduction of risk and resilience building

For more information:

• Access the training course at the Red Cross virtual campus
• Education for Disaster Risk Management (OREALC/UNESCO Santiago)
• Project: Reducing Disaster Risks through Education and Science in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (2013-2014)
• Sub-regional Student Contest: “More Education, Less Risk”.
• “More Education, Less Risk” Campaign
• “More Education, Less Risk” Bulletin
  Information on the Project: Reducing Disaster Risks through Education and Science in Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru (2013-2014) of the Disaster Preparedness Programme of the European Commission, 2013-2014 Action Plan for South America.