Call for new youth members to Red Crescent Youth Organisation
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On the occasion of Natural Disaster Mitigation Week started from 12 October, Youth Organisation of Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) is recruiting youth as new members in three levels of school students, university students and youth humanitarian community. The Call includes the two phases:

• First phase:

1. Registering youth in Red Crescent Youth Affairs Centres
2. Participating youth members in training classes on Structure and Organisation

• Second phase:

On the occasion of commemorating Red Crescent Youth Organisation establishment on 5 November, an election will be held for selecting the new members of youth Executive Councils and Teams’ Secretary for the next year.

The Call intends to increase the co-operation of youth in decision-making, build up their activities, as well as provide training for the new youth members to keep them ready to render relief and humanitarian services.

Iranian Red Crescent assists to Afghan people in need
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Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) and other international humanitarian organisations are involved in assisting the unprivileged and affected people of Afghanistan. Some international organisations distributed 12,602 pairs of shoes amongst the school students of Zaranj town in Nimrooz province of Afghanistan from 27 September to 2 October 2003. The assistance was distributed with the help of Iranian Red Crescent relief workers from Sistan-Balouchestan provincial branch and in coordination with the high-ranking local authorities in Nimrooz province.

Red Crescent activities in Natural Disaster Mitigation Week
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According to Article 46 of the National Relief and Rescue Plan, Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) is the organisation in charge of carrying out the relief and rescue in times of natural disasters throughout the country. To achieve the goal, all relief forces of the IRCS in co-operation with other departments and organisations involved in relief and rescue activities will participate in a manoeuvre being held in Natural Disaster Mitigation Week.

The manoeuvre has plan to build up capabilities, improve coordination and increase co-operation of all organisations and departments involved in relief and rescue activities all over the country.

An exhibition will be organised to show Red Crescent facilities and equipment for relief and rescue operations in Natural Disaster Mitigation Week. Some training classes and scientific seminars on natural disasters will also be organised in the Week with the purpose of disseminating and training the culture of safety and self-relief amongst people.

Iranian Red Crescent donation for Iraqi people
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Based on a request from Iraqi Red Crescent and in the line with developing co-operation in area of capacity building, Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) donated two relief vehicles to the Iraqi Red Crescent.

Iranian Red Crescent representatives delivered Red Crescent donation to the Iraqi Red Crescent in Baghdad during a special ceremony. IRCS announced its preparedness for continuation of co-operation and building capacity of the Iraqi National Society.

Appreciating the Iranian Red Crescent for its donation, Secretary General of the Iraqi Red Crescent expressed his thanks on relief assistance provided by Iranian Red Crescent for the Iraqi people in need. He also called for expanding bilateral collaboration between the two National Societies in order to assist the needy people.

Red Crescent anti-stigma and discrimination programme for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)
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HIV/AIDS as one of the most dangerous and infectious diseases threatens the lives of many people in the world. Ilam provincial branch of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) is implementing a pilot project on removing the stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS disease within the province in the light of Red Crescent humanitarian objectives of protecting health and life of all human being and ensuring respect for them.

Ilam province covering an area of 19,044 square kilometres is located in the west of Iran and it is one of the mountainous and forestal regions of the country. The population of the province is about 539,200 people.

The programme is expected to achieve some objectives including increasing public awareness on prevention from HIVAIDS disease, removing negative attitudes towards people living with the disease and respecting their personality and dignity in the community, as well as making it easier for people living with HIV/AIDS to approach Red Crescent counselling and medical centres for care and treatment.

The expected results intend to change negative attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS to the positive one and to make the public in the community behave naturally and humanly towards the patients.

Since two years ago, the Iranian Red Crescent has initiated more concentrated efforts to tackle the pandemic throughout the country. The Society has established its National Committee to prevent and fight against HIV/AIDS, implement programmes of HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment and remove the stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease.

All endeavours and activities of the IRCS aim at contributing to an integrated, more comprehensive response to this deadly but largely preventable disease.

Dr Noorbala receives Iraqi Red Crescent Vice-President in Tehran
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Mr. Adnan Al-Haboubi, Vice-President of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society met with Dr Ahmad Ali Noorbala, President of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) in Tehran on 1 October 2003. Referring to widespread relief activities and services of the IRCS, Dr Noorbala declared the readiness of the Iranian Red Crescent to promote educational, health and medical co-operation with the Iraqi Red Crescent for assisting the Iraqi people in need.

He also expressed hope that training workshops for Iraqi teams could achieve some objectives including enhancing capacity building of the Iraqi Red Crescent with the purpose of providing humanitarian and relief services for the needy and affected people in this country, as well as improving and strengthening relationships between the two nations and governments.

Dr Noorbala stated, “Iranian Red Crescent enjoys its unique relief equipment and facilities to provide assistance for the needy and unprivileged people in the region. We hope to develop bilateral ties for utilising these capabilities in all sphere,” Relief and Rescue Organisation of the IRCS has been organising training workshops in Tehran on Relief Management in Disasters for the Iraqi Red Crescent teams during the past weeks.

Red Crescent participates in fifth exhibition
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The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) took part in the fifth public exhibition of Tehran with participation of 70 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and some Iranian governmental Organisations and Departments.

Mr. Mehdi Karroubi, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament was one of participants in the opening ceremony of the exhibition. The Iranian Red Crescent put its relief and rescue facilities on a public display in the exhibition. The visitors could observe some relief equipment such as hydraulic sets, relief tents, types of atels, diving facilities, water pumps, Global Positioning System (GPS) apparatus, training equipment, sniffing dogs, ambulances and mobile surgery rooms in the exhibition.

“In its line with relief and rescue plan, the Iranian Red Crescent has established 90 fixed and 150 mobile relief posts on 2,100 kilometres of the roads throughout the country,” said Mr. Bijan Daftari, Head of Red Crescent Relief and Rescue Organisation. “Iranian Red Crescent proposed a plan with the objective of providing first aid training for applicants of driving licence,”

Relief Management in Disasters workshops for Iraqi Red Crescent teams in Tehran
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The Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) organised an international training workshop on Relief Management in Disasters from 4-8 October 2003. The second team from Iraqi Red Crescent Society, composed of middle managers and officials, participated in the workshop held in Relief & Rescue Organisation of Iranian Red crescent in Tehran.

The first Iraqi team, consisting of 24 Senior Managers and Disaster Preparedness & Response (DPR) Coordinators, participated in a 4-day workshop on Relief Management in Disasters from 27 September 2003. The purpose of the workshop was to raise their awareness in the areas of Disaster Preparedness and Response, youth and voluntary activities, disaster planning and assessment, basic requirements of relief and rescue, and Disaster Management.

In the opening ceremony, Secretary General of Iranian Red Crescent, Mr. Abbas Sahraei referred to the existing cooperation between Iranian Red Crescent and Iraqi Red Crescent saying that: “There is a widespread and bilateral cooperation between the two peoples and National Societies. We have signed Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral co-operation between the two Red Crescent Societies. We hope to continue our activities and co-operation in the light of humanitarian objectives.” He also introduced relief activities being carried out by different Organisations & Departments.

The workshop covered some topics on Disaster Management, warehousing and management in Disaster, relief and rescue, and Disaster Preparedness Response.

Dr Ahmad Ali Noorbala, President of the Iranian Red Crescent and Dr Jamal Naser Al-Karbouli, President of the Iraqi Red Crescent, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the expansion of co-operation between the two National Societies in Baghdad on 26 June 2003.

According to the MoU, Iranian Red Crescent undertook to despatch relief and logistic aids to support and enhance the capacity of the Iraqi Red Crescent. Iranian Red Crescent also provides training for the staff of Iraqi Red Crescent in areas of Disaster Management, Disaster Response, relief and rescue, rehabilitation and making artificial limbs, establishing and equipping medical centres in the cities of Ramadie, Samereh, Karbala, Najaf, Basre and Baghdad.

Dr Adnan Al-Haboubi, Vice-President of the Iraqi Red Crescent said that in comparison with the other National Societies in the region, the Iranian Red Crescent is pioneer in area of providing assistance for the affected people in disasters. He also voiced that 5 medical centres will be established in Iraq by Iranian Red Crescent. Appreciating Iranian Red Crescent relief assistance, Dr Al-Haboubi called for continuity of humanitarian aids.

In her line of humanitarian objectives, recently, Iranian Red Crescent despatched convoys of humanitarian relief aids to Iraq. Iraqi Red Crescent distributed the aids, the people in need.