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Global Newsletter August 2017 |
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Dear Friends and Supporters, It has been a busy month for our country programs, with team members representing AIP Foundation at road safety events around the world. Our Thailand Chairperson and Thailand Country Manager traveled to Manila, Philippines to attend two regional road safety conferences hosted by our partners the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), the Global Health Advocacy Incubator, and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP). The Thailand Chairperson was also invited to take part in the GRSP Global Road Safety Leadership Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Our Cambodia Country Director joined 15 fellow road safety professionals for the Alliance Advocate Training Program in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. The insights gathered at these international convenings will be invaluable for our programs moving forward. Our Founder and President, Greig Craft, attended a press conference in Vietnam announcing the theme for this year’s National Film Festival, “Building traffic culture among youth and teenagers,” to the media and general public. The National Film Festival is an annual event that aims to increase the helmet-wearing rate in Vietnam by improving road safety knowledge and awareness within communities. Safety Delivered is a new program supported by The UPS Foundation that will work with young, inexperienced motorcycle drivers in target universities and communities to improve their distracted driving behaviors. The multi-country partnership will be implemented in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. This month, we conducted focus group discussions with university students in Vietnam and Cambodia to inform the program’s design and implementation. With road safety receiving increased attention on the international stage, we look forward to harnessing this momentum to advocate for our programs locally. We remain dedicated to implementing effective and innovative interventions in our program countries and are excited for what lays in store for our new initiatives over the coming months. Kind regards, Mirjam Sidik
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Global |
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Vietnam |
Cambodia |
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Thailand |
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Employment Opportunities
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Global |
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Photo of the month- Thailand Chairperson invited to Global Road Safety Leadership Course
AIP Foundation Thailand Chairperson, Ratanawadee H. Winther, joined road safety advocates from around the world for the Global Road Safety Leadership Course (GRSLC) held in Baltimore, U.S. Johns Hopkins International Injury Research Unit and Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) organized the course. Over the two-week course, participants built leadership skills to design and advocate for effective road safety programs and policies. At the conclusion of the course, participants received certificates reflective of their newly acquired skills and knowledge, which they will take back to their countries to implement in their road safety initiatives. The GRSLC is made possible through the generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies. |
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Cambodia Country Director joins advocates from 15 countries for road safety training program
Cambodia Country Director Pagna Kim joined a group of 15 road safety experts from 15 countries on five continents for the second Alliance Advocate Training Program hosted by the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety (the Alliance) in Memphis, Tennessee. The Alliance advocates were selected through a highly-competitive selection process, and represent an elite group within the Alliance, which represents more than 190 road safety non-governmental organizations in more than 80 countries. The intensive two-week training program will strengthen their professional skills in advocacy, communications, project management, strategic planning, and more. As part of the training, the advocates developed evidence-based, measurable action plans that they will implement in the coming months to address a key road safety issue in their home country. The participants come from a range of high-, medium-, and low-income countries where they must face diverse cultural, economic, and political challenges, so the training is designed to be applied in different environments. View more photos from the training here. |
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CDC fellow collaborates with AIP Foundation, presents findings at international public health conference
Nhan Le Dinh Trong, a researcher at the Institute of Public Health in Ho Chi Minh City, collaborated with AIP Foundation to present his findings on the National Child Helmet Action Plan (NCHAP) at the 9th TEPHINET Global Scientific Conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The study analyzes child helmet use before, during, and after implementation of the NCHAP and evaluates the law’s effect on child helmet use. The NCHAP is an integrated multi-sector campaign that has incorporated a wide-scale public awareness campaign with school-based interventions, increased police patrolling and enforcement, and capacity-building and support of relevant government departments in target provinces. Nhan Le Dinh Trong is part of the Vietnam Field Epidemiology Training Program, which is supported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET). TEPHINET is a professional network of 69 field epidemiology training programs (FETPs) working in more than 100 countries. TEPHINET aims to strengthen international public health capacity by training field epidemiologists through an applied apprenticeship program. |
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Thailand Chairperson and Country Manager attend regional road safety convening, present on
Slow Down to Save Lives
AIP Foundation Thailand Chairperson, Ratanawadee H. Winther, and Thailand Country Manager, Oratai Junsuwanaruk, joined road safety peers and fellow grant recipients for the first Asia Seminar Grantee Workshop held in Manila, Philippines. Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and the Global Health Advocacy Incubator hosted the convening. AIP Foundation Thailand received a grant from GRSP for the Slow Down to Save Lives program, which works to improve road safety by setting appropriate urban speed limits. Ms. Junsuwanaruk presented on the successes and lessons learned from the program at the workshop. The seminar brought together representatives from 22 civil society and government organizations in five countries to share experiences advocating for the adoption and implementation of strong, evidence-based road safety policies. The Thailand team also attended Road Safety in Asia 2017, a larger conference held in accordance with the seminar. The policy and capacity building conference, organized by GRSP and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), assembled government, development bank, industry and civil society partners who are making an impact on road safety in the region. Road safety practitioners shared knowledge and professional experiences, discussed successes and challenges, showcased good practice, and built strong regional networks. |
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Related news: US City Bans Texting while Walking
Source: Voice of America, 9 August, 2017 Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely, by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cell phones? The city of Honolulu, Hawaii wants everyone to learn that lesson. Texting while crossing the street will soon be banned in the city. Beginning on October 24, you could be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to ban what is called "distracted walking." It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says: "No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device." In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street or you could be fined. Pedestrian deaths have been increasing as the use of cell phones rises. The Governors Highway Safety Association, or GHSA, says pedestrian deaths in the United States increased 25 percent between 2010 and 2015. That trend continued in 2016 with the number of pedestrian deaths rising to almost 6000, 11% higher than in 2015. Read Voice of America’s article to learn more about the upcoming distracted walking ban. |
Vietnam |
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National Film Festival announces 2017 theme: Building traffic culture among youth and teenagers
The National Film Festival held a press conference to announce this year’s theme, “Building traffic culture among youth and teenagers,” to the media and general public. The festival accepts entries into three film categories - documentary, science fiction, and TV commercial - and the winning selections will be recognized at an awards ceremony in December 2017. Festival organizers invited AIP Foundation Founder and President, Greig Craft, to attend the official announcement on behalf of the road safety community. Other featured guests included Dr. Khuat Viet Hung, Deputy Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee; Major General Tran Son Ha, Director of the Public Transportation Department; as well as representatives from coordinating government agencies and departments. The National Film Festival is an annual event that aims to increase the helmet-wearing rate in Vietnam by improving road safety knowledge and awareness within communities. The festival, first organized in 1996, consistently attracts a great deal of public attention and participation from all parts of society. Past years included submissions from government, local authorities, media, public and private organizations, and civil society. |
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50 university students share road safety experiences through focus groups
AIP Foundation conducted focus group discussions with 50 students at five universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to identify the main causes of road crashes for young people. The discussion aimed to identify the gaps in students’ knowledge of crash prevention strategies, and how best to share road safety information with university students for our new Safety Delivered program. The participants in the focus groups shared their road experiences as well as observations of common mistakes made by other road users. The university students also contributed innovative ideas to help inform program design, including engaging celebrities in Safety Delivered program activities in order to attract students and increase the program’s effectiveness. We will develop an educational toolkit on relevant road safety topics based on the results of the group discussions. Safety Delivered is a new program being implemented in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar with support from The UPS Foundation. View more photos from the focus group discussions here. |
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Stakeholders convene for helmet program year-end review workshops
On 22 June and 21 July, 2017, 29 local stakeholders convened in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, respectively, to discuss and reflect on the progress made through the Helmets for Families program over the previous school year. We presented program achievements and facilitated discussions on the challenges, lessons learned, methods for improving, and plans for moving forward after the program ends. Representatives from the six program schools, local authorities, and others joined us for the meeting. This year, Helmets for Families continued its work towards increasing road safety literacy and safe behaviors amongst Vietnamese families by distributing more than 4,700 high quality helmets to students and teachers, and exchanging nearly 900 subsidized helmets to parents at select schools. The program expanded its road safety education to four new schools in the Hoc Mon District of Ho Chi Minh City, a suburban and agricultural zone where up to 90% of the participating students’ parents are manual laborers. Since 2013, Abbott has supported the program in Vietnam, which has raised helmet-wearing rates at some program schools from as low as 9.5% to more than 80%. View more photos from the meeting here. |
Cambodia |
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Helmets for Kids contributes traffic barrier and reflective jackets to school in high-risk area
Helmets for Kids contributed an iron traffic barrier and reflective jackets to Phum O Primary School as part of efforts to provide sustainable road safety solutions for the school. The iron barrier and no-entry sign will be placed on the road to block traffic during arrival and dismissal times for students. Phum O Primary School is located in a high-density traffic area along National Road 6A in Siem Reap Province. In addition to the materials, the program also organized road safety extracurricular activities for 200 students from the school. Police from the Gikreng District of Siem Reap Province instructed students on how to safely commute to school by bicycle, motorcycle, and by walking. Students asked the police officers their questions on traffic laws and traffic signage. In order to ensure the sustainability of the program, Helmets for Kids engaged with local stakeholders, including the commune board, parents, and local police. Helmets for Kids is supported by Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) and AIP Foundation. It provides schoolchildren and teachers with quality helmets and road safety education. View more photos from the activities here. |
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Australian Ambassador meets with 30
YARS student representatives
Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Angela Corcoran, met with 30 university students from the Young Ambassadors for Road Safety (YARS) program to review its progress. The student ambassadors presented on the program’s achievements and lessons learned thus far, and offered recommendations for future implementation. Key initiatives discussed included the ‘Save Lives. Slow Down’ Joint Statement, which was drafted by YARS representatives as part of the 4th UN Global Road Safety Week. Ms. Corcoran thanked AIP Foundation for its support of the program and the student advocates for their efforts to make the roads safe for their local community. The meeting was held at the University of South East Asia in Siem Reap. |
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First phase of
Safety Delivered surveys students at four Cambodian universities
AIP Foundation has partnered with four universities in Cambodia for its new Safety Delivered program, which will include road safety education and public awareness campaigns to raise students’ awareness of the risks of distracted driving. As part of the first phase of the program, we conducted a baseline survey to gather information on the attitudes and driving behaviors of university students. We interviewed 100 students from each university and will develop these findings into an educational toolkit on relevant road safety topics. Participating universities include Royal University of Phnom Penh, Asia Europe University, Phnom Penh International University, and Pannasastra University. Safety Delivered is a multi-country partnership with The UPS Foundation, that will be implemented in Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The organizations have been working together since 2011 on school-based and advocacy-focused road safety initiatives in Southeast Asia. View more photos here. |
Thailand |
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WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies share expertise at workshop for road safety advocates
As part of a capacity-building workshop for road safety advocates, Kelly Larson, Director, Global Road Safety Program at Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Dr. Witaya Chadbunchachai, Director, World Health Organization Collaborating Centre on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, shared their advocacy expertise with the participants. Members of the Legal Development Program (LDP), who have backgrounds in policy, law, and the media, were joined by partner agencies for the training. Participants learned techniques for how to better advocate for policy and legislative changes to improve road safety in Thailand. They then worked in small groups on an exercise to develop campaigns to lower the speed limits in Bangkok, establish stricter public transportation safety standards, curb drunk driving, and promote helmet wearing in Ubon Ratchathani Province. Miranda Hysell and Aaron Schwid, from the Global Road Safety Program, led the sessions. The LDP, which is led globally by the World Health Organization and the Bloomberg Initiative for Global Road Safety, aims to build the capacities of legal, civil society, and media professionals to strengthen road safety legislation and enforcement. AIP Foundation coordinates LDP activities in Thailand. View more photos of the workshop here. |
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235 student leaders recognized as Road Safety Ambassadors
Street Wise, a program supported by Chevron Thailand Exploration & Production, Ltd., recognized 235 student leaders from 10 program schools in Muang and Singhanakhon Districts as Road Safety Ambassadors in a ceremony attended by members of the community. The event took place at Haad Kaew Resort in the Singhanakhon District of Songkhla Province. The student leaders play an integral part in Street Wise goals by promoting road safety awareness among their peers and community members through extracurricular activities at their schools. The students were joined by Mr. Anuchit Trakulmututa, Vice Governor of Songkhla Province; Ms. Oratai Junsuwanaruk, Thailand Country Manager of AIP Foundation; and Mr. Nattawut Chainarong, Shore Base Manager at Chevron Thailand. They honored the students for their contributions and presented them with certificates recognizing them as Road Safety Ambassadors. In addition, Ms. Junsuwanaruk announced the results from a school-wide “Children and Road Safety” themed competition that was part of the ambassadors program. Students wrote lyrics to songs, choreographed dance routines, and performed in self-written plays to raise awareness about road safety. The convening was also an opportunity for Street Wise to present on its achievements in 2017 to the gathered stakeholders in an effort to receive feedback and recommendations. View more photos from the ceremony here. Read the full press release here. |
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Street Wise participates in community parade, over 3,000 in attendance
To celebrate the final day of the 24th Annual Singhanakhon Games, Street Wise participated in a community parade attended by over 3,000 people. Students, wearing helmets and carrying banners, walked in the parade on behalf of Street Wise to advocate for helmet safety. The audience consisted of students, teachers, parents, and local organizations from six school districts in the Singhanakhon District of Songkhla Province. Earlier in the week, Mr. Khomsan Oynasuan, Specialist in Community Engagement for Chevron Thailand, and representatives from AIP Foundation handed over the Street Wise program’s road simulation guide and equipment to Superintendent Teerasak Jaroensri of the Singhanakhon Police. Traffic police in the Singhanakhon District of Songkhla Province will incorporate the road simulation into the trainings and workshops they lead for Street Wise. Street Wise is supported by Chevron Thailand and has been implemented in Songkhla Province since 2014. Thailand has the second-highest road crash fatality rate in the world. Street Wise provides school-based education and awareness tools to make the country’s roads safer. View more photos of the Street Wise activities here. |
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Related news: How motorcyclists can cut road deaths
Source: Health-iQ, August 2017 It’s no secret that motorcycles are a popular form of road transport in Thailand. They are also the deadliest, with 73 per cent of road traffic fatalities involving motorcyclists, according to the World Health Organisation. Speeding and helmet underuse are two “major” risk factors for motorcyclists worldwide, says Ratanawadee Winther, Thailand Chairperson for the AIP Foundation, which is dedicated to addressing road safety in low- and middle-income countries. Efforts from government, local and international organisations to improve road safety are ongoing. But there’s lots riders can do too. “In the event of a crash, wearing a quality helmet reduces your risk of death by 42 per cent and serious injury by 69 per cent,” says Ms Winther. “[Meanwhile] just a five per cent cut in your average speed can lead to a 30 per cent reduction in the number of fatal crashes.” She says that “road safety is a multifaceted issue” requiring buy-in from governments, the health, infrastructure and transportation sectors, and other key players, but that “taking the right safety precautions is a great first step [for] individuals.” Read the full article from Health-iQ here. |
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