World Economic Forum Announces Disaster Response Network.Business Editors NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2002 Leverages Engineering & Construction and Logistics & Transportation Industries to Bring Expertise and Resources to Assist Disaster Relief Organizations The World Economic Forum announced today the creation of a Disaster Response Network (DRN DRN Dark Room Notes (band) DRN Data Release Number (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) DRN De Rerum Natura (Latin: On the Nature of Things) DRN Disaster Response Network ) to leverage the resources of engineering and transportation industry firms to assist with disaster relief efforts. Under the auspices of the World Economic Forum, this non-profit network will recruit and coordinate corporate commitments of services and materials to assist in the initial response to disasters. "This unprecedented move to create a Disaster Response Network comprised of engineering and transportation companies promises to strengthen the effectiveness of the global business community's contributions during the immediate aftermath of disasters," said Professor Klaus Schwab Klaus Martin Schwab (born March 30 1938) is a Swiss economist and businessman, best known as the president and founder of the World Economic Forum. His wife and former secretary, Hilde, works with him on some of his projects. He was born in 1938 in Ravensburg, Germany. , President of the Forum. "Having an established commitment from prominent engineering and transportation firms demonstrates the truest example of corporate citizenship Corporate Citizenship The extent to which businesses are socially responsible in meeting legal, ethical and economic responsibilities placed on them by shareholders. The aim it to create higher standards of living and quality of life in the community in which it operates, while and makes utmost sense since these industries form the backbone of skills needed in expediting rescue and recovery efforts." In addition to representation from member firms in these two industries, both the International Federation of Red Cross and the United Nations are leaders in the formation of the Founding Committee that is structuring the vision for the DRN. The Disaster Response Network is focused on both quick identification of available engineering and transportation services and fast and reliable delivery of these services to disaster-struck sites. Robert Prieto, Chairman of Parsons Brinckerhoff Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) is a planning, engineering, program and construction management organization. The company has been involved in planning and designing some of the world's largest public works projects, such as Boston's Big Dig, Britain's rail system Network Rail; and Co-Chair of the DRN Founding Committee, explained, "The Disaster Response Network will develop and maintain a roster of committed firms and resources and act as a clearinghouse to match particular resources needed in the event of a disaster with the Network's participating companies." Prieto added, "This enables those of us in the engineering and transportation sectors to offer a central point of contact and to quickly and efficiently respond to relief organizations' requests for support." "We want to be sure that all organizations actively engaged in disaster relief have access to the best practices and tools in engineering and transportation to reduce the time to route rescue equipment and specialized services to relief teams, and medical supplies and food to victims. Having one place to access these resources saves time. Every hour saved, means more lives saved," said Lynn C. Fritz, Director-General of Fritz Institute and Co-Chair of the DRN Founding Committee. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the DRN Charter, one of the keys to the reliability of the DRN will be the preparedness pre·par·ed·ness n. The state of being prepared, especially military readiness for combat. Noun 1. preparedness - the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them of the volunteers, their ability to work in teams and understand the disaster environment. The DRN will match the volunteer employees of participating companies with qualified providers of disaster preparedness training. "The Disaster Response Network will be a valuable resource for the array of humanitarian and international organizations that currently support disaster relief efforts. We in the humanitarian community welcome the creation of the Disaster Response Network," said Didier Cherpitel, Secretary-General of the International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is the world's largest group of humanitarian non-governmental organizations. The Movement is composed of the following bodies: It is anticipated that in the future the Disaster Response Network will become an independent non-profit organization A non-profit organization (abbreviated "NPO", also "non-profit" or "not-for-profit") is a legally constituted organization whose primary objective is to support or to actively engage in activities of public or private interest without any commercial or monetary profit purposes. . The World Economic Forum (www.weforum.org), based in Geneva Geneva, canton and city, Switzerland Geneva (jənē`və), Fr. Genève, canton (1990 pop. 373,019), 109 sq mi (282 sq km), SW Switzerland, surrounding the southwest tip of the Lake of Geneva. , Switzerland, is an independent organization committed to improving the state of the world. Funded by the contributions of 1,000 of the world's foremost corporations, the Forum acts in the spirit of entrepreneurship in the global public interest to further economic growth and social progress. The Forum serves its members and society by creating partnerships between and among business, political, intellectual and other leaders of society to define, discuss and advance key issues on the global agenda. Incorporated in 1971 as a foundation, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit, and is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. In 1995 the Forum was awarded NGO NGO abbr. nongovernmental organization Noun 1. NGO - an organization that is not part of the local or state or federal government nongovernmental organization consultative status Consultative Status is a phrase whose use can be traced to the founding of the United Nations and is used within the UN community to refer to "Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. |
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