Inform, Engage, Investigate: Lessons learned from Zika outbreak

Further to the World Humanitarian Summit, UNESCO is organizing a two-day workshop entitled “Inform, Engage, Investigate: Lessons learned from Zika outbreak”, which will be held in Panama City, Panama from 14 to 15 July 2016 with participation of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The main objective of this regional workshop is to strengthen media’s potential in crisis situation to multiply the effectiveness of disaster-preparation and disaster-relief plans.
Three sessions will each cover a specific angle related to risk communication: how to communicate scientific knowledge through the media, make sure it reaches the right population and ensure that they will fully understand and react upon that information? How can humanitarians effectively reach and engage affected populations through the media? How to differentiate independent journalism from persuasive communications and preserve media’s principles in emergency and disaster situations? Every discussion will lead to concrete opportunities on how to foster coordinated action between humanitarian organizations, the UN and the media to better prevent and end crisis of all types.

Representatives from public, private and community radio stations, media organizations and associations (Cadena Ser, International Association of Broadcasting, Radio France Internationale, TV Globo, Voice of America, World Association of Community Radios, World Federation of Science Journalists), as well as several UN Agencies (FAO, UNDP UNICEF, UNIDSR, UNFPA, OCHA, the World Bank) and major humanitarian organizations (Caritas Internationalis, Doctors of the World, Doctors Without Borders, Plan International, Refugee Education Trust, Save the Children, World Vision), have already confirmed their participation.