public service announcement Archives

CHICAGO, Ill. /ScoopCloud/ -- An important milestone for promoting lightning safety across Africa occurred with the February 2022 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Uganda-based African Centers for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network (ACLENet) and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of Uganda. This MoU was piloted and promoted by the Ministry of Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees (MoRDP'R) within the Prime Minister's Office.

"My Ministry is working with ACLENet on the scientific aspects of disaster preparedness," said Hilary Onek, the Hon Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees. "It is the hope of parties involved in this partnership to make this optimism a reality," Onek explained during a Public Service Announcement (PSA), an integral part of engagements leading to the signing of the MoU that was broadcast during the 2021 holiday season in both English and Luganda, the primary indigenous language in Uganda.

The MoU is an important milestone for ACLENet, as it is expected to provide instrumental framework for: 1) A national mandate to plan, promote, and advocate for lightning safety across Uganda; 2) Introduction of scientific principles of lightning safety for people, property, and places according to globally recognized lightning protection system (LPS) safety standard provisions of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

"This partnership is expected to further ACLENet's goals of saving lives and property across Africa," said Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, Managing Director of ACLENet.

Data sets and information packages are being prepared for the Hon. Minister for onward submission to appropriate units within the Government of Uganda and general public and include priorities outlined in The United Nation's Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 as well as a database on lightning injuries.

"Specifically, ACLENet plans to expand the work piloted with programs and interventions over the last seven years and in partnership with the National Emergency Coordination and Operations Centre (NECOC), a specialized department of MoRDP'R," explained Dr. Cooper. "Together, we aim to advance the 'building lightning safe communities' effort by reducing the number of deaths, injuries, and property damage from lightning."

Here in the U.S., the International Code Council (I.C.C.) is celebrating its 42nd annual Building Safety Month campaign with the theme "Safety for All: Building Codes in Action," to raise awareness about the importance of building codes in ensuring safety in spaces in which we live work and learn.

"Building Safety Month focuses on issues that impact our everyday lives: building safety, energy, water and disasters-factors of constant concern for homes, schools, businesses and communities," said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO.

Learn more: https://aclenet.org/how-to-help/overview.html

About ACLENet:

ACLENet, a nonprofit organization incorporated in both the US and Uganda, seeks funding and volunteers to help reduce injuries, save lives, and decrease crippling infrastructure damage from lightning in Africa. Visit https://aclenet.org/ to learn how you can support the effort.

ACLENet uses lightning protection, public, primary, and secondary education, and research to interface with African governments and protect communities from the lightning threat.

RELATED LINKS:

https://opm.go.ug/disaster-preparedness-and-management/

https://www.iec.ch/homepage

https://aclenet.org/news-publications/country-news/

MULTIMEDIA:

VIDEO (YouTube): https://youtu.be/aj4iifLdI7E

An important milestone for promoting lightning safety across Africa occurred with the February 2022 signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Uganda-based African Centers for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network (ACLENet) and the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) of Uganda. This MoU was piloted and promoted by the Ministry of Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees (MoRDP'R) within the Prime Minister's Office.

Related link: https://aclenet.org/

LOS ANGELES, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- On February 12, 2020, 235 incarcerated men gathered in the yard of a maximum-security prison in California. They formed a circle, and in the center of that circle stood Grammy Award winning film producer Fritzi Horstman. She read aloud ten questions from the ACE test, a survey of Adverse Childhood Experiences.

So begins the documentary "Step Inside the Circle," the PSA film which is at the heart of the grassroots organization Compassion Prison Project. With a production team that included Academy Award nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, "Step Inside the Circle" has, in just a few short months since its release, reached over 2 million views.

By addressing subject matter that is often cloaked in shame, "Step Inside the Circle" bears witness to the damage done by childhood trauma, then ultimately guides us to embrace the ability of the mind, body and spirit to heal.

CDC research shows more than 60 percent of American adults have experienced at least one ACE as children, and almost a quarter of adults have experienced 3 or more ACEs. ACEs are a contributing factor in a range of health-related issues including increased risk for cancer and heart attack, ability to regulate emotions and even the altering of transgenerational DNA.

Compassion Prison Project's mission is to transform prisons and their communities through compassionate action, focusing on ACE awareness, facilitation of trauma healing programs, giving back projects and returning citizens support. Based on her own experiences with childhood trauma, Founder and Executive Director Fritzi Horstman and a core organizing team designed

Compassion Prison Project's approach to include partnerships with volunteers, governments, community-based organizations and prison administrations.

"Compassion Prison Project believes that the power to heal future generations is in changing the way we treat the most traumatized members of our society today," said Fritzi Horstman - Founder Compassion Prison Project.

"Trauma Is A Fact of Life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence," said Peter A Levine.

If you would like more information about this topic, please email media@compassionprisonproject.org or call Fritzi, Executive Director, at 310-428-8908.

Compassion Prison Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Founded in 2019, our mission is to transform prisons and communities through compassionate action.

Learn more at: https://compassionprisonproject.org/

*PHOTO link for media: https://www.Send2Press.com/300dpi/20-0908s2p-horstman-cpp-300dpi.jpg
*Caption: CPP founder Fritzi Horstman and Richard, serving a life sentence in California.

On February 12, 2020, 235 incarcerated men gathered in the yard of a maximum-security prison in California. They formed a circle, and in the center of that circle stood Grammy Award winning film producer Fritzi Horstman. She read aloud ten questions from the ACE test, a survey of Adverse Childhood Experiences

Related link: https://compassionprisonproject.org/

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Tag Archives: public service announcement

ACLENet and Government of Uganda Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to Further ‘Building Lightning Safe Communities’ Effort

Transforming the Nation’s Prisons into Places of Healing: Compassion Prison Project and ‘Step Inside the Circle’ PSA Film