"The Alert National Workshop was awesome! Hope we have it in Singapore..."
These were some of the accolades received for the two-day ALERT National Workshop which turned out to be eye-opener for many on our individual state of preparedness for emergencies."...the experience was unforgettable."
"Good balance of practical and theory..."
"...fantastic, very useful."
"Good balance of practical and theory..."
"...fantastic, very useful."
The workshop held on Oct 24 & 25 achieved its over-arching objectives of raising awareness on the importance of emergency readiness and call to action for preparedness.
It was a giant effort by the small Aloka Emergency Readiness Team (ALERT). Their efforts drew participation of more than 200 despite the rather luke warm and often dismal reaction to earlier promotional efforts.
Interest was high throughout -- from Ven Mahinda's keynote address on Spirituality in Times of Crisis at the outset to his closing session on the second day. Significant was attendance did not dwindle towards the later part of the day as would be the norm in workshops.
The good mix of speakers and topics -- ranging from Psychological First Aid to Eco-Karma to Individual & Family Safety -- sustained interest. Popular were the Living and Surival Skills in which participants experienced through simulated sessions what it takes to be in the thick of emergency situations.
The speaker from Australia, Ranmal Samarawickrama, who shared his experience in humanitarian relief work, had the workshop attentive with his tips on preparedness like simply being aware of one's community like knowing your neighbourhood, where's the nearest hospital/clinic etc etc.
The closing session in which Ven Mahinda posed the question quo vadis was much appreciated as one participant aptly put it: "It did not end with telling us what to do after listening, seeing and experiencing. It ended on a very thought provoking note with Ven Mahinda getting us to reflect and work out our individual action plan..."
Awareness is now heightened. It is our hope that the interest sparked can be fanned for a greater burning desire for emergency preparedness. Post-workshop requests to conduct similar workshops in other locations signal that the ALERT fame and flame can keep on light up for the great good, welfare and happiness of the many.
It was a giant effort by the small Aloka Emergency Readiness Team (ALERT). Their efforts drew participation of more than 200 despite the rather luke warm and often dismal reaction to earlier promotional efforts.
Interest was high throughout -- from Ven Mahinda's keynote address on Spirituality in Times of Crisis at the outset to his closing session on the second day. Significant was attendance did not dwindle towards the later part of the day as would be the norm in workshops.
The good mix of speakers and topics -- ranging from Psychological First Aid to Eco-Karma to Individual & Family Safety -- sustained interest. Popular were the Living and Surival Skills in which participants experienced through simulated sessions what it takes to be in the thick of emergency situations.
The speaker from Australia, Ranmal Samarawickrama, who shared his experience in humanitarian relief work, had the workshop attentive with his tips on preparedness like simply being aware of one's community like knowing your neighbourhood, where's the nearest hospital/clinic etc etc.
The closing session in which Ven Mahinda posed the question quo vadis was much appreciated as one participant aptly put it: "It did not end with telling us what to do after listening, seeing and experiencing. It ended on a very thought provoking note with Ven Mahinda getting us to reflect and work out our individual action plan..."
Awareness is now heightened. It is our hope that the interest sparked can be fanned for a greater burning desire for emergency preparedness. Post-workshop requests to conduct similar workshops in other locations signal that the ALERT fame and flame can keep on light up for the great good, welfare and happiness of the many.
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