Reporting to your community

Putting It All Together

To celebrate the time dedicated to protection against natural disasters, communities hold many events at once. Children may participate in public art contests, drills and exercises, parades, make community risk and resource maps, hold performances, and report in local newspapers or on tv - all in the same week or month.

For example, in Iran children exhibited drawings, held performances and played in a Shaking House as part of an "Earthquakes and Preparedness" campaign in November 1994. The Shaking House was a wooden log cabin on strong springs that children played in so that they would learn to react quickly and properly in an earthquake.

The Shaking House

People there said that while they knew some safety measures, there were many more they didn't know. They also said they learned that earthquakes are part of nature like wind and rain. When it rains, people use umbrellas and coats to protect themselves. By learning safety measures and strengthening buildings, they can protect themselves during earthquakes too.

This is another example of how children can help their community be aware and prepare. Or, as they say in Australia, "Don't be scared, be prepared!"

Activities and photos by the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology, Iran, with UNICEF and UNESCO, as part of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.