Department of Public Health Sciences
Division of Social Medicine

Issue No.3

October 2007
Dear Colleagues,
Thanks for your overwhelming support and response with the second issue of ‘Safe Community
Monthly News’.
In this issue we have included information of Safety related Conferences, Awards and Courses
around the world.
We are encouraging all Safe Communities, affiliate centres and certifying centres around thecontinents to send more news and event information. At the same time we are also
encouraging the individual safety experts to be united with fellows in your own country to plan,
implant ideas and establish more safe communities. We are ever ready to provide supports inthis regard.
Thanks for your continuous support for ‘Safe Community News’. Please send your news andevent information to the technical editor.
News and reports of this issue are appended below. Same issue is also available at our WHO
CC on CSP website: http://www.phs.ki.se/csp/who_newsletters_en.htm
With warm regards
Leif Svanström, Responsible Editor
Koustuv Dalal, Technical Editor
Content:
1. Safe Community movement in Japan …………………………………… Page 2
2. Traffic education day in the Czech Republic …………………………. Page 2
3. Growing Safe Community interest in USA……………………………… Page 3
4. Alcohol after dark ………………………. ………………………………………… Page 4
5. Safe Community planning for future at Lidköping, Sweden .. Page 4
6. Safe Community movement in China……………………………………. Page 5
7. Martha Stowe moves on Safe Community movement ………….. Page 6
8. Dawn Spinks shines for Safe Communities …………………………. Page 6
9. Announcement: 2nd International Safety Media Awards ……. Page 7
10.Forthcoming Safety and injury conferences ……………………….. Page 7
11.Course News ………………………………………………………………………... Page 8

N.B. For any email regarding ‘Safe Community Monthly News’ please do write ‘SCMN’ at the
subject box.

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1. Safe Community movement at Kameoka City, Kyoto, Japan
Kameoka City had its official site visit for Safe Community designation on September 21st and22nd. The city of Kameoka is located next to Kyoto City which is one of the most well known
and historical cities in Japan.
On the first day of the site visit, government
officials at Kameoka city and Kyoto prefecture
explained about programs of safety promotion toProfessor Leif Svanstrom from the WHO Collaborating
Center on Community Safety Promotion and Professor
Joon Pil Cho from the Certifying Center in Korea. Thenboth professors visited some safety promotion
activities in the city.
On the second day, a leader of one of 23 neighborhood
self-government associations called “JICHI-KAI” in thecity explained about activities for development of theirneighborhood communities. Since JICHI-KAIs are wellorganized volunteer based organizations which are set up all neighborhood communities in thecity, Kameoka City is working with them as is active partners for Safe Community project.
Prof. Leif Svanstrom and Prof. Joon Pil Cho
are listening to Safety Promotion activities
by JICHIKAI.

As a result of the site visit, Kameoka City was assured to be designated as a member of theInternational Safe Community Network shortly. During that period, Kameoka city will update
their report including all the activities of community programs to share their experience withother communities in Japan as well as other countries.
On September 23rd, Kyoto Prefecture hosted a Symposium on Safe Community in Kameoka
City. Since the symposium was open to everyone who was interested in Safe Community andsafety promotion, there were quite some people from outside Kameoka City and Kyoto
prefectures, even though it was held the middle of a long weekend. Professor Leif Svanstromfrom the WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion and Professor Nam-Soo
Park from the Certifying Center in Korea made Keynote speeches about the concept andinternational movement of Safe Community.

Prof. Leif Svanstrom (left) and Prof. Nam Soo Park (right) are making speeches about Safe Community.

2. Traffic Education Day at the Centre of Road Accident Prevention in
Prague, the Czech Republic
Every year many towns and cities in the Czech Republic make its own efforts in order tosupport healthy lifestyle and to protect environment within the European Mobility Week. One of
the key elements of many actions taken across the whole countries is a road safety. This is thereason why the Centre of Road Accident Prevention of the Ministry of Interior and the Czech
Police Force and its partners including Municipality of Prague, WHO Country Office and private
sector have organised the Traffic Education Day on 19th September 2007. In the premises of
the Czech Police Force Museum in Prague, where the Centre of Accident Prevention is situated,children had the opportunity to check their knowledge and skills of the Highway Code, to rideon 2 traffic parks, to lean how important are cycle helmets and retro reflexive materials andlast but not least to visit traffic halls of the Museum, mainly devoted to road accident
prevention history.

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At the press conference the director of the Museum, Ms Marcela Machutova, announced adrawing contest for elementary school children on road safety. The topic chosen is “Childrenand Dangers in Road Traffic”. This contest, sponsored by NESTLE, is open for any child fromthe Czech Republic.
This event – a part of the Centre´s activities within the European Road Safety Charter visited
more than 700 children and we are looking forward to organise it next year.

3. Interest in Safe Community membership is growing in the US
Donna Stein-Harris, Executive Director of Home and Community Partnerships and Initiatives
for the US National Safety Council, made a site visit to the WHO Collaborating Centre on
Community Safety Promotion to discuss the development of a US Safe Communities network.
While in Stockholm, Ms. Stein Harris had several conversations with Dr. Svanström, and wasable to enjoy two days of warm autumn temperatures.
“Both the visit and the weather were spectacular,” said Ms.
Stein Harris, “and after my visit, I’m able to bring back the
WHO perspective on programme development to our many
partners in the US. Interest in Safe Communities designation
is growing in the US. It was a great time to visit and consult
with Dr. Svanström, as we expect to have several new
applicants for designation on board in the next year.”
The National Safety Council is a nonprofit, nongovernmental, public service organization
dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. The NSC is a membership organization,founded in 1913 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1953. Members include more than
55,000 businesses, labor organizations, schools, public agencies, private groups andindividuals. Individuals associated with Council number in the hundreds of thousands aroundthe US. Ms. Stein Harris has been given the go-ahead by the National Safety Council and theCentre to serve as a national advisor to new US applicants, and the National Safety Council is
on line to receive its Affiliate Centre status next month, at its annual conference, which
normally receives about 15,000 participants.
The Council has been working with potential SC programmes for over a year and half, and thisspring, two applicant communities- Omaha, Nebraska and Springfield, Missouri- obtained their
SC designations. “Omaha and Springfield have led the way,” says Ms. Stein Harris, “but there
are many other communities in the US that have developed partnerships that have improved
safety in their areas. Our job is to mentor these communities, and make sure they understandthe benefits of joining up with an international network. We hope that we can share our own
experiences with our international partners, as we learn from them, as well.”34. Victorian Safe Communities Network hosts a forum - Alcohol After Dark:
the critical issues
On 16 May 2007, the Victorian Safe Communities Network held another successful forum Alcohol After Dark: the critical issues – attended by 100 people to examine alcohol
consumption and related harms, and the problems these cause in entertainment precincts inlocal communities.
Three speakers - Michael Livingston (Centre
for Alcohol Policy Research), Dr John Wiggers(University of Newcastle) and Dr John
Toumbourou (Deakin University) - provided
research findings on the impact of excess
alcohol consumption and programs to address
the associated harms. The speakers (above)
are being introduced by VSCN C-Chair, Senior
Sergeant Tim Hardiman.
In the workshop facilitated by Geoff Munro (Australian Drug Foundation), participants wereinvited to examine issues such as planning, liquor licensing enforcement, anti-social
behaviours, binge drinking, incident and emergency response, management of licensed
venues, community amenity, the promotion of alcohol, and the density of alcohol outlets, toprioritise the key issues. Three principal issues emerged.

Local planning powers to enable local government authorities to consider the impact of thedensity of licensed premises, including packaged liquor outlets, in local communities throughlocal planning processes, and to integrate policies on liquor licensing approvals to ensure thatplanning decisions benefit communities.
Training such as the Responsible Service of Alcohol training could include strategies to reduce
alcohol-related harms and their impact on the community. Training packages for local
government planners in relation to the density impact of licensed premises and the impact ofdifferent forms of liquor licences would be useful.

Outlet density and licence type requires further research to determine the impacts of liquor
outlet density and confirm existing research findings from other jurisdictions. Research should
identify which types of licensed premises are of greatest concern in relation to alcohol outlet
density, to better inform local government planning processes and potentially lead to ‘caps’
being placed on liquor outlets and licensed venues where there is already a high density ofoutlets.
Participants identified the principal strategies to address the key issues:
Stakeholder forums to respond to issues related to licensed venues; many local communities
have established “accords” with local licensed venues to assist cooperation in reducing theimpact of licensed premises on communities.

Awareness raising – to highlight awareness of the impacts of intoxication among licensees
encompassing the potential financial benefits and social outcomes of good venue management.
Messages about personal responsibility could also be better conveyed to the generalcommunity.
Guidelines produced by a central agency for the local government sector would assist local
authorities to consider the health, social and economic impacts of licensed venues andpackaged liquor outlets. These guidelines could also incorporate recommended monitoring andenforcement measures. A complementary set of guidelines, or code of conduct, could be
developed for licensed venues.

45. Lidköping planning for the future!
A group of 35 safety promotion experts met in Lidköping, Sweden’s City Hall in early
September 2007 to discuss plans for future Safe Communities work. The meeting is only oneof several hundreds that have taken place in Lidköping, which is home to the first designatedSafe Community in the world.
“The designation took place in September 1989, almost twenty years ago,” said Robert Ekman,
who was present during the designation, and at the current meeting. “Today, some of thebabies to whom we first gave infant car seats are parents!”
The pioneers of Lidköping’s early safety work, including Professor Leif Svanström, Kerstin
Svanström and Associate Professor Ekman, were in attendance as the meeting was hosted by
Kjell Hedvall, who is head of the Steering Committee for Lidköping’s municipal government.
Mr. Hedvall was joined by Vice-Chair Carin Lexmon, along with other chairs of municipal
committees, including the local committee with oversight for Public Health programs. Other
safety promoters who were present to share their insight included representatives from e.g.
the Police Department, Rescue Services, Traffic Safety Authority, Public Works, Child HealthCare, Education Department, Social Welfare Department, and voluntarily organizations,
including those promoting safety for older residents of Lidköping.
Many of Lidköping’s SC staff andvolunteers were on hand for the
meeting- and happily, many of the faces
are still the same. Longevity is key
feature of this programme, as it has only
had a few leaders over its lifespan.
Many new faces were on hand, too- theconcept has to be reinvented andintroduced to local government, as these
positions change.
Lidköping’s Safe Community is a pioneer,both on the national and international
scene, in terms of injury prevention andsafety promotion work. Recent data
indicates a steady decrease in injuries tochildren and in hip fractures in elders.
Studiesanalyzingandcomparing
Lidköping’s childhood injury patterns toother Swedish communities have foundthat
Lidköping’s
childhoodinjuryhospitalizations
hasdecreased
substantially, indicating that community
safety promotion is working.

Friends met in Lidköping to celebrate 20 years of success: Fromleft, Chair Kjell Hedvall; Public Health Planner Elisabeth Brandt;
Kerstin Svanström, who was one of the first Health Planners in
Skaraborg County Council; Professor Leif Svanström, Karolinska
Institutet; Carin Lexmon, Vice Chair; Municipal Director Kenth
Lindström; and Associate Professor Robert Ekman, Karolinska
Institutet and Swedish Rescue Services Agency.

At the end of the meeting, the last question put to Lidköping’s Safe Communities supporters
was whether or not to reapply for a THIRD time, for Safe Communities status. It is not
surprising that the yes vote was unanimous. In 2008, Lidköping looks forward to its third
decade, promoting safety for all its residents.

6. China: Yingshi Street Community was awarded one of the first groups ofnational safe community
On September 4th, 2007, the meeting for recognizing the first group of National Safe
Community was held in Shen Yang City. Yingshi Street Community in Huaiyin District, Jinan
City, Shandong Province was awarded National Safe Community. It is the only community thatis awarded this honor in Jinan.
Yingshi Street Community is one of 14 communities in Huaiyin District Jinan City. In order tobuild a safe community to make the residents have a healthy and orderly living environment,
Yingshi street Community have done a lot since 2005. They made a lot of efforts in preventing

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injuries in school, family, community, and removed accident potentials. In these three years,
no accident or injuries occur in this community. People in this community called it “small
community, great safety”.

7. Good luck to Martha Stowe!
After more than a decade in Injury Prevention work in Dallas, Texas, USA, Martha Stowe isleaving the Injury Prevention Center to take a new job, working with a private foundation.
Martha's work as director for the Injury Prevention Centre of Greater Dallas is regarded as
innovative, and demonstrates how local communities can cooperate to bring about safer
neighborhoods, and improvement in quality of life. In one award-winning programme, Martha
and staff found that car seat use in Hispanic families was quite low. They worked with a local
priest to bless the car seats, which were then distributed and used to great effect! Martha is
the recipient of an International Safe Communities Recognition'My time working at the Centre was one of the bestperiods of my life,' says Martha. 'The Centre’s
experienced
staff,
ourorganizing
committees(reference groups), and the local community members
have been nothing short of fantastic. I feel certain that
the Centre will continue to take on injury prevention
challenges, and to demonstrate to the rest of worldthat local safety promotion works.'
Martha's many friends and community partners join theInternational Safe Communities network in wishing her
the very best in her new career. You will be missed!

8. Dawn Spinks shines for Safe Communities
On 22 September Dawn Spinks, the vice chair of the Australian Safe Communities Foundation,
won the community service category of the Redland's Women Making A Difference Awards
2007.
This was in recognition of service to the Redland
shire in which she lives. There were 39 people
short listed. There were state and federal
politicians attending the presentation, so thiswin by Dawn has managed to bring the Safe
Communities program to the attention of some
important leaders in Queensland and Australia
who now appreciate more fully the need andvalue of safe communities.
There were over 100 people at the awards
ceremony but most importantly members of
Redland Shire Council whom have indicated toDawn that they are committed to setting up
Safe Communities in their shire.
Dawn won the award because apart from all of her other community work (counseling,supporting mental health initiatives, range of charity work, excellent communications skills andan open door policy and supporting individuals and families in need) she has integrity, andcompassion and what was most strongly featured was her passion for making the Redlands
and Australia a safer place to live, work and play through the safe communities program.
This achievement deserves to be celebrated and applauded – Dawns win is a Safe
Communities win in many ways because of the positive light it shines on safe communities.

69. Announcement: 2nd International Safety Media Awards
The Second International Seguridad/Safety Media Awards (ISMA) will be heldin Merida, Yucatan, Mexico March 16-18, 2008.
Guidelines and entry information is available at www.teachingstory.com. There is no fee tosubmit media, and no limit to the number of print, audio or video pieces you
can enter. The organizers are accepting entries in two divisions: Adult and Youth (18and under) and three categories: print, video and audio.

10. Forthcoming Safety and Injury Conferences
2007
•
•

PrePre-Conference Seminar on Injury Surveillance Of the 4 th Asian Regional Conference
on Safe Communities Bangkok, 21 November
4th Asian
Asian Regional Conference on Safe Communities
2222-24 November 2007 Bangkok, Thailand

Incorporating Global Thinking, Cultivating Local Strategy
Abstracts Submission: Dead Line: 31 May 2007•

2525-26 November PostPost-ConferenceTsunami
ConferenceTsunami visit
For information:
Dr. Adisak Plitponkarnpim raapp@mahidol.ac.th
Mahippathorn Chinnapha johnny@stjohn.ac.th
www.safethai2007.com•

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) National Home Injury
Prevention Congress, 2007, Thistle Hotel, Cheltenham, England, 12-13 November
2007. http://www.rospa.com/home/index.htm> or contact events@rospa.com

2008•

Young People, Crime and Community Safety: engagement and early intervention,
Melbourne, 25-26 February 2008.
http://www.aic.gov.au/conferences/2008-YoungPeople/•

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) 73rd Road Safety Congress Securing Wider Engagement in Road Safety. Crowne Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, Scotland,
February 25-27, 2008.
Visit: http://www.rospa.com/road/index.htm#call or contact events@rospa.com .

•The 9th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion
1515-18 March 2008, Mérida, Yucatan Mexico
http://www.safety2008mx.info/
Abstracts: Submission deadline was until July 13, 2007
Early Bird Registration
Registration: will be extended until July 30, 2007
Online Registration and Payment is available at http://www.safety2008mx.info
Conference Secretariat at: safety2008@insp.mx•••

7th Nordic Safe Community Conference 2727-28 May 2008,
2008 Oslo, Norway
For information: peter.koren@chello.no
17th International Safe Communities Conference
20th – 23 October 2008
Christchurch, New Zealand
For further information visit: http://www.safecom2008.org.nz/
email: contact@scfnz.org.nz or robyn.steel@ccc.govt.nz

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11.
11. Courses
Courses•

4th International Course - A Ph.D. Level Course”Research in Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion: Designs, Methods & Analysis”
Analysis”
21 January - 22 February 2008, Stockholm, Sweden.
Karolinska Catalogue Code: 1888
Application deadline: 15 October 2007

For further information:
Course Organizer: Reza Mohammadi, MD, MPH, PhD
Email: Reza.Mohammadi@ki.se,
Phone: +46 8 7373775, Fax: +46 8 33 46 93, +46 8 30 73 51•

10--16 December 2007
'International Course on Transportation Planning and Safety'; 10The course will be held in Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India.
For more information visit: http://web.iitd.ac.in/~tripp/course/courseRframe.htm
Contact: Mrs. Arati Walia
E.mail: awconfer@vsnl.com
Phone: +91-11-26849399, 26919377, Fax: 2684 8343¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤WHO Collaborating Centre for Community Safety Promotion
Karolinska Institutet
Department of Public Health Sciences
Division of Social Medicine
Norrbacka 2nd Floor, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
Communication: Koustuv Dalal (Email: koustuv.dalal@ki.se )8