Department of Public Health Sciences
Division of Social Medicine

Safe Community Monthly NewsIssue No.17
December 2008^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Dear Colleagues,

In this issue
17th Safe Community Conference
Christchurch- New Safe Community
JungJa-International Safe School
Safe Community Travelling Seminar
Congratulations!! Billie Weiss
Linfen Community China
News from VIP, WHO
Forthcoming conferences
Courses
Books and websites of interest

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We are proud to introduce another Safe Community from New
Zealand.
In this issue we have report from Christchurch conference.
News and reports of this issue are appended below. Same issue isalso available at our WHO Collaborating Centre on Community Safety
Promotion website: http://www.phs.ki.se/csp/who_newsletters_en.htm
Have a nice festive season!!
With warm regards
Leif Svanström, Responsible Editor
Koustuv Dalal, Editor

17th International Safe Community Conference

Some of the delegates at the closing ceremony

What an exciting time we all had at the 17th International Safe Communities Conference. For many,
especially those attending their first conference, it was a unique experience to be able to network with so manymembers of the International Safe Community network. Over 500 delegates from 38 countries attended theconference and all left with a greater understanding of the benefits of International Safe Communities.
The Safe Communities Foundation of New Zealand and the Christchurch City Council were proud to beco‐hosts for this world‐class conference and consider that the objectives of the conference were well met.
Delegates agreed that the conference provided an opportune moment for enhancing expertise, exchanging andtransferring knowledge, and facilitating partnerships at regional and global levels. The standard of thepresentations, both the keynote speakers and those presenting in the various streams was excellent. Bothduring and after the conference, many positive comments have been received including: “the best ISC
conference ever”; “very professional and inclusive”; “great networking, everyone was so friendly and welcoming”;“great to see a Mayor so passionate and informed about Safe Communities”; “intelligent and relevant presentations andI have lots of ideas to take back to my community”; “appreciated all the little extras such as the Safer Times Newsletters,
Cyber Café and professional and timely responses to queries from the organisers”. We hope that the contacts and1

networking will continue now that you are back in your communities. Remember being at the conference,
listening to speakers, and viewing the posters and exhibition stands
provided a wonderful opportunity to share ideas, experiences andspecialised knowledge, but the real action and outcomes will come when
you share all these ideas and strategies with your colleagues in yourcommunity. It is only in this way that the conference theme of “working
together to make a difference” will be put into practice.
On behalf of the other members of the organising committee – Lincoln
Papali’i, Tania Peters, Robyn Steel and Philipa Hay, we extend our best wishes to you all and hope to see you
again at future International Safe Community events.
Reporter: Tania Peters, New Zealand

Christchurch City New ZealandInternational Safe Communities Designation
Following a successful site visit on 10th June 2008 attended by 11 participating experts and observers, on
21st October 2008 Christchurch City became the 9th community in New Zealand and 144th International Safe
Community to achieve designation.
Christchurch City’s designation was anespecially significant occasion as the designation
ceremony was held as part of the 17th InternationalSafe Communities Conference. The designation
ceremony provided good opportunities for
networking with other designated and pending Safe
Communities. Over 500 delegates attended theconference and representatives from 70 different SafeCommunities
weretheretocongratulate
Christchurch on reaching the criteria to becomedesignated.
As part of the Safe Communities
tradition, to celebrate Christchurch’s designation,delegates from the designated Safe Communities
network presented Mayor Parker with gifts fromtheir communities.
Signatories for the Christchurch ceremony were Prof. Leif Svanstrom, the chair of the World HealthOrganisation’s Collaborating Centre on Community Safety Promotion, Dr Carolyn Coggan Director of theSafe Communities Foundation New Zealand, Bob Parker Mayor of Christchurch and Dave Cliff Canterbury
District Commander of New Zealand Police. It is envisaged that at a later date other key stakeholders in theChristchurch Strategy will become signatories.
Making Christchurch the safest city in New Zealand is the aim of the Safer Christchurch Strategy,adopted in September 2005 by the Christchurch City Council, to make the city a safer place to live, work andplay. The Strategy, overseen by the Safer Christchurch Interagency Group representing 21 agencies andsector representatives, focuses on injury prevention, road safety and crime prevention.
As Mayor Bob Parker, the chair of the Safer Christchurch
Interagency Group which oversees the Strategy said “Christchurch
City has always played a key role in community safety. The accreditation isfor everyone who has ever played a role in helping to make our community
safer; it is thanks to their commitment, leadership and innovation thatChristchurch is joining an elite group of world‐wide communities focussed
on making their place safer for residents and visitors alike. This does notmean Christchurch is ‘perfectly safe’ but rather that the community has
systems and processes in place to address safety, and all sectors of thecommunity are working together to increase the overall safety of its residents
and visitors”.
Further information www.safecommunities.org.nz/sc/chch

Reporter: Tania Peters, New Zealand2JungJa Elementary School: Designated International Safe Schools
On 28 October 2008, JungJa Elementary School in Suwon
Korea joined the International community of International
Safe Schools during a thrilling designation ceremony. Hostedon the campus of 1701 students aged 6 to 13 years of ages (1stthrough 6th grades), press, politicians, faculty, parents andinternational guests were treated to safety plays by students,
music and dance; inspiring speeches; and the an elegant
signing ceremony with the Student Council President Moon
Jong Cheon, Dr. Nam Soo Park (Coordinator International
Safe Schools‐ Korea), Principal Jong‐Saing Lim, Professor
Joon‐Pil Cho (Chair Certifying Centre for Safe Communities‐Korea), Superintendent Sung‐Jun Cho (Suwon Office ofEducation, Korea), Mayor Young‐Seo Kim (Suwon, Korea),
Max Vosskuhler (Peaceful Resources Centre‐ Affiliate Center for Safe Communities and International Safe
Schools Arizona, USA), and, Professor Leif Svanström (Chair, WHO CC Community Safety Promotion‐
Stockholm, Sweden).
More about the school, its activities, etc. can be found on its website: http://www.jungja.es.kr/ Principal Lim islooking forward to hosting fellow Principals during the 2010 International Safe Communities & Schools
Meeting March 23‐26, for a Principals for forum for International Safe Schools at JungJa.
Reporter & photographers: Max Vosskuhler & JuHee Huong

International Safe Community Traveling Seminar– New Zealand, 15 – 18 October 2008
The Waimakariri District was very proud to host 15 delegates from 10 countries on the recent InternationalSafe Community Travelling Seminar.
The first day of the seminar was a chance for Waimakariri to showcase some of its best initiatives anddelegates were welcomed to Woodend International Safe School with a traditional powhiri. Here we heard
from the staff and pupils about how they have developed a safe physical and emotional learning environment.
From there we visited two wonderfully inspiring Youth Projects that aim to give young people a help‐up.
YDOT (Youth Development Opportunities Trust) aims to give young men with no formal qualifications, aseries of life skills and work experiences that will prepare them to move into employment or further training.
Karanga Mai Young Parents College is an educational institutional working with young parents (mostlymothers aged from 14 years) to gain basic qualifications that will lead to further training or employment. One
wonderfully inspiring young mother told of her plans to embark on 9 years University study to become aPsychiatrist. The final visit of the day was to Coastguard – a voluntary NZ organization that works to keep
our coastlines and rivers safe.
From Waimakariri delegates flew to iconic Queenstown – one of New Zealand’s best known spots and wellknown for adventure tourism. Delegates took part in some of these pursuits but first heard about how wekeep our tourists safe so that they can enjoy the experience by managing the risk, and come back time andtime again to enjoy the thrill!
From here we travelled to Dunedin to visit the wellregarded Injury Prevention Research Unit at theUniversity of Otago.
Researchers presented threeprojects of interest. They were The New Zealand Drivers
Study: A follow‐up study of newly licensed drivers, aninternet‐based cognitive behaviour therapy self‐help for3

depression (RID), and an evaluation of Campus Watch. This was an excellent opportunity to hear about someunique New Zealand research. Following a morning of sitting and listening, delegates had the opportunity toclimb the Worlds Steepest Street, Baldwin Street in North Dunedin before a very long bus trip, along thebeautiful east coast to Moeraki and inland through to glimpse New Zealand’s tallest mountain, Aoraki, Mount
Cook and on to Lake Tekapo. Presentations by ALAC – Alcohol Advisory
Council of New Zealand painted a very dark picture of the harm alcoholcauses in New Zealand, and from shared discussions, around the world.
The final day concluded with a visit to a High Country sheep station where
we saw Health and Safety in practice and delegates had the opportunity toenjoy a traditional Kiwi BBQ and some great hospitality.
Hosted by Sandra James, Linsey Burgess and Graeme Barber fromMount Cook
Waimakariri International Safe Community, this seminar was a great opportunity for delegates to see and hearabout best practice New Zealand community safety projects, to get to know each other, to hear about eachothers projects and work, and share ideas for future projects ‐ in the true Safe Community spirit. A huge
thank‐you from Waimakariri to our wonderful delegates – we really enjoyed your company and theopportunity to get to know you all.
Reporter: Sandra James, Photographer: Koustuv Dalal

Congratulations Billie Weiss, 2008 California Peace Prize Honoree
We congratulate our friend, colleague and UNITY (Urban Networks toIncrease Thriving Youth) Co‐Chair Billie Weiss on being honored with a2008 California Peace Prize by The California Wellness Foundation.
Billie was acknowledged for her pioneering public‐health research thathelps community‐based organizations become more effective inpreventing violence.
L to R: Deborah Prothrow Stith, Billie Weiss and Larry Cohen

Linfen community, China promoted
the anti-theft work of Bicycle and Battery car
Since early 2008, after the acquisition of 90 anti‐theft pile for the residents by the Working Group on public
security in the community, the theft of Bicycle and Battery car was on a downward trend by comparing thefigures. In order to further the effectiveness of the anti‐theft work of Bicycle and Battery car, and to improve
the living sense of security, the Working Group on public security in the community has set up 90 anti‐theft
pile for Bicycle and Battery car in September. The initiatives for the people which were done by the Working
Group on public security have been praised by the Community residents.

New web site highlights what works to prevent violence
On 25 November, WHO and Liverpool John Moores Universityʹs Centre for Public Health launched a ViolencePrevention evidence base on the web. Violence is responsible for 1.6 million deaths a year, as many as
tuberculosis and more than malaria. Violence, however, can be prevented and its impact reduced by adopting
an evidence‐based public health approach. Such an approach seeks to prevent violence before it occurs by
reducing the factors that place people at risk and reinforcing those which protect them. This website provides
an evidence‐based violence prevention resource for policy makers, practitioners, and others working toprevent violence. It includes a searchable data base of abstracts from published studies that measure theeffectiveness of interventions to prevent child abuse, elder abuse, intimate partner violence, sexual violence,youth violence, and sexual violence; key publications and resources on violence and its prevention;
information and links to the global Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), a WHO‐led network of organizations
dedicated to preventing violence using the public health approach; news and updates on violence prevention;and links to relevant organizations and resources for violence prevention informationʺ.ʺNew ViolencePrevention Evidence Base: http://www.nwph.net/preventviolence/default.aspx
Reporter: Christopher Mikton, WHO, Geneva.

4Forthcoming Safety and Injury Conferences2009•

1st Eastern Mediterranean Regional Conference
Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion
Development and Safety - Together
10-12 February 2009
Cairo, Egypt
15 August 2008 Close of abstract submissions
For information: http://www.emro.who.int/vip/ipsp•9th National Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion
26-28 July, 2009
Melbourne, Australia
www.injuryprevention2009.com
Abstract submission closes on 10 November 2008.

•18th International Conference on Safe Communities
Community Safety Policies as an axis for development

August 13 – 15, 2009
Cali, Colombia
First Announcement: English Spanish
For information: www.cisalva.univalle.edu.co

5th Asian Regional Conference on Safe Communities (ARCSC)
Safety, Health, Harmony
18-20 October 2009 NEW DATE!
Beijing, China
China Occupational Safety & Health Association (COSHA)
http://www.cosha.org.cn
First Announcement: http://www.cosha.org.cn//upload/1224465633423324.pdf
Date not changed in the Announcement yet!
Abstract deadline: 30 March 2009
Contact persons: Ms Wu Yanhua and Mr Liu Yan. E-mail: 2009ascc@cosha.org.cn

Senior Safety- future challenges
Nordic Conference21 -22 October 2009
Karlstad, SwedenFirst Announcement and Call for Abstracts
Abstract deadline: 27 February, 2009
For information: Dr Tommy Rosenberg, Head of Knowledge Centre for Senior Safety, Karlstad , Sweden
Tommy.Rosenberg@Karlstad.se2010•19th International Safe Communities Conference
Sustainability of Safe Community Programs 23- 26 March, 2010

Suwon, Korea
For information: jpcho@ajou.ac.kr

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Course RESEARCH EDUCATION Course 2009
Courses 2009
6th International Course - A Ph.D. Course: Rsearch in Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion: Designs,Methods & Analysis, October - November 2009 (5 weeks)
Stockholm, Sweden, 7.5 Credits
Application deadline: 15 April 2009
Course information:
Course Organizer: Reza Mohammadi, MD, MPH, PhD
Email: Reza.Mohammadi@ki.se
Phone: +46 8 7373775
Fax: +46 8 30 73 51


Courses 2009/ 2010
4th International Ph.D. Course on Internet
INJURY SURVEILLANCE AND CODING
1 October 2009 - 31 March 2010 (25% rate)
7,5 Credits
Course information:
Course Organizer: Professor Lars-Gunnar Hörte
lars-gunnar.horte@ki.seRisk managementʺ and ʺHospitals safetyʺ courses, which will take place on January, 2009 in Santiago, Chile,during the XI International Summer School on Public Health.
For further information about the courses (schedules, fares, etc.), please visit www.saludpublica.uchile.cl .

Books and websites of interest
‘The Way Forward’ Transportation Planning and Road Safety. Authors: Geetam Tiwari, Dinesh Mohan and Nicol
Muhlrad. ISBN 1403 92502 X, Macmillan India Ltd. New Delhi.

Abuse of Elderly in Europe. http://www.abuel.org/

“Violence, Dangerousnes in the day by day living ʺ. Edited by Rosgal. Montevideo. 2002. Free
version at SitioMedico: http://www.sitiomedico.com.uy/artnac/maltzman.pdf
and in Amadeo Guestbook, The Medical Literature Guide ( Code 1234 ? 2/20/02). New 2005‐2006 Edition.

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 )6