THE Myanmar Red Cross Society discussed plans for future trainings and other programs at its 61st Central Council Meeting held at Yangon’s University of Nursing on July 14 and 15.

The participants, which included senior officials from the society’s state and division branches, discussed the organisation’s structure at the meeting, followed by presentations by the heads of each of the society’s departments.
During its presentation the Development and Coordination Unit revealed plans to send two young Red Cross volunteers to Japan.

Daw Khin Myo Myat Thein, a development coordinator at the unit, said the volunteers will attend the International Youth Exchange Program 2007 organised by the Japanese Red Cross from November 15 to 27 in Tokyo and Mt Fuji.

“The society will select two volunteers between the ages of 15 and 18 by interview on August 1, from among a total of 17 candidates from different states and divisions,” she said.

The Japanese Red Cross has organised the program for young volunteers from 26 Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in the Asia-Pacific Region, to allow them to share ideas on issues that challenge youths and to promote friendship and cultural understanding among participants.

Meanwhile, the society’s Health Division said at the meeting that it was planning to provide a training course for Red Cross members from 14 townships in eastern Bago Division about bird flu prevention.

The course will be held in the second week of August in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund.

The society first provided such training courses in Yangon in April and Mandalay in June, followed by a training course for Red Cross members from 14 townships from western Bago Division from July 16 to 18.

The society will hold similar courses in Sagaing Division in September, said Dr Thike Htun, a deputy head of the Health Division.

Dr Aung Kyaw Htut, the head of the Training Division, said a training course about life-guarding at sea will also be provided for Red Cross members from lower Myanmar in October.

“The society will cooperate with Navy officials in Thandwe township in Rakhine State for the training,” he said.

He said two training courses on psychological support for disaster victims had also been provided for Red Cross members from July 2 to 6 and July 9 to 13 in collaboration with the Psychology Department at the University of Yangon.

The society’s Communication Division is also planning to introduce a Red Cross website including information about society’s history and the current activities of each division.

“But we are still working on getting a domain name for the website,” said Daw Myint Myint Oo, an information officer.

U Kyaw Soe, the head of the Disaster Management Division, said the division will buy 10,000 sets of family emergency kits to be stocked in 19 warehouses throughout Myanmar for distribution in the event of a disaster.

The society, which temporarily moved it headquarters to Yangon’s Hlaing township in March, hopes to renovate its old headquarters on Strand Road in Botahtaung township by next May.