As part of its corporate responsibility efforts, DNV entered into a partnership with the Red Cross in 2004. Through the partnership, which was recently extended for another three-year period, DNV is working to make a difference in many of the countries where it has a presence.
Building on former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan’s ideas that peace and prosperity cannot be achieved without partnerships involving governments, international organisations, the business community and civil society, DNV entered into its partnership with the Red Cross in 2004 following an online vote among DNV’s employees. Employees all over the world were asked which humanitarian organisation would be their preferred partner, and the Red Cross was chosen by the vast majority.
In addition to DNV’s corporate partnership with the Red Cross, DNV offices worldwide are encouraged to establish concrete cooperation with national Red Cross units. The aim is to give employees the opportunity to get involved in Red Cross/Red Crescent projects with a local focus and relevance.
The partnership is founded on the exchange of knowledge, in addition to DNV giving financial support to Red Cross programmes. The Red Cross will benefit from the greater cross-fertilisation of ideas to address complex problems, and will obtain more and stronger advocacy of its mission and practical help in delivering services. For DNV, the partnership is expected to promote understanding of the humanitarian situation in the geographical areas in which DNV operates.
Focus on water
The primary focus of the partnership is water issues. Access to clean drinking water and sanitation is crucial to the alleviation of poverty and the achievement of sustainable development. The UN Millennium Development Goal for Water is to “halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water”. In line with this global agenda, DNV has supported Red Cross water projects in Indonesia, China and Kenya, resulting in thousands of people gaining access to clean water.
In Kajiado, south of Nairobi, DNV has sponsored a three-year water and sanitation project that was completed in 2006.
A population of 5 500 people in two villages now has access to clean drinking water from drilled wells, and support for a third village is currently being planned.
Focusing on access to clean water, the partnership has also resulted in the development of Emergency Response Units (ERUs). These units consist of water experts and tools necessary for utilising ground water for drinking. The ground water is accessed by either digging shallow wells or drilling bore holes. DNV has sponsored two drilling rigs; one has been drilling wells in Aceh, Indonesia, and one in Mozambique.
In China, DNV is currently working with the Chinese Red Cross on clean water and sanitation projects for the benefit of villagers in Jilin Province in north-eastern China. The partnership is based on the exchange of competence, and the Chinese Red Cross has recently provided first-aid training to over 70 DNV employees. Other initiatives in China are in the pipeline.
In addition, the Norwegian Red Cross has developed ambulance services in the former Yugoslavia, and DNV has contributed IT expertise. New administrative and medical IT systems have been implemented in Belgrade, and DNV has helped to ensure their sustainable operation. DNV has also sponsored two ambulances in Lebanon.
An action plan is currently being developed by the two partners to ensure a common structure for activities and milestones over the next three years. DNV offices worldwide will be encouraged to establish practical cooperation with national Red Cross units.
For more information: www.dnv.com/partners