North Carolina peace initiative to become model for National Guard Bureau
| February 16, 2011 | |
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North Carolina’s Partnership for Peace Initiative, which includes the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, may become a model for the country’s National Guard Bureau (NGB), which hopes to establish similar programs in all 54 U.S. states and territories.
Bill Gentry, left, attended the Feb. 16 international affairs briefing with Col. James A. Cohn, of the N.C. National Guard.
The public health school hosted an international affairs briefing on Feb. 16 with representatives from the NGB, headquartered in Washington, D.C., and the North Carolina National Guard Bilateral Affairs Office. UNC, including its student-run Engineers Without Borders chapter, partners with the North Carolina National Guard, N.C. Secretary of State’s office and a number of other civic groups, universities, professional associations and individuals to work with the governments of Moldova and Botswana to improve health of people there. The Partnership for Peace initiative was introduced by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in January 1994 as a response to the aftermath of the Cold War. Program events reflect ongoing world issues and revolve around current peace support, disaster relief, counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation operations. Typical scenarios include natural disasters, terrorist attacks or political disruption in partner nations.North Carolina has been “partnered” with Moldova since April 1999 and with Botswana since February 2008.
“North Carolina has consistently provided more diverse, sustainable assistance to our partnership countries, year in and year out, than other partnership states,” said Bill Gentry, director of the Community Preparedness and Disaster Management program and lecturer in the UNC Department of Health Policy and Management. In May 2010, Gentry, a leader in the peace initiative, received the government of Moldova’s “Honorary Rescuer” medal.
The meeting at UNC was a roundtable discussion about the university’s participation and coordination efforts with the North Carolina National Guard. Also participating from the public health school were Peggy Bentley, PhD, associate dean for global health and professor of nutrition; Eugenia Eng, DrPH, professor of health behavior and health education; and Brenda Motsinger, MS, director of special projects.
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu. |
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