Courtesy: FIAPO: looking for volunteers (on behalf of Aparn Sharma-Convenor)

Courtesy: FIAPO on behalf of Aparn Sharma (Convenor) 

Dear friends,

One of the Federation’s central aims is to build the capacity of organisations and individuals to do more effective work, and this includes helping them learn how to act efficiently and quickly in the context of unexpected events, or when projects new to them are undertaken and they need help in deciding what to do next. This week itself, there have been at least 2 instances where people have written in for FIAPO to do xyz. In order to be able to respond to such situations that often arise, FIAPO is looking at setting up a "Current Events Response Centre". This is how the response centre would operate:

The Response Centre would provide guidelines for action in many situations simply by providing Standard Operating Procedures—pre-fabricated written step-by-step “how to” documents that can help clarify, for example, the various branches of bureaucracies and what they do, in what circumstances an FIR or RTI is appropriate and how to prepare it, etc.
But there are unlimited circumstances that fall outside the scope of what can be written in advance and for general purposes; circumstances where experienced and customized guidance will be invaluable.
FIAPO is looking for volunteers interested in helping to advise and support activists when they approach problems beyond their experience or expertise.

If you would be willing to add your name and area of interest to a roster, as circumstances arise we may call on you for help.

Please indicate whether your area of interest or experience is related to:
- Companion animals
- Farmed animals
- Police work
- Education (please specify whether children, teens or adults)
- Wildlife (poaching, illegal trade and wildlife rescue)
- Animals used in research
- Entertainment (circuses, novelty acts like elephants, etc)
- Others

You may be asked to help with one or more of the following:

- Evaluate the urgency of the problem reported
- Estimate resources needed to solve the problem
- Provide the available prepared written information including computer links to useful resources
- Listen to the variables of the specific problem taking into account the experience and other resources of the person reporting the problem
- Help guide or, when appropriate, assist in communicating to the people most likely able to intervene to stop the problem
The idea is not that you, as volunteer, should take the place of the activist, but rather, to encourage and improve the abilities of others to gather and build their own internal resources for tackling the problem.
In addition to particular subject specific expertise and volunteers, the Federation would also like to identify a manager for this Centre who will field all incoming calls. This position is at present voluntary and requires considerable experience in successfully tackling a wide variety of animal related situations. It also requires a knack for helping others along the way. If you feel you would be suitable for this position or if you know someone else who you feel fits the bill, please send me an email (arpan.samrakshan@gmail.com). In your email, please include a narrative of your experience with this sort of work or the experience of the person you are suggesting.
We hope that through this initiative, we will over time be able to support animal activists with the situations they face and through this improve the support animal welfare in general.

I look forward to hearing from you and moving this important initiative forward with the help of all of you wonderful people who are doing so much everyday to help animals.

Arpan Sharma
Convenor