Grantee Profiles

Founding Chairman

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 15:43:37GMT

Chuck Feeney, Atlantics Donor and Founder, proposes periodic grants to the Board that better the lives of people in many countries. These grants generally pertain to the expansion, usually through co-financing, of building projects for higher education and medical research facilities. In 2007, eight Founding Chairman grants totalled approximately $128.4 million.

One key focus is to encourage medical researchers and university leaders at Atlantic-supported institutions in the United States, Australia and Viet Nam to connect with their counterparts across borders to collaborate on research in an effort to develop biomedical breakthroughs greater than any single institution can achieve alone.

The ultimate goal is to generate sustainable scientific progress and bring state-of-the-art medical care to more disadvantaged and vulnerable people. These efforts include the development of human vaccines for dengue fever, animal vaccines to prevent slaughters of herds from epidemics, establishment of advanced neurological imaging facilities and collaboration on nursing projects to tackle skills shortages.

In Australia, Founding Chairman grants over ten years have resulted in the creation of a biomedical sector through systematic funding of several key institutions, primarily in Queensland.

This work echoed a similar logic behind higher education grants in Ireland. Several years of investment in many underfinanced institutions and sections of the country increased knowledge, research and access to education that culminated in a powerful engine for the Irish economy.

The largest grant in 2007 was a $75 million matching grant to support research and treatment for the Cardiovascular Research Institute initiative at the University of California, San Francisco. Other Founding Chairman grants included support for construction of a Life Sciences Complex at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa; and two grants at the University of Limerick in Ireland for student housing and scholarships for the Medical School, and a new performance and academic facility for the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance.

Biomedicine Advances - Australia

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:28:32GMT

Since 1998, Founding Chairman grants totalling A$213 million ($200 million) have transformed biomedical research in Queensland, Australia. Coupled with government and university investments of A$530 million ($500 million), we have helped to build or expand nine research institutions.

The biotech industry here was virtually nonexistent ten years ago: zero drugs out of Queensland biotech were in clinical trial; now there are 23. There are six or seven times as many workers, six or seven times as much revenue, said Professor Peter Andrews, Chief Scientist for the state.

One researcher is Professor Ian Frazer, Director of the University of Queenslands Diamantina Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine and 2006 Australian of the Year. In 1991, he and the late Jian Zhou developed the technology for the vaccine used to prevent cervical cancer. Professor Frazers current research involves immunoregulation and immunotherapeutic vaccines, including treating genital warts, the most common sexually transmitted disease.

Atlantic also helped establish the regions first stroke unit at the Royal Brisbane and Womens Hospital. Its outreach programme provides state-of-the-art treatment for inpatients and outpatients.

Queenslands success, including collaborative research networks with other institutions globally, serves as a model for other research institutes looking to expand their influence.

Defending Workers' Rights Across Racial Lines

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:14:49GMT

Aside from physical devastation, Hurricane Katrina created opposing demographic trends simultaneously in the Gulf Coast region. New Orleans, which had been majority African American, now has a white majority. Adding to the complexity was the arrival of thousands of immigrants, mainly Spanish-speaking, looking for work.

Alongside the tensions that surface when communities are forced by tragedy to co-exist as never before, new opportunities arise to address common problems such as finding decent work.

In a Wild West-like recovery period, most workers in the Gulf Coast have faced poor pay, abuse and wage theft, says Minor Sinclair, Oxfam Americas U.S. Regional Director. We have an opening here to defend workers rights across racial lines.

Our three-year grant supports Oxfam Americas Gulf Coast Immigrant and Worker Rights Initiative, which partners with local organisations including the New Orleans Center for Racial Justice, Mississippi Immigrant Rights Alliance, Pro Bono Project, Louisiana Justice Institute and Puentes, Inc.
Together, they defend peoples rights through state policy advocacy, impact litigation, leadership development and public campaigns.

To overcome exploitation, there must be a greater sense of understanding among all communities, says Mr. Sinclair. The presence of immigrants in the Gulf Coast cant be an excuse to drive down wages and drive up abuses.

Encouraging Respect for Differences while Recognising Shared Identities

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:02:10GMT

The Forum on Migration and Communications (FOMACS), based in the Dublin Institute of Technology, is an innovative three-year media initiative (2007-2010) to produce broadcast, photographic and print stories on immigration and integration. The seven project partners aim to influence public opinion and shape immigration policy in the areas of family re-unification and irregular migration areas central to securing human rights and effective integration. FOMACS is collaborating with immigration media and advocacy projects in the U.S., UK, Spain, Greece and Hungary.

In 2007, FOMACS produced the first of a three-part animation series entitled Abbis Circle. The animation communicates the everyday impact of policy decisions on family re-unification within immigrant communities. To date, 200 primary schools throughout Ireland have purchased it.

Students at Donabate Educate Together National School in Dublin saw the animation, then debated and engaged with the issue of interculturalism in society, their community and classroom composition.

The classroom is often the place where children are encouraged to respect differences while recognising shared identities, says Dr. Aine OBrien, FOMACS Director. Collaborating with teachers helped us access a more powerful language in which to communicate the complex issues, bridging the gap between policy and the experience on the ground.

Partners in Injury Prevention

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:04:22GMT

Motorbikes are the transportation of choice in Viet Nam. They jam the streets of Ha Noi, Da Nang and other cities, and their noisy engines pierce the tranquility of the countryside. Families of four, including tiny infants, may squeeze onto one bike, and business people often balance huge loads of merchandise on them.

While motorbikes are affordable, they are also dangerous, especially if used without helmets designed to prevent head injuries in crashes.

In 2006, 16,000 people died in Viet Nam and 37,000 suffered injuries in motorbike accidents, but many were preventable deaths, because wearing an approved helmet reduces the chances of dying by 37 per cent, explains Dr. Le Nhan Phuong, Population Health Programme Director.

Thankfully, fewer Vietnamese are dying and being injured since the National Helmet Law took effect 15 December 2007, requiring all motorbike users to wear approved helmets. This accomplishment is the culmination of diligent work by the government, including the Ministry of Health, and organisations such as the Ha Noi School of Public Health, United Nations Childrens Fund, Asia Injury Prevention Foundation, Counterpart International and The Alliance for Safe Children, with support from Atlantic and other funders that began in 2000. We now will focus on other community-based injury prevention, especially for children. As of 1 July 2009, the law was amended to require children 6 and above to wear helmet while on motorbikes as well.

Watch a video about the Viet Nam Helmet Law.

An Innovative Community-Based Programme for Preparing Nurses

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:47:05GMT

The health system of South Africa can only be as good as the people who work in it, says Professor Thembisile Khanyile, Director of University of the Western Cape School of Nursing. The strategy is to increase the number of nurses to provide primary care for poor patients who rely on the struggling public health system.

In a country with a high disease burden and inequities rooted in the legacy of apartheid, nurses form the backbone of the public health system. But too many of them are leaving the country. Between 1994 and 2006, more than 24,000 nurses emigrated from South Africa. The vast majority worked in the public sector, explains Professor Khanyile.

With a five-year grant, the university developed an innovative programme for preparing nurses committed to working in South Africas public health system. Training emphasises the values and skills required to deliver quality care at the district primary-care level, using a community-based, problem-solving approach that incorporates local clinical case studies and disease profiles.

Most importantly, the School of Nursing recruits students from poor communities, and the majority of them return to work in these communities. Since 2004, this popular school has tripled student enrolment from 400 to 1,200.

Creative Expression and Engagement Within the Older Community

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:41:30GMT

Entering Cregagh Community Centre in Belfast, one could be forgiven for assuming that this facility would offer little more than typical leisure activities to its older citizens. However, 12 men and women, all over age 65 and from different backgrounds, came together for an engaging, uplifting two-hour workshop that ranged from role-playing and storytelling to characterisations and mime.

Laughter underpins the structured method of engaging the participants in the Big Telly Theatre Companys Spring Chickens initiative. This unique two-year programme focuses on creative expression and engagement within the older community through workshops in sheltered accommodations, residential homes, day-care centres, older peoples groups and homes in rural areas. The initiative will culminate in October 2009 with five professionally produced shows performed simultaneously across Northern Ireland. Spring Chickens challenges perceptions to inspire others to see the older generation as active community members.

The energy and passion our facilitators put into the workshops create such an uplifting and pleasant experience. After every workshop, I have a chat with the participants and every time the question is the same when can we do this again?, said Crona Lynch, Project Manager.

Assessing and meeting the needs of Bermudian older adults

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:01:50GMT

The innovative Seniors Test for Ageing Trends and Services (STATS) is an unprecedented islandwide assessment of seniors, their needs and gaps in current services. Age Concern launched the initiative in late 2007 in partnership with Bermudas Departments of Statistics and Human Affairs. The population of Bermudians over 65 is expected to double by 2030. Given the rapid growth of this population, Age Concern hopes to consistently assess the needs of seniors every five to ten years.

Claudette Fleming, Age Concern Executive Director, says: The voice of the older adult is the most powerful tool in shaping the policies, programmes and services that affect them. Through the STATS initiative, seniors speak, Age Concern listens and facilitates the action required to make a lasting impact on their lives.

STATS is one of Age Concerns four integrated strategies: STATS informs service providers of seniors needs and also will identify gaps requiring new services; LINK connects people to existing services; and the Direct Service Incubator creates new services to fill gaps.

Age Concern holds convenings, reports data and hosts trainings for service providers to collaboratively improve effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of services. With this innovative strategic approach, Age Concern is assessing and directly meeting the needs of Bermudian older adults.

Prevention and Early Intervention for Children

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:36:19GMT

We never give up on any child, despite the complexity of their needs. We also witness key turning points for example a child making friends for the first time or a parent supporting their child to stay in school, says Suzanne Connolly, Director of Childrens Services for Barnardos, the leading voluntary organisation in the Republic of Ireland dedicated to working with vulnerable children and families whose well-being has been damaged by consistent poverty.

International research has proven that we can make a measurable difference in a childs life if we get in early and put in place services to support a family and give a child the chance of a better future, she says.

In South Dublin, the Early Years Service is delivering outcomes regarding three- to five-year-old childrens emotional well-being, learning and development. This programmes evidence-based services respond to social, emotional, behavioural and physical needs.

Barnardos assigns each child a key worker, and they participate in both one-to-one and group work. It also helps parents respond to their childs needs and provides a more nurturing environment for their families.

In 2007, Barnardos worked intensively with 5,300 children, youth and their families, which was a 10 per cent increase over 2006.

Watch a video about Barnardos.

Strategic communication for better health

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:30:43GMT

In Viet Nam, the shift in the burden of diseases from the infectious causes to chronic and behaviour-based illnesses requires effective health communication to be an essential component of public health interventions. Traditional information, education and communication campaigns developed by the government continue to be the norm in public health information services in Viet Nam. These campaigns provide information for general audiences rather than targeted information based on comprehensive research that identifies obstacles and motivates behaviour change. Many considered these campaigns to be ineffective, lacking purpose and difficult to evaluate.

More importantly, health-sector communicators in Viet Nam lack the necessary skills to carry out effective health-promotion communication programmes. In 2005, an Atlantic-commissioned comprehensive feasibility study to the Center for Communication Programs of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (CCP) confirmed an urgent need for developing a system to design, implement and evaluate effective strategic and systematic behaviour-change communication programmes.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

Established in 2003, the Center for Community Research and Development (CCRD) is one of the first nongovernmental and nonprofit Vietnamese organisations to specialise in research and interventions for community health promotion and development. CCRD handles major health communication projects in Viet Nam, including working in partnership with CCP to develop and launch an innovative Atlantic-supported 26-episode television serial drama to motivate the adoption of healthy behaviours and practices in injury prevention, alcoholism, HIV/AIDS and maternal child health.

Atlantics grant is enabling CCRD to develop into one of the leading organisations in behaviour change communication, which will ultimately contribute to improving the health and lives of people throughout the country. During 2007 and 2008, CCRDs goal has been to expand its capacity by hiring qualified professionals in health-communication planning and strategy development and to broaden its partnership with government agencies, research groups and communication specialists.

Since August 2007, with technical support of CCP, the Center for Community Research and Development designed and organised in-house training sessions in health communication research, evaluation and entertainment-education script development for more than 40 writers, television producers, public health workers, researchers and lecturers from various partner institutions within medical colleges, mass media, NGOs and the private sector throughout Viet Nam. CCRD has also started to upgrade its communication technology and facilities. In 2007, as a part of its leveraging efforts, CCRD received contracts for a number of major health communication projects. This work has provided additional revenue to support the organisations growth and created on-the-job training opportunities for CCRD staff to practice their skills in designing and evaluating behaviour-change communication programmes, as well as helping to strengthen its credibility in this field.

Through careful planning, ongoing monitoring and reassessing the planned activities on a regular basis, CCRD is ensuring that it remains on track to become the premier organisation for the research, design, production and evaluation of strategic health and development communication programmes in Viet Nam.

Providing a Vital Social Security Safety Net

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 21:38:50GMT

Greater access to services and protection of socio-economic rights are at the heart of a successful Atlantic-funded programme in South Africa. And individual women are leading the effort to provide a vital social-security safety net in poor rural communities.

Based at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the Centre for Criminal Justice (CCJ) serves 4.5 million people living in the Midlands region of KwaZulu-Natal. CCJ has 14 centres, most with two field co-ordinators who in addition to doing casework, assist clients to access social security and avoid illegal evictions from farms. CCJ also runs workshops to make people aware of rights and services due to them under the Constitution and in law. Additionally, staff members present workshops on womens rights, healthcare, child care and childrens rights.

More than 80,000 people have benefited from the assistance of the CCJ since 1997. Income generated from successful claims for social security amounted to almost ZAR 4 million, a significant injection of capital into an impoverished area.

Winnie Kubayi, who directs the CCJ work, points to three factors of the programmes success:

First, the community outreach centres and their operations are selected by a panel of stakeholders in the community, which ensures ownership and local support.

Second is an understanding of the role that traditional community systems play in a modernising civil society. "We have to balance and harmonise the traditional way of doing things and the governmental way of doing things, because they are sometimes in conflict," she said.

The third piece is CCJs insistence on a holistic approach to problems. "We try to get to the underlying problem," Ms. Kubayi said. "When you are dealing with domestic violence, for instance, the cause of the problem may be alcohol or poverty."

While domestic violence cases are prevalent, Zandile Khanyile, a field co-ordinator, says the cases that she finds most satisfying involve orphans, who are often living with "child-headed" families. Her assistance includes securing donations food, clothing and toys that immediately improve their lives.

The success of the CCJ programme is spreading. Ms. Kubayi will travel to Senegal this summer. "They called us and said: Please tell us how to go about it!"

For more information, visit http://www.ccjonline.org.za.

Shaping a Replicable Community-Based Eye Care Development Programme

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:16:36GMT

Le Hai Huyen My, 14, of Da Nang City, is among the youngest of thousands of Vietnamese people who have a much brighter future, due to the collaborative work of two Atlantic grantees, the Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) and the Da Nang Eye Hospital.

In 2005, My, an excellent student, lost sight in her right eye. The worst thing about my blindness was the fear. I didnt know what was happening and I was worried about becoming completely blind, she said.

Her dad, Le Quoc Hai, took her to Da Nang Eye Hospital, in hopes that his daughter would see again. The diagnosis was cataract with uveitis, which is curable with a $200 surgery. While Mys dad, a bus driver who makes only $3 a day, was trying to borrow the money for the procedure, the doctors told him about a free cataract surgery programme for the poor, funded by the Hospitals partner, The Fred Hollows Foundation, an organisation dedicated to blindness prevention in developing countries. Fred Hollows agreed to cover Mys operation.

Avoidable blindness, primarily from cataracts, is a major public health problem in Viet Nam. Many of the poor with cataracts -- primarily in rural areas -- dont know they have a treatable condition.

In two years, FHF has upgraded and equipped three eye facilities in three central provinces with a total population of five million people. The Binh Dinh Eye Clinic now meets the criteria to become one of three eye hospitals in the Central and Highlands provinces. The Foundation has trained six surgeons who have conducted 6,000 cataract operations.

FHFs community-based vision care network includes 2,500 volunteer village health workers trained to identify eye problems. In addition, Fred Hollows staff has developed effective campaigns to raise awareness of blindness prevention, treatment services and to increase confidence in eye doctors.

We still have a lot of people in darkness because they cannot access the service. Our most significant accomplishment is shaping a community-based eye care development programme that we can replicate in other provinces, said Dr. Huynh Tan Phuc, FHF Country Manager in Viet Nam. Plans for expanding to other areas are in process.

Ireland's First Centre of Expertise in Geriatric Care

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 13:46:49GMT

Doctors, researchers and clinical staff at the Centre on Excellence in Ageing at St. Jamess Hospital in Dublin are well on their way to changing the care of older people in Ireland.

Only two years old, the Centre, led by Dr. Rose Anne Kenny, is having an impact on many fronts as the countrys first centre of expertise in geriatric care. In 2006, its Falls and Blackout unit treated approximately 800 older adults in its first year. The new multidisciplinary stroke team has revolutionised the care of stroke patients, providing the capacity to deliver specialist care from point of admission to discharge and beyond. The successful clinical programmes already have attracted additional research resources for dementia, falls, frailty and social engagement using innovative technologies.

The government has committed to co-fund with Atlantic a new state-of-the-art hospital and research facility to open in 2011. The Centre will provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services fully integrated with research and training. The vision is for it to become the National Centre of Excellence in Ageing, and its quality will be comparable to similar centres internationally. Ultimately, it is expected to handle 10,000 day cases annually, and treat dementia, acute admissions, rapid rehabilitation, stroke patients and the chronically ill.

These leaders are also looking ahead to the consequences of Irelands ageing projections from an economic, social and policy perspective. By 2030, one in four Irish people will be over 65, with the highest increase in people over 80. Of females born today, over 50 percent is estimated to live to 100.

The Centre, in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin and other Irish universities, has initiated The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA) pilot study. The full study, planned for 2008, will chart the health, social and economic circumstances of over 10,000 people for at least 10 years. Hopefully, TILDA will develop synergies with similar studies from other countries.

"Ireland is one of the last western countries to launch a longitudinal study. The data will be hugely important for medical and government research and policy. We have the opportunity to answer key questions about successful ageing raised by other studies and to make Ireland the best place in the world to grow old," said Dr. Kenny.

Bridging the Gap Between School and Out-Of-School-Time Learning

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:21:27GMT

Public and private investment in out-of-school-time (OST) programmes in the U.S. has soared over the last decade. While more does not always mean better, Higher Achievement wants to know for sure that its programme is delivering results.

Higher Achievement is an academic enrichment programme that offers four years of intensive, ongoing OST academic support to economically disadvantaged students in grades five through eight. Since 1975, Higher Achievement has challenged more than 10,000 young participants or scholars in the Washington, D.C. area. Currently, Higher Achievement serves over 400 students in D.C. and another 50 in Alexandria, Virginia, and it plans to expand to Baltimore by 2009.

Its mission is to increase scholars educational and long-term opportunities, and in 2007, 83 percent of scholars were placed in top high schools.The average GPA of incoming scholars is 2.3, and this years graduates boasted an average GPA of 3.8.

The programmes teachers and mentors nurture scholars in a supportive, fun atmosphere that encourages academic curiosity and achievement.In addition to improving grades and test scores, Higher Achievement offers a uniquely well-rounded experience by providing scholars with positive development opportunities, such as creative arts studios and competitions, including an annual spelling bee and poetry contest.

Higher Achievements strategy for success is bridging the gap between school and out-of-school-time learning.

Eighty percent of the scholars are referred to us by their teachers, and our relationships with the school systems deepen from there, said Richard Anthony Tagle, Executive Director.We believe that we can best benefit our young people by preparing them well to go back to school the following fall. Higher Achievement scholars enter the classroom with confidence based on solid preparation.

Higher Achievement also is committed to rigorous evaluation of its impact on the lives of participants.The evaluations findings will offer clarity about the effects of factors such as duration of participation and parental involvement. The data will strengthen policy makers and funders ability to direct resources to the most valuable approaches and enable practitioners to implement best practices.

Ensuring Human Rights Protections and Access to Justice

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:09:09GMT

I just kept fighting to be free. I knew I couldnt give up because if I returned to Sierra Leone my life would be in danger.

That is how 25-year-old Badiatu Tunis, a Sierra Leone native residing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, describes being detained by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for more than three and a half years while the agency tried to deport her. Following enforcement practices that are now commonplace, DHS arrested Ms. Tunis in 2004 on the day she completed her seven-month criminal sentence and shipped her to a suburban Midwestern jail.

Fortunately for Ms. Tunis, a jail nurse alerted the Chicago-based National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC) to the case. The nurse observed that Ms. Tunis was in ill health, the result of genital mutilation in Sierra Leone, and knew she would face dangerous consequences if deported.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of NIJC, the leading immigrant and human rights programme in the Midwest United States and an Atlantic grantee, Ms. Tunis gained her freedom in June 2007 after a long battle. A year earlier, she had won her legal case before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals with the aid of NIJC and its pro bono attorneys. The Court ruled that she faced harm in her home country that was prohibited by the Convention Against Torture, but DHS refused to release her. Ms. Tunis freedom came shortly after NIJC filed suit in May 2007 claiming that her detention was arbitrary.

NIJC, a programme of Heartland Alliance, ensures human rights protections and access to justice for immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers through direct legal services, policy reform, litigation and public education. Drawing on its core legal services, NIJC advocates for national reform. NIJC partners with other Midwestern organisations that work on behalf of immigrants detained in remote locations.

Our goal is systemic reform through the courts as well as the legislative branch and executive agencies. Our cases before the Seventh Circuit Court have educated federal judges on the failure of the immigration system to uphold American ideals of justice, said NIJC Director Mary Meg McCarthy. More than 230,000 immigrants from all regions of the world are being held unjustly by the U.S. government each year. Immigrants like Badiatu Tunis are not threats to our country and should not be detained.

Public Views on Shared Education in Northern Ireland

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:37:47GMT

Northern Ireland is a deeply divided society and the level of separation between Protestant and Catholic communities is reflected in its education system. Less than 6% of the school-aged population is educated together. The system of education in Northern Ireland is undergoing significant administrative and structural change. A declining school-aged population, coupled with more than 50,000 surplus desks, has meant that schools are now being required to think about new ways of sharing and collaborating with one another. The degree to which parents are prepared to let their children share and collaborate more closely with a school from the other community is largely untested. This grant seeks to address this deficit by conducting a deliberative poll.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

This grant will provide parents with an opportunity to determine, through use of deliberative polling, how far they are prepared to engage in shared education at a local level in Northern Ireland. Deliberative polling uses public opinion research, stakeholder participation and the media to help measure and change attitudes through informed discussion and debate. The work aims to identify the conclusions people would arrive at if they were given the opportunity to become more informed about a policy issue.

The poll will be the first of its kind in Northern Ireland.It will test, in concrete terms, the extent to which communities are prepared to accept shared education, within the context of falling school rolls and surplus places. Intended short term outcomes include:

Increased media profile on issues of shared education
Policy makers influenced by robust research
Findings contribute to the thinking of the ongoing Strategic Education Review

The poll and findings will also contribute to a range of long term outcomes, including:

Greater understanding of shared education amongst key stakeholders resulting in increased collaboration
Greater understanding of shared education amongst general public
More localised agreements on options for shared education
Increased number of shared schools and inter-community collaboration
Replication of polling methodology to other policy areas

A Voyage of Discoveries

Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:37:49GMT

The shadow of socio-economic class hangs heavy over Bermudas school system. From 1994 to 2004, Bermuda saw a steady increase in the percentage of students attending private schools. Only 65% of Bermudian children attend public school, and most of them are black and many are poor. Their opportunities are limited, and their levels of achievement are low.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

The Bermuda Sloop Foundation (BSF) is taking an island-appropriate approach to changing this picturehelping disadvantaged youth build their self-esteem, skills, knowledge, and networks at sea. The literal vehicle is The Spirit of Bermuda, a historically inspired schooner constructed with Atlantic support.

BSF invites public school youth to embark on learning expeditions intended to instill self-reliance and discipline. The schooner accommodates 26 students at a time on a five-day voyage. Some 700 youngsters set sail each year.

This special out-of-school-time (OST) programme offers opportunities to learn ship operation, history and geography, and black Bermudians contributions to maritime history. Students also receive technical training in electronics, mechanics, culinary arts, or wood and metal work.

Atlantic support is also enabling BSF to collaborate with other organizations dedicated to quality OST programmes, such as the Bermuda Football Association and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bermuda, in order to connect disadvantaged youth with caring adults and positive experiences on land as well as at sea.

Laying the Foundation for Public Health in Viet Nam

Thu, 17 Aug 2006 15:54:13GMT

As Viet Nam aspires to greater economic development, the health of its citizens is of primary importance to achieve and sustain growth.For a country with limited resources, good health can only be attained when there are sensible population health policies for allocation of resources for health prevention and treatment.Sound policies and their implementation occur when there is a adequately trained public health work force to carry out the needed research and training.Since 1997, the Government of Viet Nam has recognised the importance of public health in improving the health of the population and mandated the establishment of training and research institutions in all three regions of the country.However, public health is still a fledgling field in Viet Nam, and current academic, outreach programmes and facilities cannot adequately meet the challenge.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

In 2001, the Ha Noi School of Public Health (HSPH) was established as the first university of public health in Viet Nam and quickly became the countrys leading institution for public health training and research.HSPHs mandate is to be the premier institution for public health teaching and research in the country and a model for the other regions to replicate.Since 2002, Atlantic has provided HSPH with the resources to build up its institutional capacities with clearly defined development targets comparable and compatible with other national and international public health institutions.The grants focused on improving the infrastructure and capacity of the information system and enabling the HSPH to improve human capacity through staff development using available resources from inside and outside of the country.

Even though great progress is being made at HSPH, continuing support is needed in the next five to eight years in order for HSPH to be truly influential in public health in Viet Nam.This current grant is a third in a series of grants designed to enhance teaching and research capacity at HSPH.Supports from Atlantic have been designed around the basic institutional needs of HSPH and have enabled it to plug gaps that other aid programmes failed to address.In particular, this grant seeks (1) to improve the quality training at HSPH to international level; and (2) to develop stronger linkages between HSPH and the policy-making bodies of the Government through the establishment of the Centre for Applied Research and Training in Health Economics and Health Policy.

The HSPH is headed by the Dean, Dr. Le Vu-Anh, who is well-known to Atlantic as being a very efficient and effective grantee.He has an energetic and very capable staff to coordinate and implement sophisticated institutional development projects.The steady growth of the HSPH in recent years under Dr. Anhs tenure as Dean is a testament to his visionary and pragmatic leadership. Grants from Atlantic have allowed for the strengthening of the development enabling the school to fulfills its mandate and become the Centre of Excellence in Public Health in Viet Nam.

Increasing older adults sense of control over their chronic diseases

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 14:46:27GMT

Situation in Brief

While most older adults report themselves to be healthy and independent, they also report high rates of chronic illnesses that threaten that health and independence.Over 80 percent of older adults (65+) have one or more chronic illness such as hypertension, arthritis, or diabetes.Preventing further health declines in the face of such conditions requires specific skills to work effectively with medical professionals, make health promoting changes in diet or lifestyle, and promote a sense of control over the illness.

The Chronic Disease Self-Management Program, developed at Stanford University, is a proven approach to help people with chronic illnesses develop such a sense of control and be more effective in managing their health.It has been widely adopted around the world, including Canada, Australia, and England where it is a part of the National Health Service and known as the Expert Patient Programme.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant:

To make the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) widely available in five American states.

Through a grant to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) the Atlantic Philanthropies will support a competitive award program for states wishing to build infrastructure for the CDSMP and offer it statewide to the large numbers of vulnerable people.This technical assistance and challenge grant effort by the NCOA will be conducted in partnership with the Administration on Aging and the broader federal department of Health and Human Services, which will support up to twelve states to adopt the CDSMP and other health promotion programming for older adults.Collectively, this initiative will include more than $20,000,000 in philanthropic, state, and federal funding to help bring this program to older adults in the United States.

We Are America : Achieving Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Mon, 10 Jul 2006 16:37:18GMT

At the end of 2005, there were an estimated 11 million undocumented people living and working in the US. This large group represent some of the nations most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.With no rights, these people live in the shadows and are subject to discrimination and violations of their basic human rights on a daily basis. Many undocumented live in mixed families, and the fear of retribution and deportation stymies the whole family from access to basic services.

As it stands today, the US immigration system is ineffective, unrealistic and inadequate. In order to address the needs and
rights of both the undocumented population and the future flow of immigrants, the country needs comprehensive reform of its current immigration laws and policies. The present US political landscape provides a short yet important window of opportunity for passage of reform legislation.

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

The Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR) is a joint legislative advocacy and grassroots mobilization initiative begun in 2003 with the mission to enact rights-centered comprehensive immigration reform legislation in the US. This coalition effort is guided by a core set of rights-based immigration principles and priorities, including: a path to permanency for the undocumented, family re-unification and labor protection for future flows.

Atlantic has made three grants to date in support of this effort: a planning grant in the amount of $100,000, and two core support grants, one in 2004 which was renewed in 2005, totaling $7m.The initial planning grant enabled these twelve advocate groups from labor, community development, ethnic identified groups, national immigration advocacy, and regional immigration coalitions to come together at a common table and set a coordinated agenda and strategy.The two core support grants enacted this strategy through advocacy, lobbying, communications, message and media development, grassroots mobilization and education efforts. To widen the reach and coordination of this inside/outside strategy, a sister 501(c)(3) coalition, The New American Opportunity Campaign, was created by the CCIR.

Grantee Profiles

Founding Chairman

Biomedicine Advances - Australia

Defending Workers' Rights Across Racial Lines

Encouraging Respect for Differences while Recognising Shared Identities

Partners in Injury Prevention

An Innovative Community-Based Programme for Preparing Nurses

Creative Expression and Engagement Within the Older Community

Assessing and meeting the needs of Bermudian older adults

Prevention and Early Intervention for Children

Strategic communication for better health

Providing a Vital Social Security Safety Net

Shaping a Replicable Community-Based Eye Care Development Programme

Ireland's First Centre of Expertise in Geriatric Care

Bridging the Gap Between School and Out-Of-School-Time Learning

Ensuring Human Rights Protections and Access to Justice

Public Views on Shared Education in Northern Ireland

A Voyage of Discoveries

Laying the Foundation for Public Health in Viet Nam

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

Increasing older adults sense of control over their chronic diseases

Situation in Brief

Purpose and Impact of the Grant:

We Are America : Achieving Comprehensive Immigration Reform

Purpose and Impact of the Grant

Increasing older adults sense of control over their chronic diseases

We Are America : Achieving Comprehensive Immigration Reform