Note:  This page is NOT up-to-date, except for this paragraph (in red letters).  A meeting was held in Panama on June 6-7, 2007, to set policies and plan future AIDIS-AmSa activities.  The results of that meeting will be reported here soon (no later than late July, 2007).  We apologize for this page not being updated with greater frequency.

The NGO AIDIS-AmSa has the goal of improving services and environmental conditions in needy communities

Healthy Environments for Life

A COMMITMENT OF AIDIS WITH COMMUNITIES IN THE AMERICAS

SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND

In 2002 AIDIS created its own "NGO" called AIDIS-AmSa.  AIDIS-AmSa has the mandate to do work that benefits directly the underserved communities, but in a complementary approach.  Other than in very special occasions, AmSa will not approach a community seeking to perform any work.  AmSa rather will associate itself with other NGOs already prepared to work in a community.  If such an NGO will work in the area of water supply, AmSa would propose working on issues of environmental education, or solid waste or any other aspect that would provide a more holistic approach, thus benefiting much better the target community.  AmSa is also mandated to work along the lines of advisory and coordination of actions by multiple actors/NGOs.

“Healthy Environments for Life”, AIDIS-AmSa (“AmSa” is taken from the Spanish words for Healthy Environments: Ambientes Saludables), is an undertaking of the Inter American Association of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering, AIDIS, and has been established as a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), whose basic purpose is the promotion of the development of sanitary services and environmental conditions in communities of the Americas, with emphasis on those with the greatest economic and social needs.

OBJECTIVE

The basic objective of “Healthy Environments for Life” is to promote the integrated and simultaneous development in urban and rural communities of:

·     The construction of drinking water supply systems and the household or community disposition of wastewater;

·     Putting into use improved practices for the management and operation of the services;

·     Environmental improvement related to the collection and disposition of solid wastes;

·     The improvement of the urban environment and of homes;

·     The minimization and control of all other negative impacts on the environment;

·     The realization of community mobilization actions in support of protection of health and the environment; and

·     The realization of actions of informing and training to reach these goals.

STRATEGIES

The strategies for reaching the stated objectives of AIDIS-AmSa include:

·     Develop complementary actions with existing programs and projects, whether they be governmental or non-governmental (NGOs);

·     Take advantage of the potential of AIDIS to develop actions of technical audits and training of trainers;

·     Concentrate efforts in those areas in which neither governments nor NGO initiatives are working;

·     Utilize the context of the special Inter American Days for Water, and for Air Quality and Sun, to develop and later promote knowledge of the specific projects;

·     Utilize AIDIS’ contacts and signed agreements with international institutions to look for financing.

GOALS AND PRIORITY ACTIONS

Considering the strengths and potential of AIDIS (see summary below) and the stated strategy, AIDIS-AmSa will develop the following actions as priority goals:

1. Identify existing programs for the integrated development of sanitation and environmental conditions in communities of the associated countries, and especially in those with economic and social needs.

2. Collaborate with national governments, with financing and with international aid institutions and other NGOs in the identification of coverage needs for drinking water services and wastewater disposal and of needs for improving environmental conditions in these communities;

3. Cooperate in the supervision and auditing of existing programs and of new programs of these institutions;

4. Undertake actions of training leaders who can, in turn, act as trainers with a view towards optimizing the management and operation of services;

5. Undertake training actions for municipal authorities and neighborhood organizations with a view towards optimizing the environmental management in the area of the communities;

6. Undertake by itself, or with the support of other institutions, pilot projects for development of the proposed objectives;

7. Undertake studies on technical subjects related to the fulfillment of the stated objectives;

8. Undertake actions to spread knowledge of the objectives and programs for communities in which AIIDIS is active.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM FOR 2002-2004

·     Identify collaborators for the management and organization of AIDIS-AmSa;

·     Organize and give an administrative structure to AIDIS-AmSa:

·     Identify existing actions in favor of communities with economic and social needs in the countries of our hemisphere, by means of an investigation and contacts with all of the national chapters of AIDIS;

·     Identify the institutions and NGOs that could participate in the development of programs together with AIDIS and offer them the possibility of cooperation with AIDIS via AIDIS-AmSa:

·     Strengthen the initiatives already begun with institutions with which AIDIS has had conversations and relations about the subject: PAHO-HEF, Water for People, Water-AID, IWA, etc.

·     Find assured sources of financing for the identified programs and for new programs;

·     Sign agreements with institutions and NGOs and participate actively, via the national chapters, in the development of the identified activities;

·     Initiate studies to identify the needs and viable solutions for the integral development of sanitation and healthy environments in all communities;

·     Promote the spread of knowledge and realization of activities in commemoration of Inter American Water Day, Inter American Air Day; and Inter American Sun Day, with a view towards spreading the basic principals of health protection and protection of the environment in the area of the life of the communities.

STRENGTHS AND POTENTIAL FOR ACTION BY AIDIS

For the realization of the objectives and goals of AIDIS-AmSa, AIDIS has the following strengths and potential available:

·       An active presence in 36 countries via its 24 national chapters during its 55 years of existence;

·       The linking via agreements with 18 different institutions in the international arena that are interested in the subject (IDB, World Bank, IWA, AWWA, WEF, IWSA, OEA, UNEP, ARC, IWPA, LAT-WET, etc.) and especially with PAHO which has supported AIDIS since its founding in 1948;

·       The availability of technical knowledge via its 20 Technical Divisions that bring together professionals, experts and technicians of all disciplines related to the full field of sanitary engineering and environmental sciences;

·       The availability of its national chapters to undertake technical auditing and supervision, by the chapters themselves of via their members;

·       The experience in training and educating at all levels, and in particular its experience in training of trainers;

·       It’s experience in organizing Congresses and technical meetings (conferences, seminars, workshops, etc.);

·       The willingness to obtain and propagate information derived from its direct participation in various information systems (PAHO’s Environmental Health Virtual Library, REPIDISCA, REPAMAR, SISAM, etc.), of the publication of 12 magazines and of numerous internet sites of its national chapters;

·       The organization, together with PAHO, of Inter American Water Day (since 1992), of Inter American Air Day (since 2001), and of Inter American Sun Day (since 2002).

Its characterization and structure as an NOG, committed, in accord with its statutes, to develop activities in defense of sanitation and the environment, having as a goal the improvement of the life of the inhabitants of the Americas.

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