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Peter Robinson, CEO of Mountain Equipment Co-op and a long-time Red Cross delegate and volunteer, returned recently from a Canadian Red Cross mission to the Maldives.
After assessing several islands in the tsunami-devastated country and consulting with national and local leaders, Robinson devised three recovery projects - blending environmental concerns with the needs of the population.
The first project relates to debris clean-up and waste management on 70 of the most devasted islands in a country where 200 islands are inhabitied. This project is critically important given the vast amount of debris, which is impeding recovery efforts.
A joint venture between the Canadian and Australian Red Cross Societies, this $10.3-million project will ensure the environmentally safe and appropriate cleanup of waste, while concurrently introducing an ongoing solid waste management system for domestic garbage. Local labour, as well as training and skills transfer, are components of the project.
The second project, expected to cost $5.5 million, involves repairing or rebuilding community infrastructure–recreation facilities, community centres, pre-schools, and mosques. Finally, a wind power pilot project will help the country reduce its expensive dependence on diesel power. In a country whose economy is estimated to have been set back 20 years, these environmentally-sensitive projects will play a key role in its recovery and rehabilitation.
The plans will be funded by Canadian donations from its tsunami appeal fund. Robinson brought to his mission the knowledge and experience he has garnered leading MEC, a two-million member co-op that has earned a reputation for innovation in social and environmental matters.
He also brought years of experience volunteering for the Red Cross. In 1992, he went to Florida for the Hurricane Andrew relief operation. In 1998, he served with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Rwanda, responsible for ensuring that 80,000 prisoners were adequately fed.
When hundreds of people from China arrived in B.C. by boat, Robinson led the Red Cross visitation service to provide services and assess conditions of incarceration. Most recently, he served as volunteer chairman of the BC Forest Fires Advisory Committee, helping Red Cross identify and respond to long-term needs arising from the 2003 wildfires.