BARTLESVILLE, OK (ANS) -- As the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile have demonstrated, proper disaster relief training is essential for NGOs, aid workers, mission groups and relief organizations.

A Bartlesville, Oklahoma faith-based mission organization, Strategic World Impact (SWI) has been providing such training for over ten years and has recently announced the dates for its 2010 Disaster Assistance Response Training (DART) Conference. The week-long event will be held from June 13 to June 18, 2010 at Grace Community Church in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

This year’s theme will be “Run to the Battle!” and focus on humanitarian and missions work in areas where there is war, disaster and displaced refugees.
 

Michael Ireland probes the ground in front of him for a buried land mine during missions training provided by Strategic World Impact.

Some of the course topics will include Disaster Assessment, Trauma Counseling, Land Mine Awareness, Helping Without Hurting, Cross Cultural Communication, Understanding Islam, Anti-Terrorism & Hostage Survival, Internet & Media Communications, and Missions Preparation.

“We’re very excited about the 2010 DART Conference,” said Kevin Turner, president of Strategic World Impact, a ministry founded in 1998 that works in areas where there is war, disaster and Christian persecution.

“This training is one-of-a-kind and essential for anyone who works or plans on working in complex humanitarian situations,” he added.

Strategic World Impact’s DART Conference has been lauded as one of the premier disaster training events in the country. After a previous conference, a former DART instructor from the Department of Defense’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency noted that it was one of the best civilian courses of its kind in the United States.

The training will also include an overnight stay in a mock refugee camp, which will be set up according to U.N. refugee camp guidelines, allowing attendees to receive hands-on training in a unique environment. Participants will prepare their own meals, sleep in tents and help maintain the campground area.

"The refugee camp is an important component to our conference,” said Turner. “Field training is vital because retention of this type of information significantly increases when it’s learned through real-life application.”

Although Strategic World Impact’s 2010 DART conference is geared for missionaries, relief workers and church groups, the training is open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Participants and instructors will be converging from around the world for the event.
Conference space is limited, so early registration is strongly encouraged. Discounts are available to groups and conference cost will increase after May 1.

To learn more, including cost and registration information, please visit www.swi.org  or call 1-877-TEAM-SWI (832-6794).

Contact Information:
Kevin Turner
President
SWI
1-877-832-6794
press@swi.org
 

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter