Happy International Water Safety Day!  Did you know that today, May 15, is International Water Safety Day? The members of the U.S. Congress know, because a group representing drowning prevention efforts in the U.S. is meeting with them today to alert them to the hidden epidemic of drowning and make Congress aware of some of the great teams and programs working to end drowning.

Many of you have worked tirelessly to establish May as Drowning Prevention Month in your state. World’s Largest Swimming Lesson officially launches the swim season in the northern hemisphere on June 18. But we were missing our ‘Earth Day’, our day to unite globally and raise awareness about Water Safety. Shaun Anderson and Jayson Jackson, who founded Diversity in Aquatics, recognized that we need to establish a global day that is dedicated to raising awareness to water safety and established International Water Safety Day last year. We will never end drowning unless we unite around these initiatives. I support them – do you?

It’s not too late to celebrate, click here to Tweet ‘@Rebeccasavekids Happy International Water Safety Day! BITLY #stopdrowning’ and post something on your Facebook or LinkedIn status as well.

Maybe you didn’t have time to prepare for this year’s celebrations, but there is only 364 days until the next annual International Water Safety Day, so you can start today. Click here to visit the site and learn what you can do to promote Water Safety, on May 15, 2014, but also but every day.

Can we count on your support for May 15, 2014?

The post International Water Safety Day appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

The completely revamped Jabari® site has launched! Click here if you just can’t wait to check it out, but I hope you’ll stick with me while I explain what is totally unique about the blog portion of the site and why Jabari® will be a global brand.

Technology can unite us as a team dedicated to ending drowning. With the Jabari blog page I have created an electronic meeting place where we can learn about all the programs, products and initiatives in the drowning prevention field around the world. A different organization or individual will be featured every week. I’m excited about our great starting line-up, including: Goggles for Guppies, Make A Splash®, Global Drowning Tracker©™, Nile Swimmers, SKWIM®, and many more.

The goal is to showcase the wide range of programs around the world, create a global community of drowning prevention advocates, and to engage the public and help them connect with programs that touch them – either to donate money, volunteer, or use their services. I’ll be aggressively promoting the programs across my social media network. If you’d like your program highlighted, just e-mail me at rebeccalioness@gmail.com or use the Contact Form.  My goal is to strengthen and unite our community so that when one of our members needs help, needs social media ‘votes’ for funding or promoting a project, they can count on all of us.

Jabari® has another purpose. I wrote last week about the need to unify drowning prevention efforts under one symbol, similar to the pink breast cancer ribbon. Jabari® was developed to be that symbol. I have written about ‘Why Jabari®’, but the bottom line is that we need a positive, highly recognizable, global symbol that is independent of any one organization, foundation, country or culture to serve as a rallying point, a unifying figure to end drowning.

Jabari®’s name and face is available, for a very reasonable fee, for use by programs and products that are working to increase water safety and decrease drowning deaths. Parents and the public will associate Jabari®’s name and face with water safety and immediately be reminded of of the need to be aware around the water. If we are showing the world a united front that supports the full range and diversity of drowning prevention programs, we can make a difference. We can raise awareness. We can raise funding for our programs. We can reduce drowning deaths permanently. Contact me at rebeccalioness@gmail.com if you are interested in incorporating Jabari into your campaign.

If we work as a team and leverage technology, we can unite the world around the cause of drowning prevention. We can engage them, inspire them, teach them, and we can end drowning. Please join the team.

If you support the vision of a global awareness campaign, please click here to Tweet ‘@Rebeccasavekids Join Team Jabari and end drowning. http://bit.ly/17LDU7d #stopdrowning

The post Jabari® – Global Brand appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

What if your budget for drowning prevention was $472 million? Every year. It seems ludicrous, doesn’t it? Absolutely impossible! Where could anyone get that kind of money???

Welcome to the world of cancer research. Cancer causes 7.6 million deaths per year.  Cancer research is funded at an estimated €14.04 billion euros per year.  That works out to €1,846,000 or $2,416,044, per death every year, spent on cancer research.

Let’s contrast that to the typical drowning prevention budget. Based on the information I could find, and there is virtually none, which tells us a lot in itself, if your budget is over $10 million a year, you are in a very elite group. If you are operating on far less, you are in the overwhelming majority. Let’s just suppose that, very conservatively, we have $200 million a year as a global budget, and, even more conservatively, only a death toll of 409,000*. That works out to only $488,000 per death per year. If we are more realistic, but still conservative, and assume $200 million per year and 1.2 million deaths a year*, we’re looking at $166,667 per death per year for research and prevention, which is roughly 1.8% of the value of a life**. That is 6.8% of the annual global cancer research budget, even though the death toll is, at most, 7 times larger.

Research and awareness campaigns cost money – big money. So how do we increase our budget?

We could ask ‘what are we doing wrong?’, but better to ask, ‘what is cancer doing right?’ Where does the money come from?

A good portion of the funding comes from governments, which makes perfect sense. After all, 32 of the 33 developed nations have universal health care.  (The U.S. is the exception and has the most expensive system). This means most governments have skin in the game when it comes to controlling medical costs, and since cancer has the greatest economic impact of all causes worldwide, there is a financial need to look at prevention and cost-effective treatment. I’ve talked before about how drowning costs money, the even higher hidden costs of nonfatal drowning, and the global nature of drowning.   We need to make drowning a political and economic global issue, but it is not enough.

$472 million dollars for cancer awareness/research was raised by one organization in one year. The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The organization that single-handedly made the color pink synonymous with breast cancer awareness, prevention, and research. The now ubiquitous pink ribbon that has morphed into pink everything – pink pens, pink horses, pink stamps, pink on football players, even a gigantic pink ribbon hanging from the White House. The organization is not without controversy, but let’s look at what they have done well, at what we need to do for drowning prevention. I’ll quote from the April 28 New York Times Magazine article by Peggy Orenstein, “The Problem With Pink”.

“With it’s dozens of races ‘for the cure’ and some 200 corporate partnerships, it may be the most successful charity ever at branding a disease; its relentless marketing has made the pink ribbon one of the most recognized logos of our time. The ribbon has come to symbolize both fear of the disease and hope that it can be defeated. It’s a badge of courage for the afflicted, an expression of solidarity by the concerned. It promises continual progress towards a cure through donations, races, volunteerism. It indicates community……More than anything else, though, the ribbon reminds women that every single one of us vulnerable….” **

We must create such emotion, such a sense of community around drowning prevention. NO we should not have a ribbon for drowning prevention. Absolutely not, too many other ribbons that no one recognizes except those involved. We are in the unique position that 100% of the world’s population are vulnerable to drowning. We are in the unique position that the main factor in drowning, water, is necessary for us to live. We are in the unique position that most drowning deaths are preventable. We must translate such a unique position into a global campaign that is as powerful as water, as global as water, as evocative of strong emotions as water.

I’ve been working on the components of such a campaign. I hope you’ll stay tuned to learn more, or contact me directly rebeccalioness@gmail.com if you are ready to put the issue of drowning on the global stage and start making real change, with more than just pocket change for funding.

If you agree we need a global awareness campaign for drowning click here to Tweet ‘I think we need a global awareness campaign for drowning #stopdrowning’

• * Most recent drowning death tolls by the World Health Organization (WHO) are 388,000 and 409,000 annually, but with a caveat that the number is grossly understated due to problems with reporting. 59% of WHO members do not even report drowning as a cause of death. The International Lifesaving Federation (ILSF) estimates 1.2 million deaths a year, but also believes this is understated.
• ** The value of a life has been most recently calculated as $9.1 million by the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S.
• ***I added the bold text to highlight the primary emotions the campaign has achieved.

The post $472 Million. How Would You Spend It? appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

Consider me the Navy SEAL of drowning prevention. OK, stop laughing! I definitely don’t have the physical attributes or the cool-quotient, but operationally I’m just like a SEAL.

1. Identify the mission and the desired outcome.
2. Develop a targeted approach that makes the best use of existing resources.
3. Understand how each member of the team works and how to leverage individual strengths.
4. Adapt the approach when the situation changes.
5. Be successful – mission accomplished – on time and on budget.

That’s exactly what a good consultant does, and it’s exactly what I have done for the bulk of my career and am now doing for organizations working on drowning prevention and water safety.

You’re probably thinking, ‘Why hire a consultant?‘ ‘What does a consultant accomplish? How do I use a consultant? Is it worth the money when our budget is already stretched or minimal?

Let’s talk about it.

Why hire a consultant?

• You have established your organization and are ready to move it to the next level but you need to be clear who you are – your vision, your target audience – and how you are going to gather the resources and funding to move forward.
• Your existing strategy is not getting the results you want (your social media isn’t as effective as it could be, you can’t get funding, you aren’t engaging the right audience, you aren’t getting the media coverage you want). You don’t have the time or money to keep trying different things, you need an easy-to-understand, pragmatic and do-able step-by-step plan to help you reach your goals.
• You need to get everyone dancing to the same music. Whether your goal is to engage other organizations or to get everyone in your organization or Board working towards the same goal, sometimes it takes an outsider to dig deep and find the common ground, and then develop a plan that gets everyone onto the dance floor.
• You want to increasing the effectiveness of your messaging by integrating social marketing into your strategy. Social marketing is ‘harnessing market forces to change behavior for the public good’ – or more simply put, get people to change their behavior and attitudes and even feel happy about it.

What does a consultant accomplish?

• I help you reach your goals efficiently using a minimum of resources and expense. My goal is to come in, help you, and leave you equipped to reach your goals and achieve measurable results using the resources you have in place, or identifying key resources you need to develop, within budget constraints. If I do my job well, you don’t need me in the future – Just like a SEAL I come in, I do my job, I leave. (without leaving you in the lurch, I’m always a phone call away)

How do I use a consultant?

• This is where I put on my camouflage gear. I can operate behind the scenes working only with one person on a specific plan or general coaching, or I can work with any number of people within the organization – as visibly or invisibly as you want. It depends on your needs and what you want to accomplish. I’ve done it all.

Is it worth the money?

• I know what I know and I know what I don’t know. I can quickly tell you if I can provide real value to your organization. I’m a results-oriented, highly analytical, detail-oriented and practical person, so if I can’t help you in a way that is more cost-effective and efficient than any other option, or I’m not a good fit for your organization or issue, I’ll tell you and try to refer you to the right resource.
• I’m experienced and work very efficiently. Chances are we’ll just need a couple of phone calls or e-mails for me to get the information I need to make a proposal and then follow up with a detailed action plan which we can discuss via phone, Skype or e-mail. With technology, face-to-face meetings are rarely necessary, which cuts costs even further and leaves you more time to do what you do best.

And finally – why Rebecca?

• My passion is ending drowning, and I have 5 years experience in the field, but my background is all business. From over a decade working with top consulting firms to two master’s degrees in business and organizational/psychology from top schools, to working as an entrepreneur and now as a global activist, I apply strong, pragmatic business disciplines to the issue of global change. You can click here to see more about my background or click here to learn about my work in ending child drowning.  My strengths are strategy development, analysis, social marketing, process re-engineering, and identifying and connecting resources. I am looking forward to exploring how these disciplines can be incorporated into your business model to make your organization more successful, while we work together to end drowning globally.

If you want drowning prevention efforts to start operating more efficiently and cost-effectively, click here to send out this tweet:

Mission Impossible? Hire the RWR SEAL. http://bit.ly/XWC8Nw #stopdrowning

And then contact me at rebeccalioness@gmail.com or 630-729-4291 and let’s explore how we can make this happen. Just please don’t ask me to do any one-handed pushups!

The post Mission Impossible? Hire A SEAL. appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

First, what are the similarities between lifeguards and investment bankers? Both need training in their profession. Both professions have members that are passionate about their work. And…..well, I can’t think of any other similarities.

Now let’s look at the differences. Lifeguards save lives, investment bankers save themselves.  Lifeguards have to train for a physically demanding job (and frequently their water-based sports passions), investment bankers train for client golf outings, being flexible enough to get into and out of their Ferrari, and looking good in Armani suits. Lifeguards will do anything to be near water, investment bankers will do anything to get their second house with a view of the water, or better yet, a mooring for their yacht at their second house on the water.

All joking aside, the biggest difference is that lifeguards don’t make a lot of money and investment bankers make a ton of money. Why is this? A couple of weeks ago I talked about what a great investment lifeguards are in terms of saved lives – basically a great return on investment, passes all the cost-benefit tests, even contribute to the good of society by improving safety in water.

The average lifeguard salaries for job postings nationwide are 66% lower than average salaries for all job postings nationwide (in the U.S.), with top salaries in the low-mid $20,000’s.  Not feeling depressed yet? A first year investment banking analyst will make $70k-$150k. Managing partners? Between $500k and $20MM+.  Ouch. Why is this? Can it be changed? Does it need to be changed?

Let’s start with ‘why is this?’. I think it’s primarily a function of personality. I’ve spent a fair amount of time with both lifeguards and investment bankers. People go into ‘helping’ professions, like lifeguarding (and nursing, teaching, safety/rescue, not-for-profit professions) because….they like to help. They get an enormous intrinsic (internally generated) reward out of knowing the public is safer, healthier, better educated and generally better off because they are on the job.

When people are alive, healthy and happy, those in helping professions have ‘won’. People who go into professions like investment banking frequently enjoy the challenge of the deal, putting together the pieces of complex financial puzzles, often enjoy the gambling element, and are highly competitive – they need to ‘win’, to have extrinsic rewards (externally acknowledged). Talk to any really talented banker and they think in ‘ticks’ (minute market movement) rather than dollars and cents, money is just the measure of winning.

Regardless of your feelings about investment bankers, I think we all can agree we’d rather have someone who wants to help save lives in the ‘helping’ professions, rather than someone who has a mental abacus influencing their action (if I save that person, what’s in it for me? Will I get press coverage for that rescue or should I wait for a more newsworthy rescue?) The cliché is true, it does take all types, there is value in all personality types, but all types need to be monetarily valued. Besides, the beach would be too crowded if all those bankers decided to become lifeguards.

Can it be changed? I don’t ever see a reversal, where lifeguards are pulling down seven figures, but I do think the gap will narrow, somewhat, over time. First, there is a general societal shift in thinking about wealth disparity that is starting to question whether the value produced by certain professions justifies the salary. The bigger issue, is whether lifeguards, and everyone working in water safety/drowning prevention, WANT the trend to change? I talked about the ‘aw shucks, we just work for free’ syndrome recently.  Until the field takes a hard look at what we do and agree it needs to be valued appropriately, nothing will change. Only a very few organizations will function at a high and effective level, and even fewer will have the resources to hire the top performers – in management, public relations, fund raising, education, training, and lifeguarding to compete against the better funded and organized causes, like breast cancer, AIDS, and wildlife conservation.

Does it need to be changed? I think it needs to be changed – drastically. People are responsible for how they are perceived, and if those perceptions are incorrect, they need to take responsibility for changing the perceptions. Lifeguards are on the front lines of drowning prevention, and yet the average salary is half that of comparable professions. Firefighters – $45,000.  Police – $40,000.  Teacher – $54,000.  Paramedic – $54,000.  These are reasonable, living wages. To put it in perspective, the federal poverty level for a family of four is $23,050, which is about the level of many lifeguard salaries.  I find it unacceptable that someone in a lifesaving/public safety profession is living at the poverty level.

So, how do we change it? Back to the biggest difference – investment bankers think they walk on water and DEMAND to be recognized and compensated. Lifeguards, well, money just isn’t the focus and no one else thinks of the profession as being on par with other public safety professionals. So, to change, first and foremost, we need to believe that drowning prevention, including lifeguards, provide value to society. We need to ditch the ‘aw shucks’ attitude, now. We need to change how lifeguards define themselves.

When I’m asked what I do, I answer, ‘I am a global activist working to end child drowning. One child drowns every minute.’ My message is clear and unequivocal, I am going to change the world, and that change is desperately needed. Instead of ‘I’m a lifeguard’, maybe the answer needs to be, ‘I am a lifeguard – I prevent drowning deaths. Did you know that drowning was just recognized as a global epidemic by UNICEF?’, otherwise, ‘I’m a lifeguard’ brings visions of Baywatch and lounging by the pool catching some rays, because we haven’t changed the public’s perception, yet. Next, all of us need to continue to work together to change the public’s perception – about drowning and about the people who are preventing drowning. It’s time to demand respect, recognition, and compensation. If you agree, click here to send out this tweet:

Lifeguards vs. Investment Bankers http://bit.ly/14vPdmc #stopdrowning

Watch out Wall Street sharks, the lifeguards are on the move.

The post What Is The Difference Between A Lifeguard And An Investment Banker? appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero.

Wait, I take that back, kudos to @babyotterswim who mentioned it on Twitter, but where was the orchestrated response from the drowning prevention community? Where was the media blitz about rip currents, how to recognize them, how to escape a rip current and how to safely rescue someone? Where was the immediate concerted effort among all major drowning prevention organizations to reach out to Ms. Klum and ask if she would be a spokesperson or appear on a morning talk show talking about her experience of saving her 7-year old son and two nannies?  It’s not exactly minor news – if you type ‘Heidi Klum rip current’ into Google you end up with about 24 pages of articles. After all, gorgeous super models rescuing children is attention-getting news – and thankfully no one was hurt.

We know a lot about rip currents. Groundbreaking research on rip currents was introduced at the recent NDPA symposium. Research is continuing around the world about rip currents, including this current survey from Australia  I know a number of experts in rip currents. But we are not sharing the results of the research effectively. We have missed the boat on the best opportunity to educate the public about rip currents by not having a media strategy in place that capitalizes on drowning-related incidents like the Heidi Klum story.

I’ve contacted World News and the Today show suggesting they do story on Heidi Klum and rip currents. But I am one voice. We must work together, use one powerful voice, if we are to have media clout.

Here is a template of what we could aim for as a good story – and when I say ‘we’, I mean every drowning prevention organization working together. The whole spiel could take 10 minutes, or even be cut to 3-5 minutes if it is done well and only the critical pieces are used, and even better still if 30-60 second soundbites can be extracted that can play on YouTube, be forwarded on Facebook and Twitter and play on regular news cycles whenever another drowning incident occurs.

Set the stage
- Identify the key behaviors that lead to drowning/ not recognizing drowning/ incorrectly portraying drowning through the research that experts in the field have conducted.  (i.e.  the waving of arms, shouting)  State clearly and use show film clips and photos what people think drowning looks like.  Dr. Stathis Avramidis and Dr. John Fletemeyer have done some excellent research on perceptions and portrayals of drowning.
- Use research from Dr. Frank Pia and others like this compelling video, about what drowning really looks like, incorporating visuals or even mimicking the action to keep people’s attention.

Show the change
- It is critical at this point that we give people a roadmap of how to behave, make it easy for people to take the correct action, give people an altered, ideal, identity ‘I am someone who knows how to recognize someone drowning’, ’I am someone who knows how to watch my child around water’.
- Tell people the correct action – always swim near a lifeguard, this is what you do if you see someone drowning (call for help, learn to rescue without getting in danger using a prop), this is how to identify a rip current.
- Tell people how to avoid getting in trouble in the first place – circle back to reinforce the ‘I am someone who knows how to stay safe around water/watch my children).  Give basic rules, and I’d reference basics from poolsafely.gov or the Int’l Open Water Safety Guidelines to keep the messaging consistent.  The key to keep it simple, directive, easy-to-understand and consistent language.
- Talk about how all water isn’t alike – perhaps a simple separation between pools and open water – don’t make it complicated.

Make it personal
- Have people tell their story – making it personal means people are more likely to think ‘it could happen to me’. For open water, Heidi Klum as a celebrity spokesperson with great publicity potential.  For pools, I’d consider a family like the Collingsworths, whose 2-year old Joshua drowned in a pool.  Ideal because their Josh the Otter program is all over the U.S. and in Australia and is associated with Rotary International, so it is a program people can find in their community, their organization is well-established, and, most importantly, they focus on a joyful and positive way of reaching children.  Positive motivation is more effective, produces lasting change, and is an easier sell.

Direct the action – make it easy to make the changes
- Talk about how the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages parents to put their children in water safety and swimming lessons as early as one.  Tell people where to take classes – YMCA, Park Districts – provide links on websites and cross-link across sites.
- Talk about basic water safety skills for at-risk or low-income kids through Make A Splash (Cullen Jones – more star power), where kids can get suits and goggles donated through Goggles for Guppies.
- Importance of learning CPR (WITH breaths!) and where people can learn CPR – including links to local resources for certification.

Reinforce the action
- Finish on a positive that will make parents want to follow up.
- Mention research showing that children who learn to swim are more fit, do better in school, and have better physical coordination (I have the study somewhere).
- Talk about a bright spot – like Cullen Jones going from almost drowning to an Olympic swimmer.
- Follow up with a huge social media blitz across drowning prevention organizations to push the news story, provide links to resources, provide further information about rip currents and water safety.

Let’s start working together and make this happen. E-mail the TODAY show at TODAY@nbcuni.com and click here to contact Diane Sawyer at World News. But most importantly, let’s make sure we don’t let opportunities to be heard pass us by ever again.

The post Heidi Klum’s Son Caught In Rip Current And We Said… appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

Jaylin Shepherd was just four years old when she drowned. An adorable child, she is mourned by her twin sister, the rest of her large and loving extended family, her friends, and her neighbors. Her life, her spirit, her potential – lost forever in 2 fast minutes. It used to be that Jaylin’s life would be remembered and honored only by those who knew her, but that just changed. Jaylin’s tragic death has been counted by Global Drowning Tracker.  Global Drowning Tracker© is the innovative, game-changing new tool that will allow us to manage the critical balance between making it personal and documenting the epidemic.  Making it personal so that people understand that everyone needs to learn how to be safer around water.  Documenting the epidemic because  we must have data to put the issue on the global stage, raise awareness, and attract funding for effective and measurable programs.

Achieving the balance between making drowning personal while simultaneously demonstrating that drowning is a global epidemic will revolutionize our efforts to end drowning. People don’t care about issues they don’t think affect them personally, and throwing big mortality numbers at them actually reduces how much they care. Psychologically it’s easy to ignore an anonymous child drowning every minute (you never think it’s your child), even easier to ignore big numbers like 409,000, but it’s a lot harder when you see the name and the way the person drowned on a ticker tape – continuously, compellingly – especially when you recognize the name, see the face, or relate to the age or location – when you realize it could be your child, your loved one. Watch the Global Drowning Tracker© ticker for a minute and try not to be personally affected.  I promise you, the team that has been inputting the data has had a rough time of it, and these are professionals in the lifesaving profession. It’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the utter futility of lives cut short in 2 minutes and by the magnitude of the issue – especially when faced with the unrelenting frequency – it jolts you into awareness and makes it personal.

The beauty of Global Drowning Tracker© is that it engages the public directly to call attention to the issue, and it helps us build solutions. Global Drowning Tracker© leverages the power of social media just as Facebook and Twitter harnessed emotion and power during Arab Spring into coordinated action. The majority of countries where drowning is at epidemic levels don’t even report drowning as a cause of death,  yet an estimated 80% of the world’s population have cell phones and can report drowning deaths directly to Global Drowning Tracker© via SMS text message or directly through the web-site, where it is verified and vetted to ensure accuracy and privacy are maintained. This same population can begin to feel part of a tidal wave of change – a change in awareness about the epidemic of drowning and an understanding that we need to learn how to be safer around water, protect our young children, and teach all our children how to be safer.

It’s not just raising awareness though. Once you’ve mobilized the friends and families of the estimated 1,000,000 plus people who drown every year, you need to provide them with the tools for change, and for that we need data. The 59% of World Health Organization members that don’t capture drowning as a cause of death are generally the countries where 97% of drowning deaths occur. Since we don’t know the demographics and locations, we can’t put targeted programs into place. Global Drowning Tracker© can change that. Just as a talented team used data to determine the exact demographics and reasons for child drowning and develop the creche and SwimSafe programs that have reduced drowning by 82% and 93%, respectively, using data from the Tracker will help us put the right programs in the right places at the right time. That’s the sort of targeted, measurable and cost-effective intervention that makes me giddy with excitement.

A huge shout-out to the dedicated volunteers at International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) who recognized the need to develop a single data source and put a face on the tragedy and then put their considerable talents to use creating Global Drowning Tracker©. To learn more, watch a video here  or read more by clicking here.  The ISLA staff are exactly the kind of young, dedicated professionals that I was talking about a couple of weeks ago, the talent we need to nurture and support.  Their tech-savvy approach to shining a gigantic spotlight on the issue of drowning will, I believe, forever change how we do business, and will enable us to drastically reduce drowning.

This won’t work without your help. First, spread the word, share the link with all your social media networks. If you are in a position to be collecting data, please input the data into the Global Drowning Tracker©. If you have connections with the media, governments, local paramedics, hospitals, pediatricians and emergency room staff, please share the information with them. If you need more information, you can contact ISLA directly.  Global Drowning Tracker© will only work if we can collect data, and yes, anyone can access the sanitized data to create programs and support funding requests.

One last action that will take less than one minute of your time. The creche and SwimSafe programs need funding. To the best of my knowledge, they are the only drowning prevention programs acknowledged by UNICEF, and they are the gold-standard in drowning prevention programs, so it is critical we keep those programs alive. Please take one minute to watch the video and to vote for the program to win funding (and publicity) from Grand Challenges Canada – Bold Ideas for Humanity.

We have the tools, we have the programs – all we need is YOU to make it happen.

The post Making Each Life Count. appeared first on Rebecca Wear Robinson.

Drowning is not a little issue. It is a global public health epidemic and we need to treat it like one. I know of only 5 organizations in the field that have a decent balance sheet – and their primary purpose isn’t even drowning prevention. Where is our Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation? Our World Wildlife Fund? Until we start treating drowning prevention as a business that is based on data, marketed effectively, with measurable results and a healthy bottom line used to hire the best people, support wide-reaching, cost-effective and effective programs, AND engage volunteers, we are not going to end drowning, or even make a serious dent. As Melinda Gates said recently, non-profits need to learn from Coca-Cola.  Yes, we do. Now. So what is holding us back? Why aren’t we on the global stage with our global issue?

I see a couple of prevailing attitudes in the drowning prevention field that are holding us back. Overall, the attitudes are incredibly positive and inspiring – passion, commitment, determination, energy, a love of water, a deep understanding of aquatics and water safety, and a sincere devotion to the cause. Then there are the far less flattering traits of fear and the ‘aw shucks syndrome’. Fear because stepping onto the global stage takes serious cojones, not to mention having a big spotlight on your best-intentioned efforts. Also fear of giving up your bit of turf, something that few organizations are willing to do when so many are scrambling for crumbs of funding and volunteers. People don’t see that an organized business approach to the issue will raise awareness, which generates demand for programs, which attracts funding and more awareness, and ultimately drastically reduces drowning. Looking at ending drowning with a business eye means there will be a whole pie to work from, not just crumbs. The ‘awe shucks syndrome’ exists because of the attitude that if you aren’t working for free for the greater good, suffering for the cause, operating on a shoe-string, having trouble getting people to listen or to donate money, that you somehow aren’t REALLY serious about ending drowning. Also known as the ‘we must suffer for our art’ anguished artist syndrome. Last time I checked, that just resulted in an ear being hacked off, not in social change on a global level.

Volunteering itself is a wonderful, noble and fulfilling occupation that strengthens our society and enhances our humanity, but it’s manifesting itself in the self-defeating attitude that I hear over and over again, the hint of ‘aw shucks, I do this work for free’, like it’s somehow better, more noble, accompanied by a suspicion of people and organizations who are not scrambling for funds. You know, those money-grubbing organizations like AIDS Red, except guess what? They have managed to shift the needle on AIDS education and transmission through an amazing and successful integrated business approach to a public health issue. ‘Fear’ and ‘aw shucks’ are the attitudes that are holding us back. Our goal should be to create organizations which are financially viable so that dedicated professionals in the field, and especially tireless volunteers who wish to devote their professional energies to drowning prevention full-time, can be employed to create and administer effective drowning prevention initiatives.

Am I saying that people shouldn’t volunteer their time and talents? Absolutely not! I descend from generations of devoted volunteers for any number of causes and have spent thousands of hours myself volunteering, and yes, many of those hours have been in the drowning prevention field. But there is a difference between a person volunteering their time and talents and an organization operating like an ‘aw shucks’ volunteer. For years I volunteered for a major teaching hospital that tracked over one million hours a year in volunteer time – they couldn’t have operated without that commitment – but they sure didn’t provide services to save lives without an eye on the bottom line that enabled the organization to compete and provide world-class services. They may have been a not-for-profit, but they operate as a thriving business, so they can save lives. The problem is, operating entirely as a ‘we love what we do and we’re just doing what we can on a shoestring’ is like filling a bucket with a hole in the bottom one drop of water at a time. Yes, we are making a difference, but on too small of a scale to ever fill the bucket, to ever significantly reduce drowning.

I’m seeing a shift in attitudes – the most important is the new Global Drowning Tracker just introduced by International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) which leverages technology, social media and unilateral engagement of drowning prevention organizations AND the public to put a spotlight on the issue of drowning. More on that exciting initiative when I’m back on April 3, but in the meantime, check out their video on YouTube.

Until we make a decision to end drowning as a business and not a ‘feel good’ operation, hundreds of thousands of people will continue to drown every year. Screw that. Time to change how we do business. Who’s with me?

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As I was leaving the World Conference in Vietnam almost 2 years ago, an expert from a major global organization took me to one side and told me that unless the drowning prevention field started attracting young people to the cause our chance of making real progress was slim. I agreed. I went to a lecture on human trafficking and the UNICEF representative said that they were focusing their efforts on engaging people under 30. I heard Al Gore speak about his new book, “The Future – Six Drivers of Global Change” and he talked about the importance of engaging people under 30. I attended a conference on Global Women’s Health and…..to see change we need to engage people under 30. Are you noticing a trend here? So what does that mean for us ‘old gits’, why do we need to get more young people on board the drowning prevention boat, and how do we engage them?

I’ll start with the importance of ‘old gits’ like myself. (I’m spitting distance from 50, just to save you doing the math on my LinkedIn profile.)  I absolutely do not consider myself obsolete or lacking in value and have no intention of going quietly away to live out my dotage, but since 52% of the world’s population is under 30, I believe it is critical that the ‘gray hair and experience’ group learn how to support, nurture and engage the next generation if we are going to lead them effectively, not just pontificate down to them. There is value in experience, in having ‘life’ as your classroom, but we must wield that power effectively. After all, we respect The Elders because they wield their power, experience and influence so effectively – we need to do the same.

If we have all the experience, why bother engaging young people? Shouldn’t they just hang on the pearls of accumulated wisdom that drop from our mouths? Adoringly and unquestioningly implement our brilliant strategies? Sure, they should learn from us, but if we are going to attract global interest to our cause, we need to understand how half the world thinks – we need to learn from younger people as well. (And from the 50% that is women too, but that’s a different rant.) The Gates Foundation focuses on monitoring and evaluation, but they are also constantly on the lookout for innovation. In a world where 85% of people in world have cell phones, with 80% of those sales in developing countries, technology as innovation, or a way of delivering innovative programs, is critical to creating lasting change, and young people are far more adept at technological innovation. And there is a difference in attitude. Not that young people are the only ones pushing for change, but thanks to technology they see the capacity for change much more clearly than (many) older people. Governments and large organizations are struggling to catch up with the change already wrought by youth who harness technology. Better to harness that ability than fight it.

I asked a couple of young leaders in global health what they needed from us and they were clear. Mentoring – share our experience, share our knowledge, help them see the big picture and a different perspective, a perspective gained from years of real-life experience and learning. Set goals and provide a framework for what needs to be accomplished, but give them space to explore and experience and create new options. Energize them with stories and data (think TED talks).  Let them see the potential for change, and then give them the parameters to be the change without micro-managing them.

And now a word to the under-30 crowd. I share your impatience for change, your frustration with a status quo that doesn’t seem to be getting results, but the flip-side of the ‘pushing for change’ 52% is the 48% that largely controls most organizations in the world. I can’t speak for all the old gits, but mostly we’re just looking for a little respect as well (and yes, I feel I’m getting that respect).  In general, do not let the fact that I can not operate a TV remote distract from the fact that I have an encyclopedic knowledge of people, places and things; how things work in organizational and social structures; how to communicate effectively; how change occurs; statistics and other random facts – and I’m still learning from those older and more experienced than myself. Experience is when all those seemingly unconnected life, work and academic experiences all work together to make me powerful and effective in a different way. Mutual respect is critical for this to work. Value what I bring to the table, but I will do the same for you, I will value and respect your contribution because I do believe you are the future and I am proud and eager to support your vision of the future.

We share the passion. The gray-hairs have the experience and much of the power and the young have the drive, the creativity, the innovative skills, and the fearlessness. Neither of the groups can do it alone, but together, we are powerful enough to move mountains. I’m committed to encouraging and supporting the under-30’s to make real changes in drowning prevention because I truly believe they are the future – are you in?

p.s. a ‘git’ is a British-ism for ‘old guy’, not just ‘old’ but generally brings to mind stuck in a rut wearing bad plaid pants held up by suspenders showing white socks and ugly shoes. Just for the record, I do not own a single pair of ugly shoes and will have to be well into my 90’s before I am willing to sacrifice ‘chic’ for ‘comfort’, and maybe not even then. Even my hiking boots coordinate with my outdoor gear – after all, one must maintain one’s standards.

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Lifeguards are really cool. And hey, great job! Sit in the sun, hang out at the beach or pool. Easy life, and they even get paid? Is it a cush job or are they really worth the investment and salary?

Emphatically YES – a good lifeguard is not just worth every penny, but is an amazing return on investment. From the teenager diligently scanning the local pool to the famed Hawaiian Watermen and Surf Life Saving Australia, their presence alone reduces the risk of drowning by a staggering amount. The Center for Disease Control  and the United States Lifesaving Association found that the chance of drowning at a beach protected by lifeguards can be less than 1 in 18 million. Those are pretty amazing odds in your favor and an amazing return on investment since drowning is expensive. Even better, there are a number of lifeguards who then donate their time and talents to train people in other, at-risk, countries. International Surf Lifesaving Association (ISLA) is one of the best examples – 100% volunteer-based and very effective.

More than 75% of open water drownings occur when a lifeguard is not present. In the U.S., there is one drowning death for every 4,832 rescues at beaches with a lifeguard on duty. Their importance was even recognized by an international task force when they developed the International Open Water Safety Guidelines.  The message from everyone is clear: Swim in areas with a lifeguard.

It’s not all dramatic Baywatch rescues, in fact, any good lifeguard will tell you that 95% of their job is prevention. Educating the public, intervening when they see potentially dangerous behavior, enforcing warnings about unsafe areas. Basically having a lifeguard on duty is like having a firefighter stand in your front yard 24/7, just in case a fire breaks out.

As for the training, it’s rigorous and continuous. Training in CPR and First Aid, acting out emergency scenarios, and the physical training it takes to do ocean rescues. I’ve seen the Hawaiian Watermen train and it would put some elite athletes to shame.

So, next time you are at a beach or pool, make sure you swim near a lifeguard, and maybe give them a thumbs up and yell ‘thank you!’, but don’t be surprised if they keep scanning the water for danger while they respond, they’re professionals – and a great investment.

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