The BHN Association (BHN Telecom Support Council) is a nonprofit founded in September 1992 on the belief that information and communication is also one of the Basic Human Needs, the elements that make up the foundation of life such as food, clothing and shelter. It helps everyone gain access to the information they need, in remote villages, disaster areas and refugee camps.
Its work rests on three pillars: support for better living (social development), emergency humanitarian assistance, and human resource development. Using ICT, it aims to help solve issues in health care, education and disaster prevention in developing countries and disaster-affected areas.
One example is its work on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia, after the earthquake of September 2018. It supported the opening of a community radio station, "TUTURA FM," so that disaster survivors could broadcast for one another, and also distributed 1,000 radio receivers. The station opened on May 1, 2019.
Key points
- ICT-focused support that treats information as essential to life, alongside food, clothing and shelter
- Three pillars: better living, emergency humanitarian assistance and human resource development
- Support for opening a community radio station for disaster survivors on Sulawesi Island, Indonesia
Why this organization deserves attention
In disasters and remote areas, a lack of the information people need is a major difficulty. Using its telecommunications expertise to address this is what sets the organization apart.
It also continues work that develops people, such as domestic disaster ICT support and an endowed lecture course at a university. There are also ways for people with specialist knowledge to take part as pro bono professionals or volunteers.
Editor's comment
Communication, which we usually take for granted, becomes a vital lifeline in a disaster. BHN's work reminds us that information is part of the foundation of daily life.
Its activity reports on the official website show the latest from the field and from Japan. Why not read one?