Art an Effective Tool for Culture-Building and Reducing Crisis Risks

Head of Tehran's Crisis Prevention and Management Organization said art is an effective tool for building culture, raising citizen preparedness and reducing crisis-related risks.

According to Ambassador Arjan Ali Nasiri, the head of Tehran's crisis prevention and management organization, at the closing ceremony of the fifth crisis cultural and artistic festival, emphasizing the role of art in promoting crisis management culture, he said: "Art in the field of crisis management is not only a tool for expressing feelings, but an effective tool for creating hope, institutionalizing preventive measures and increasing public awareness in the face of natural disasters and accidents."

Referring to the role of the people in crisis management, he said: The principle of crisis management is the people, and the duty of the responsible institutions is to provide the context, support and create a suitable platform for the effective participation of citizens in this area.

Referring to the naming of 20 Mehr as the National Crisis Management Day for the first time in the country's national calendar, the head of the Tehran Crisis Management and Prevention Organization considered this occasion as an opportunity to pay more attention to the importance of culture building, prevention and preparedness against accidents. He also mentioned that this program coincides with the World Disaster Risk Reduction Day on October 13.

Stating that art can convey the specialized concepts of crisis management to the society in a simple, attractive and lasting language, Nasiri added: the use of artistic capacities, especially humor, can increase the effectiveness of trainings and criticize possible misbehavior in times of crisis in a constructive way.

Referring to some high-risk behaviors during accidents, including gathering at the accident site, filming and creating obstacles for the rescue forces, intervention of untrained people in rescue and construction operations in unsafe areas and riverbanks, he noted: Art can play an important role in correcting these behaviors and promoting social responsibility.

Head of Tehran Crisis Prevention and Management Organization, referring to the development process of the Bahran cultural and artistic festival, said: This festival started with the focus of humor in the past years and gradually included more artistic fields; So that in the fifth period, works were received in seven disciplines, including photography, cartoons and cartoons, posters and graphics, short stories, poems, narratives and memoirs, and short films with mobile phones.

He added: In the short film section, an effort was made to provide public participation so that citizens can participate in the production of educational and cultural content using the tools available to them, especially mobile phones.

Nasiri also appreciated the participation of artists, judges and cultural activists in holding this event and pointed out the presence of master Ahmad Arabani, one of the prominent caricature figures of the country and the creator of lasting works in Gol Agha magazine, among the judges of this festival.

Appreciation of the chosen ones and the development of the bank of art works of crisis management

Referring to the reception of artists from the festival and receiving works in seven fields, he said: the selected works of this period, along with the selected works of previous periods, have been presented to the audience in the form of an exhibition, and planning for a wider use of these works in educational and informational activities of crisis management is on the agenda.

Nasiri continued: The selected works are supposed to be used in the form of educational products, content used in urban billboards, festivals and other information platforms in order to form a valuable collection of cultural and artistic productions in the field of crisis management.

Honoring the actors and the families of the martyrs

The head of Tehran Crisis Prevention and Management Organization also announced plans to honor people who have played a role in increasing the capital's resilience and effective presence in the field during the recent difficult days and nights.

Emphasizing the necessity of strengthening the link between art and crisis management, Nasiri expressed hope that the works produced in this festival can help increase public awareness, strengthen the culture of prevention and reduce the damage caused by accidents by participating in educational and media programs.