About the International Preparedness Network
WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL PREPAREDNESS NETWORK?
The International Preparedness Network (I.P.N.) is an NGO (Non Governmental Organization) originally created back in the late fall of 1989 in New York City by the acting Executive Director Aton Edwards at a meeting he arranged with small group of his friends — Paul James, Ron Peterson, Jumel “Spade” Dillard, Christopher Streeter, T.G. Davis & Dr. Sunyatta Amen.
They all believed in his premise that the residents of the “Big Apple” were in desperate need of a mechanism to help prepare them for several potential disasters & emergencies and, to help protect its environment. A decision was made to work together and start a Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.) civilian disaster & emergency preparedness manager program.
At the time, they called it P.R.I.S.M. (People & Resources Integrated to Serve Mankind). A few months later in 1990, the name was switched over to the New York Preparedness Network. As the membership grew, it included individuals & groups from outside of the New York City area.
In 1993, after the bombing of the World Trade Center many were filing in from across the country and, even around the world.
1993 WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING
By 1993, the name was changed to International Preparedness Network to reflect the changes in membership. The training offered by the I.P.N. also became far more sophisticated than the original directives offered by F.E.M.A.
The Executive Director Aton Edwards, a Buckminster Fuller acolyte, outdoor survival expert, martial artist & design scientist, decided to create a unique operational protocol for the group that he called Improvisational Adaptation (IA) for short. The system was designed as a comprehensive “life-defense” program that combines the full spectrum of self-reliance, preparedness, outdoor survival, sustainable living, personal health, fitness, and self-defense disciplines.
IA-DO’s form is based on a cellular level of control, where practitioners become self-contained units who use specific preparedness related tools, skills and information to stabilize and maintain their lives and environments during disasters in the same way the internal organs of the human body work together to maintain homeostasis. He even created a formula, and symbol to express it.
“Preventative measures that are taken for each crisis are directly proportional to their frequency P= and inversely proportional to their average magnitude.”
P = Preventative measures, F = frequency, M = average magnitude. Analytically stated, P = F/M.
IA-DO SYMBOL & FORMULA
The specific mission of the unit was to train civilians in the tri-state area to avoid, mitigate against, respond to and recover from natural, environmental, technological and civil disasters. Over the course of the past two decades, the mission has significantly expanded.
The I.P.N. now also:
Monitors and reports critical environmental, public health and safety related issues to its members and, the general public.
Designs its own specialized emergency preparedness/disaster response related equipment. A recently added new component features a portable homeless emergency shelter design & construction program.
Gathers and distributes critical information to its members regarding potential (and in progress) disasters, & emergencies, developing geopolitical crises and, terrorism.
Stages free public self-reliance, preparedness & sustainable living forums called Global Meltdown Survival Clinics.
GLOBAL MELTDOWN SURVIVAL CLINIC PHOTO
Produces social mixers for like-minded self-reliance/preparedness/sustainable living practitioners called Club 2012.
Today, the I.P.N. now has members, associated organizations & other similar business & not-for-profit entites in all 50 states (including Puerto Rico) and, many other nations around the World. It also has a popular manual written by Aton Edwards called Preparedness NOW! published by Process Media Inc. and, has also been featured on many national & international popular radio, TV programs & print media.
Finally, since its creation back in 1989, the I.P.N. has been a firm believer in Benjamin Franklin’s statement “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” The best form of preparedness is, and always will be prevention. All of the creators & directors of I.P.N. believe that the Global Warming crisis poses an enormous threat to humanity. It has, and continues to work with and will support organizations that are committed to protecting our Great Grandmother Supreme (Planet Earth) and her environment.
Help to support their work! Please visit the following links: To support ours, click here!
The official site of the Green Belt Movement and its founder, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. http://www.greenbeltmovement.org/
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) works to protect wildlife and wild places and to ensure a healthy environment for all life on Earth. http://www.nrdc.org/
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is a story of people who have dreams for a cleaner safer world for ourselves and future generations. http://www.clearwater.org/
The Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition is a non-profit informational group for safe energy and closing of Indian Point nuclear plant in Westchester County, NY. http://www.ipsecinfo.org/
Riverkeeper is an environmental ‘neighborhood watch’ program & a citizen’s patrol to protect the nation’s waters. http://riverkeeper.org
Water Not Weapons is a water conservation protection group. http://waternotweapons.org
The Rainforest Action Network works to protect the Earth’s rainforests and support the rights of their inhabitants through education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action. http://ran.org
The Center For A Livable Future is dedicated to improving human health, preventing disease, and meeting basic needs for food water and shelter equitably for all people around the world. http://jhsph.edu/clf/ Earthwatch Institute is an international non-profit organization that brings science to life for people concerned about the Earth’s future. http://www.earthwatch.org/
Friends Of The Earth is a progressive organization dedicated to protecting the Earth and its environment http://www.foe.org/
The Nature Conservancy protects Earth’s most important natural places — for you and future generations — through great science and smart partnerships http://www.nature.org/
The Alliance For Climate Protection is developing green energy solutions for our energy needs http://www.climateprotect.org/
The Sierra Club is America’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. http://www.sierraclub.org/
The Rocky Mountain Institute is a group of industry experts, thought leaders and engineers focused on driving the profitable transition from coal and oil to efficiency and renewable energy http://www.rmi.org/rmi/
Greenpeace is an environmental protection & information service. http://greenpeace.org
I went to a preparedness workshop with Aton and thought it was excellent. I wanted to attend the geodesic dome building class. When will that be?