Learning to aid others to safety
Caritas Indonesia hosted the Caritas Asia Regional Humanitarian Forum from September 17 to 19.
Oct 04, 2024
BALI, Indonesia: Caritas Indonesia hosted the Caritas Asia Regional Humanitarian Forum from September 17 to 19.
Over 40 humanitarian practitioners and executive directors from 21 member organisations and global partners, supported by Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Austria, shared their knowledge, best practices, and experiences in emergency preparedness and response.
Malaysia was represented by Fr Fabian Dicom, National Director of Caritas Malaysia, and Eta Ting Ming Na, Diocesan Director of Caritas Sibu.
Key highlights included:
-- Mapping of the humanitarian context in the region
-- The revised CI Toolkit (CHAT, CI Emergency Framework, Emergency Appeal), its challenges, and recommendations
-- The Regional Emergency Support Mechanism (RESUM) and its application
-- The Community of Practice (CoP) on Local leadership, Volunteer Management, MEAL, and various innovations in the humanitarian sector in the region.
John Paul Coughlin and Arpana Karki provided updates on the CI Toolkit, Caritas Humanitarian Accompaniment Team (CHAT), and the CI Emergency Appeal and Framework. Alexander Tripura from Caritas Bangladesh shared valuable experiences regarding the Emergency Appeal as a Programme Framework.
On day two, Ranjit Silway from Caritas Nepal recapped the previous day’s discussions. Participants also engaged in conversations about CI Protocols, communication mechanisms during emergencies, and challenges in reporting, emphasising the necessity for training to enhance effective disaster response teams.
Fr Guido Trezzani’s presentation on the flood response in Kazakhstan illustrated the diversity of Emergency Support Mechanisms (RESUM) tailored to each country’s unique protocols and policies.
Fr Fredy from Caritas Indonesia presented the “One Caritas One Response” approach, detailing collaborative efforts to address disasters like tsunamis and earthquakes. He outlined a four-step framework for developing local leadership and sustainable funding: Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing. This model has fostered stronger partnerships among Caritas Indonesia, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Caritas Germany since March 2024.
On the final day, Linus Ng from CHARIS, Singapore, introduced the digital CHARIS Volunteer Management System, which serves as a critical database for managing trained volunteers. There was a proposal to establish a network of well-trained volunteers across Caritas Singapore, Caritas Malaysia, and other member organisations for effective deployment during emergencies, ensuring readiness for disasters such as typhoons, tsunamis, and earthquakes.
Total Comments:0