Disaster Risk Reduction - An evolutionary dynamism to empower women, girls, and other people to develop

inclusive resilience at local level – A Future wayBy

Dr. Colonel Nagar M VermaDirector General, Saritsa Foundation

Dear All,We are here to light up an area of darkness in the field of DRR where most needy remain excluded from the process. We are here to ignite our mind to generate ripples of change in our minds and hearts where we become a Mobile University to reach to people. I lead Saritsa Foundation which is a Mobile University where teams of experts reach to people and build capacity at their DOOR STEPS for past 15 years.

Are we sprint runners or marathon runners as representatives of international community for DRR?

I firmly believe DRR is a life saving marathon for billions of people internationally who need to be empowered, especially women, girls, school children,

disabled, older people and citizens. It is not quick fix sprint by national governments or international organization, it has to be a collective integration of approach for the marathon of DRR needing stronger collaboration by the people, governments and out side agencies.

How Disaster Risk Reduction Imperatives guide for pioneering social innovations with stirred conscience and enhanced accountability of citizens and their power of integrated action?

Why and what does this involve?

Why the present system has to be re-imagined with more relevant and energetic solutions? Reality check, introspection, and ethical accountability at all levels speaks for a change !!

When we have to re-imagine our future plans and policies for DRR, It does not in any way undermines the rich contribution made in past three decades by experts, educationists, UNISDR, National Governments, International organizations and other partners in the process. It is their valuable contribution which provides confidence to innovate and envision new ripples of change.

How do we evolve out of box solutions? How the concept is evolutionary and what factors have to be taken in account?

1) Make DRR a Bottom Upward Momentum.2) A co- creation of creative thinking amongst most

vulnerable who have remained illusive so far about their role.

3) Envisaging methodology which explores fresh possibilities. Effecting a course correction.

4) People recognizing themselves as core components to engineer resilience at local level.

5) Sensitize the process of social awakening, information generating, building knowledge and imparting training.

6) Avoiding bombarded assertiveness where we keep on accounting what has been achieved in the past without analyzing how much more has to be done in the future.

7) The strength of the past achievements lies in continuous rediscovering for future innovations.

“Of course, Einstein said it was amazing after aformal education, that anybody has curiosity left to

learn. Yes, in respect of DRR there is a creative curiosityamongst more than half the population of the world.Our thought process for developing resilience guide usto introspect that are the present methods of “TopDown Trickles” for DRR are a good beginning, yet maybe full of inadequacies?”

How it has been re-imagined by Saritsa Foundation, India and how it could be replicated internationally?

1. Saritsa Foundation has been advocating and practicing active collaboration with people as nucleus.

2. Integrating with deeper generalizable insights for community groups.

3. Developing people’s ability to make them recognize themselves as a core components to engineer resilience.

4. It signifies -:

the importance of social awakening,

information generating,

building knowledge and

imparting training to mainstream people in the process.

Why this innovation has to be a future life line for DRR?

1. Re-imagining Disaster Risk Reduction to win some of the challenges posed need shaping a new field of inquiry and innovative agenda which has to remain an on-going process to be focused on the creative ingenuity and ability of people, communities and systems to maintain its core agility, cooperation and new way of thinking.

2. It has to be proactive, optimistic and eye opening innovation with a purpose of inclusiveness, integrity amid enhancing capacity for unforeseen shocks and surprises by the people at the Bottom of the Pyramid.

3. Disaster Risk Reduction is intertwined with the threads of determination, innovative ways and infinite vision for the cause. The great people as individuals are not dazzling individuals with an invincible ideas or capacities to make a big difference, yet, they have made it possible, because they are inspired, have grit and courage to walk their talk.

4. The people have to know that they are absorbers and they have to learn fast to invent to be resilient.

5. This determination gives them strength to focus on prevention, mitigation, and preparedness for disasters with distinct honesty with purpose where they remain undistracted.

6. There is no dirth of such people who are practitioners to contribute in the process of resilience who want to see the evolutionary transformation of present policies, plans and strategies with an ignited and enlightened mindset of change for inclusiveness.

How can we research new opportunities to make people the backbone of DRR?

1. Make people understand that they are pillars of strength upon which all aspirations to be resilient are met with ignited minds and enlightened citizens with following dimensions:-

Identifying needs of learning, thinking and imagining.

Generating information, sharing information, building knowledge, imparting training by reaching at the DOOR STEPS of people- every one becomes a Mobile University,

Formulation of policies and plans for implementation with an eye on local resources,

expertise experience and realities by buildinglocal knowledge centres.

2. How this social entrepreneurship gains importance?

It integrates communities with initiatives of governments, international agencies, civil society organizations to be partners. Make people owners of DRR which is inclusive, responsive and inherently an organic path where governments and outside agencies are in the supportive role .

3. Envisioning the Success Story. it has to be supported by governments, international

organizations, corporate and others including social, religious organization with serious engagement much beyond symbolism. The governments have to engage with this approach with full support of resources, technical guidance and building of local knowledge hubs to prepare people.

The governments and outside agencies have collective accountability with stirred conscience to make it a success without an intent of security to lose their bureaucratic control and ownership in on going hierarchical system for decades.

A good level of infrastructure and forces to respond to disasters has been adequately taken care in India and most of other countries which has accounted for major provisions of finances. This financial cycle of major spending on overhead administrative expenses of institutions of the governments for response mechanisms has to be balanced with community empowerment component of Disaster Risk Reduction.

How this deeper understanding of integration of people takes place with fostering of greater stability amongst them to be resilient?

The causes for such inherent strength come out with following factors:-

First and foremost to mention is to ascertain that culture of safety and resilience is a creative and collaborative process by people together.

Innovation comes more from wisdom of team groups for usable practices by people than the knowledge imparted by experts.

Inclusiveness is explained when local resources and local practices are integrated collectively for responding to disasters.

Community responses integrated with government and other organization initiatives will bring together the best in people with array of facilities.

Through out in the history the good practices in Disaster Risk Reduction, it is observed that the best leadership from the community teams emerges distinctively to combine them with complementary knowledge, common visions, ideas and practices.

People possess an imagination of collective action in emergencies that brings them together with facts, ideas, concepts which are evolutionary.

ConclusionTogether we make people resilient and safer.

Safer Women

Safer Schools

Safer Persons with Disability

Safer Older People

Empower Youth

Safer Hospitals Staff

Safer Corporate Staff & Executives

THANK YOU !!

SARITSA FOUNDATION