Vol 64 – UNIVERSITY OF CANTERBURY
UNIVERSITY OF
CANTERBURY
The University of Canterbury and the AHA Centre have held a long and close relationship since the AHA Centre’s early years after establishment, with the university continuously sharing disaster response knowledge with ASEAN nations, particularly through its engagement with the AHA Centre Executive (ACE) Programme since 2014.
The University of Canterbury (UC) has catered to the demand for university level emergency management professional development and education since 2013. ACE Programme participants have benefited from UC’s dynamic disaster management faculty, who have been delivering short courses and qualifications, driven by their internal team’s international experience in the field of disaster management.
As part of the ACE Programme curriculum, the University of Canterbury has delivered the Critical Incident Leadership (CIL) course since the programme began in 2014. The course introduced participants to various hazards, and engaged them on the essentials of critical incident leadership competencies. In Jakarta, participants learnt about a range of hazards in New Zealand, as well as the institutional structures and policies that govern New Zealand’s disaster risk management processes.
The second phase of the CIL course is a 150-hour component delivered in various locations across New Zealand. This phase concentrates on the development of strategic thinking, proactive planning, decision-making, situational awareness, communication, coordination, and collaboration. Through field visits, the ACE Programme participants also interacted with emergency management practitioners, and experience first-hand exposure to various stakeholders – both experts and community – on how they understand their risks, prepare for, respond, and recover from disasters.
Participants were also immersed in the multicultural nature of New Zealand’s population, and see how the nation’s disaster management strategies take advantage of this diversity to strengthen their disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts. The delivery of the Critical Incident Leadership Course in Jakarta and New Zealand is supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati, Ferosa Arsadita | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 63 – MUHAMMADIYAH DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE (MDMC)
MUHAMMADIYAH
DISASTER MANAGEMENT CENTRE (MDMC)
The Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Centre (MDMC) was established in response to the series of large disasters in Indonesia leading up to the significant 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake. It initially formed as an ad-hoc team to support the response and recovery after the big earthquake and other disasters. After the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake, the team then worked with other groups in the Muhammadiyah network to engage in disaster responses after other natural disasters. The Muhammadiyah organisation then affirmed the team to become an official body under the Muhammadiyah Central Board, and finally to be recognised as the Muhammadiyah Disaster Management Centre (MDMC) in 2010.
Inspired by the wide network of Muhammadiyah (Islamic organisation) members across Indonesia, as well as in response to Indonesia’s extensive disaster vulnerabilities, the MDMC was formed to overcome disaster impacts, educate communities, and prevent future damage from natural disaster in the country. The MDMC is also committed to developing disaster countermeasure and mitigation programmes that are based on responsive and professional activities under the regulations of Muhammadiyah itself. The MDMC is committed to working beyond the exclusive boundaries of region, religion, race, ethnicity and community group.
Ms Rahmawati Husein, Deputy Chairperson of the MDMC, explained that the MDMC has recently begun to broaden its networks internationally. Although MDMC has never jointly worked together with the AHA Centre, she stated that MDMC has been involved in humanitarian actions and disaster management at the regional level. “The MDMC has been involved in several disaster responses across the region, such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, and the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar during 2016-2017” she said.
Response has become the strength of the MDMC, as it utilises Muhammadiyah’s wide networks across Indonesia and some Southeast Asian countries, allowing MDMC to respond quickly to provide assistance. Additionally, Muhammadiyah is also known for its excellent health facilities and experts who are very valuable within disaster response. “During our mission to Myanmar in 2017, for example, we deployed 54 medical team members to provide health services to the affected communities,” Rahmawati highlighted.
In addition to international collaboration, MDMC was also invited to be one of the speakers in ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management “Building ASEAN’s Resiliency to Disaster” during August 2019 in Singapore. During this event, Rahmawati, as the representative of the MDMC, shared best practices and experiences from MDMC in strengthening local networks in Indonesia, particularly in regards to disaster management and response.
Written by : Moch Syifa | Photo : MDMC
- Published in Partnership
Vol 62 – THE AHA CENTRE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT NETWORK
THE AHA CENTRE
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT NETWORK
Data and information form the base of key decision making that enables effective and efficient disaster management, and facilitates appropriate and timely emergency response. In order to ensure a well-informed and prompt decision-making process, such data and information have to be available, of high quality, and accessible across the entire emergency management cycle. The AHA Centre Information Management Network (AIM-Net) aims to recommend potential solution to address issues of data and information availability, quality, and accessibility to aid in disaster management and emergency response, and ensure the interoperability of information systems between the National Disaster Management Organisations (NDMOs) of the ASEAN Member States and the AHA Centre.
AIM-Net is a regional forum that facilitates ASEAN Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) practitioners to coordinate and cooperate in strengthening EOC capacities, capabilities and practices. AIM-Net’s formation was a result of recommendations from the ASEAN-ERAT Advisory Group and the ICT Task Force, after being presented to both the ACDM Working Groups on Risk Assessment (WG-RAA) and on Knowledge and Innovation Management (WG-KIM).
AIM-Net was established based on the requests from NDMOs, who wanted to develop a regional framework to support EOCs integrating big data and artificial intelligence into their work. It was also required to promote the development of regional data sharing and data management agreements, and to establish a technical platform to collectively address regional disaster information issues and concerns. This initiative was supported and approved during the 11th Meeting of the Governing Board of the AHA Centre in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in October 2019.
AIM-Net stands as the key first step towards strengthening ASEAN Member States’ Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs), and will consist of the following components:
AIM-Net functions as a platform to develop and implement regional disaster Information management strategy, access information management information system interoperability needs, and develop and reach consensus on information management and information system interoperability taxonomy, specification, standards, and protocols. Its membership and structure includes a focal person from each NDMO, and also ASEAN-ERAT Information Management Specialists. The Chairperson role will rotate among NDMOs (first co-chairs will be nominated during the 1st AIM-Net Meeting), and the AHA Centre Disaster Monitoring and Analysis unit shall work as its secretariat.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 61 – JAIF SUPPORT FOR ASEAN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
JAIF SUPPORT
FOR ASEAN DISASTER MANAGEMENT
In partnership with the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), consistent support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) on disaster management in ASEAN has been reflected through flagship programmes implemented by the AHA Centre. Since the AHA Centre’s establishment in 2011, based on a shared interest in disaster management, the Government of Japan through JAIF has remained one of the biggest supporters of the regional coordinating agency on disaster management and emergency response, and by extension the ASEAN region that it serves.
Officially established in early 2006, JAIF is a specific funding mechanism developed by the Government of Japan to support the continuous development of the ASEAN Community. Since its establishment JAIF has strengthened the relationship between Japan and the ASEAN region across a range of areas, contributing over USD 650 million to development efforts. Guided by the ASEAN Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together blueprint, JAIF has funded and supported multiple projects related to disaster management, counter-terrorism, economic integration, youth exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The Government of Japan, through JAIF, was one of the first partners to support the implementation of the region’s vision to establish the AHA Centre. JAIF’s partnership with the AHA Centre is particularly important as it has continued to support a number of multi-year programmes that have significant impact on disaster management capacity development and coordination systems in the region. Since its establishment in November 2011, the AHA Centre has benefitted from over USD 40 million for a range of projects. This sees the Government of Japan – through JAIF – form the largest contributor to the AHA Centre’s programmes overall. Due to such success in the implementation of the range of projects and programmes, the trust and the deepening of knowledge exchange between the Government of Japan and the AHA Centre has been key to launching ASEAN towards its future goal as a global leader in disaster management.
In 2019, the ASEAN launched satellite warehouses in the Philippines and Thailand with support from JAIF through the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) Phase II Project. The two satellite warehouses, in addition to the DELSA Regional Stockpile located in Malaysia, are being utilised for all disaster response efforts – including the current pandemic – across the ASEAN region. The current total funding for the DELSA Phase II Project from JAIF is USD 7.2 million, and is an extension of the original JAIF-funded DELSA programmes implemented previously.
In 2018, JAIF continued its support of the ACE Programme (2018-2021) as a standalone project after the successful implementation of the original four batches, initially funded under the first phase of the DELSA Project (2012-2017). By the end of 2021, the ACE Programme will have produced 122 graduates who are ready to tackle the challenges of increasing disaster and climate risks in the region, and to assist ASEAN in maximising regional disaster response coordination mechanisms.
The ICT Phase IV Project, the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) Transformation Project, and Enhancing the Readiness of Myanmar Government Local Capacity in Providing Humanitarian Assistance to Support the Repatriation Process, are other examples of the AHA Centre’s efforts supported by JAIF. Alongside these, JAIF also supports projects such as the Disaster Risk Reduction by Integrating Climate Change Projection into Flood and Landslide Risk Assessment, and Development of the AADMER Work Programme 2021-2025, which are currently being implemented across the ASEAN region.
Written by : Gaynor Tanyang, Ina Rachmawati and JAIF Management Team | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 60 – KOREAN NATIONAL FIRE AGENCY SUPPORTING THE AHA CENTRE IN IMPLEMENTING ASCEND
KOREAN NATIONAL FIRE AGENCY
SUPPORTING THE AHA CENTRE IN IMPLEMENTING ASCEND
ASEAN nations hold extensive experience in dealing with various types of disasters in the region, which has in-turn ensured a solid system to train and certify its ASEAN disaster responders. However, as part of on-going development of regional training and standards for responders, it becomes important for ASEAN to benchmark its own training and standards in comparison with countries from outside the region. This has formed the reasoning for the Operationalising the ASEAN Standards and Certification for Experts in Disaster Management (ASCEND) project, under which the AHA Centre and the Republic of Korea’s Korean National Fire Agency (KNFA) have developed their recent partnership.
Starting in late December 2019, the ASCEND project seeks to create a regionally recognised certification scheme for disaster management professionals, in order to ensure and promote higher standards and quality in the management of disasters throughout ASEAN. It aims to ensure the availability of competent disaster management professionals in the region, with strong capacity to manage disasters to reduce the loss of life, respond effectively, recover more quickly, and decrease disaster risks throughout the ASEAN region wherever possible. This initiative is part of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2016-2020, and will also contribute to the realisation of ASEAN’s goal to become a global leader in disaster management by 2025, as expressed in the ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management.
The project will be implemented for three years and cover the pilot period of the ASCEND Framework and Roadmap implementation in collaboration with the KNFA. The pilot will be critical for the development of ASCEND, during which the AHA Centre will focus on the application of ASCEND Framework in a number of ASEAN countries. KNFA will contribute to the ongoing development of ASCEND by deploying their experts and sharing their knowledge and experience on disaster management from the Korean context. Similarly, the KNFA hopes to benefit with new knowledge and experience through its further engagement in the ASEAN region and perspectives. The collaboration between KNFA and the AHA Centre forms a showcase of positive collaboration and learning between individual nations and institutions from the ASEAN region such as the AHA Centre.
A significant learning that ASEAN can obtain from Korea is related to the development of the Korea Disaster Relief Team (KDRT). The United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) has certified the KDRT as a Heavy Search and Rescue (SAR) team, meaning that it is considered as one of the leading SAR teams globally. Within ASEAN itself, there are two nations with SAR teams that have successfully obtained the INSARAG Heavy classification – namely the Lionheart team from Singapore and the SMART team from Malaysia. Additionally, the Indonesian BASARNAS (the National Search and Rescue Body) has just received its INSARAG classification as medium Urban SAR in November 2019. Therefore, there is value for ASEAN to learn more about the KDRT, in particular related to how the KDRT maintain its readiness, recruits and trains new members, and maintains its high standards and quality on an ongoing basis. Such knowledge could support and improve the management and training activities of other Search and Rescue Teams within the ASEAN region.
Written by : William Shea | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 59 – ESTONIAN RESCUE BOARD (ERB)
ESTONIAN RESCUE BOARD (ERB)
2020 will see a new project implemented by the AHA Centre known as LACER – or Shortening the Learning Curve of AHA Centre through Support from EU Civil Protection Agencies.
LACER’s specific objectives are to (1) strengthen the capacity and sustainability of the AHA Centre towards achieving operational excellence in disaster monitoring, preparedness and emergency response, and; (2) to enhance mechanisms for ASEAN leadership to respond as one, through excellence and innovation in disaster management.
As seen in the Column Volume 58, the LACER – or Shortening the Learning Curve of AHA Centre through Support from EU Civil Protection Agencies project will be implemented through a consortium led by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), alongside the Estonian Rescue Board (ERB). In Volume 58’s Partnership article we learnt about the MSB, therefore for this issue we will take a further look into the ERB.
ESTONIAN RESCUE BOARD (ERB)
The Estonian Rescue Board is a public authority under the Estonian Ministry of the Interior. ERB employs over 2,100 people making it the third-largest public sector institution in Estonia. The ERB operates within five key areas, being prevention, safety surveillance, rescue work, explosive ordnance disposal, and emergency management.
As an emergency management authority the ERB has been involved as a partner in developing the emergency services of several disaster-prone nations in the European region, such as working supporting Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and the Ukraine. ERB offers expert knowledge in national and international disaster management and logistics, and delivers training, exercises, advisory services and mentoring to its partners. Depending on the context, ERB can also mobilise external experts from different fields of specialisation for international deployment to disaster, usually within areas such as ICT, health, education and civil engineering.
The ERB has departments that develop, plan and manage activities, as well as Regional Rescue Centres and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre that implements the activities in the field. North, South, East and West Regional Rescue Centres undertake tasks such as day-to-day rescue work, fire safety surveillance, emergency prevention, and crisis management.
ERB is actively involved in European Union cooperation, and is an active member in Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), and has experts in the Union Civil Protection Team (UCPT) and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), as well as in the European Civil Protection Pool (ECPP). The ERB is an active partner of the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP), of which it currently sits as chairman until the end of 2020.
The LACER Project is the first consortium project across region involving the AHA Centre, MSB and ERB on Disaster Management Capacity building.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 58 – SWEDISH CIVIL CONTINGENCIES AGENCY
SWEDISH CIVIL CONTINGENCIES AGENCY
2020 will see a new project implemented by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency or MSB known as LACER – or Leveraging ASEAN Capacities for Emergency Response through Support from EU Member States Civil Protection Agencies.
LACER’s specific objectives are to (1) strengthen the capacity and sustainability of the AHA Centre towards achieving operational excellence in disaster monitoring, preparedness and emergency response, and; (2) enhance mechanisms for ASEAN leadership to respond as one, through excellence and innovation in disaster management.
This EU funded project will be implemented through a consortium led by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), alongside the Estonian Rescue Board (ERB). For Volume 58 we take a look into the first of these new partners, the MSB, with the next volume to provide us an in-depth look into the ERB.
THE SWEDISH CIVIL CONTINGENCIES AGENCY (MSB)
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency – or Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap in Swedish – is a government authority mandated to enhance and support societal capacities for preparedness, prevention and response to emergencies and crises. MSB’s Resilience Building Section ultimately aims to contribute to strengthened resilience in disaster prone countries. It represents more than 30 years of experience in disaster risk management and international operations. MSB has experience in humanitarian and development aid across countries with severe records of disasters, thus enabling it to use the knowledge acquired from overseas humanitarian work in national response, preparedness and mitigation. MSB holds experience across the entire risk spectrum, ranging from everyday hazards to major disasters in Sweden and internationally , as well as also throughout the whole disaster risk management process. MSB ultimately aims to contribute to strengthened resilience in disaster prone countries – ensuring it is particularly qualified to support other disaster risk management actors such as the AHA Centre.
MSB has a total staff of approximately 900, and an international response roster of over 1,500 experts for international operations. Furthermore, MSB can draw upon its vast pool of domestic experts for long-term capacity development projects. Trainings on risk and vulnerability analysis, contingency planning, early warning systems and overall disaster management are examples of activities that MSB has carried out. Within the area of response, MSB continuously engages in and supports operational responses, while at the same time being involved in the development of methods and approaches aiming to enhance preparation and risk reduction.
Internationally, MSB recently led a consortium on Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) in the Programme for Disaster Risk Assessment and Mapping (IPA DRAM), as well as participating in IPA Floods, the IPA Civil Protection Cooperation project, and supported the Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Initiative (DPPI) with capacity development initiatives. Furthermore, MSB is one of the founders of the International Humanitarian Partnership (IHP), a network of NDMOs in Europe who mobilise personnel and material to emergencies across the globe. Previously, MSB has gained experience on disaster preparedness in the ASEAN region through an ongoing International Training Programme in disaster management, working with countries including Cambodia and the Philippines, as well as currently cooperating with the Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre on a programme building resilience through inclusive and climate-adaptive disaster risk reduction in Asia-Pacific. This has ensured that MSB holds a network of experts exposed to and with experience from the ASEAN region to support the LACER project activities.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 57 – THE CENTRE FOR NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY STUDIES AT THE RAJARATNAM SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
THE CENTRE FOR NON-TRADITIONAL SECURITY STUDIES AT
THE S. RAJARATNAM SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SINGAPORE
Academic institutions form a strong and relevant partnership for the AHA Centre, particularly as it expands its work and increases capacity throughout the ASEAN region. The AHA Centre has had an ongoing working knowledge partnership with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore for many years, with the RSIS Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre) forming a key partner for both the AHA Centre and the ASEAN region on academic and policy research on disaster management. The NTS Centre was established in 2008, and has developed three core research themes: Climate Security, Migration and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR). This month, the AHA Centre gathered some insight from Professor Mely Caballero-Anthony, NTS Centre Head at RSIS.
Professor Caballero-Anthony explains the link between the work of the NTS Centre and disaster management, alongside the RSIS’s engagement with the AHA Centre in its early years.
“The NTS Centre has tracked the development of regional governance on non-traditional security issues like disasters since its founding in 2008. We have engaged with the AHA Centre since it was established in November 2011 and have developed a strong knowledge partnership. This partnership continues to flourish with the development of our own humanitarian assistance and disaster relief programme in 2015 and the engagement of NTS Centre in disaster and humanitarian affairs and policy development in the Asia-Pacific.”
She also highlights ongoing work and partnerships with other key ASEAN stakeholders such as the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), the Singapore Civil Defense Force, and the ASEAN Secretariat with an array of programmatic areas.
When asked about the all-important relationship between disaster management organisations and the academic world, the Professor highlights the importance of a networked approach to solving problems, that is based on the premise that sustainable answers can be found through working together across different sectors.
“Disaster governance is the most developed in this respect and the seeds have been planted to grow the relationship between academia and disaster management practitioners in ASEAN. However, it remains a growth area where there is a need to engage the social sciences more to find answers to the societal challenges we face. Within universities there are different disciplines which bring a range of skillsets to the table from law to business and the natural to social sciences and humanities. It is through a carefully calibrated combination working together that we are well placed to find sustainable solutions to the disaster governance challenges we face in the region and beyond.”
Professor Caballero-Anthony holds high hopes for partnerships between academic institutions and disaster management bodies – such as the great example on display between the AHA Centre and the NTS Centre of RSIS – and hopes that more such partnerships can expand from this strong base.
“A strong symbiotic relationship between scholars and practitioners gives us the opportunity to bridge the gap between real-world challenges on the ground with the development of longer-term strategic vision and policy frameworks from the interaction between our two communities.”
Written by : William Shea | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 56 – THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE AHA CENTRE’S INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE AHA CENTRE’S INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP
The AHA Centre is continuously striving to improve the ASEAN region’s efforts in responding to and managing disaster. Starting in 2017, the AHA Centre has been supported by the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) to undertake a range of innovative activities with a wide variety of disaster management stakeholders.
In 2017, the UK government – through the British Embassy in Jakarta – supported the AHA Centre initiative for Public-Private Partnerships dialogue. The AHA Centre’s aim to engage further with new stakeholders, especially from the private sector and the media, came about due to the increasing importance of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in disaster management. It was becoming increasingly apparent that the immense resources required to manage disasters in the region could not be achieved by the AHA Centre alone, and therefore the need for active, coordinated and strategic participation from other stakeholders became a priority. The event featured an interactive high-level panel dialogue with prominent speakers. Momentum from the event was used to gain insights and discussion with potential partners, to then build innovative partnerships for developing a more resilient ASEAN community. The role of the AHA Centre as the primary regional coordinating agency in disaster management in the ASEAN region is also to promote good PPP practices across the region for managing disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts.
Continuing this innovative partnership, early in 2019 the AHA Centre launched the first edition of the ASEAN Risk Monitor and Disaster Management Review (ARMOR). The report – which contains a collection of ten chapters by disaster management experts and practitioners – provides new analysis and insights on the science behind disaster management, and its applicability to policy making. A key aim of ARMOR is to bridge the gap between science and decision-making in disaster management, with the launch event opening discussions between scientists and decision-makers. The report addresses the various aspects of disaster management in Southeast Asia today, ranging from climate change, disaster monitoring systems, early warning systems, technological accidents triggered by natural hazards (NATECH), and strategy, policy, and practice in disaster management. The production of this publication was supported by the Government of the United Kingdom, again through the British Embassy in Jakarta.
Written by : Ina Rachmawati | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership
Vol 55 – NEW ZEALAND MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & TRADE
NEW ZEALAND PARTNERSHIP WITH AHA CENTRE
With the AHA Centre Executive (ACE) Programme taking place during the second half of 2019, we will bring to you insights of AHA Centre partners at work – showcasing their input and value through their engagement in the ACE Programme
The New Zealand Government is one of the AHA Centre’s original partners – dating back before the official establishment of the Centre in 2011 – and has continued its strong support for disaster management with the AHA Centre through its engagement in the ACE Programme. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (MFAT) through the New Zealand Aid Programme has provided ACE Programme support since 2014, and has engaged a number of other New Zealand institutions within the effort to build a generation of future ASEAN leaders in disaster management.
During the 2019 ACE Programme implementation, MFAT – supported by the University of Canterbury – delivered a number of activities with the programme participants, including key courses on Introduction to Hazards and Critical Incident Leadership (CIL). They also worked with participants in Jakarta to prepare for their visit to New Zealand to engage in the courses. These courses were co-developed by MFAT and the AHA Centre, and stand as MFAT’s key contribution within the ACE Programme. The CIL course is a 150-hour component of the ACE curriculum that concentrates on the development of critical incident leadership skills, communication, and exercise management for the future disaster management leaders in ASEAN. Undertaken in New Zealand, CIL specifically targets areas of strategic thinking, proactive planning, decision-making, and situational awareness based on engagement with stakeholders in disaster management.
MFAT support the in-country course delivery as part of an overall 2-week study trip that took participants to institutions and disaster sites throughout the four New Zealand cities of Christchurch, Kaikoura, Wellington and Auckland. The participants engaged in lectures from researchers and practitioners, including cultural experience and community insights from Maori tribe representatives (Ngai Tahu – Maru Kaitatea) about response and resilience after the 2016 earthquake in Kaikoura. Participants learnt about the Maori’s values on resilience to natural disaster, where people of Maori descent aim to protect their resources (taonga) to prevent disaster and to preserve their livelihood and sustainability.
Alongside the preparation for courses in Jakarta, and the study trip itself, MFAT also provides support to the ACE Programme through professional engagements delivered by prominent individuals such as Her Excellency Pam Dunn, Ambassador of New Zealand for ASEAN for the ACE Programme in 2018, and Her Excellency Jo Tyndall, New Zealand High Commissioner to Singapore for the ACE Programme in 2019. They engaged as speakers in the ACE Programme Leaders Talks, which allow participants to learn about leadership through their expertise and experience being the world’s key leaders themselves. Through inputs such as these, MFAT and the Government of New Zealand have opened the minds and worlds of 97 ACE Programme participants so far, and continue to provide their valuable support and experience to the ACE Programme and the AHA Centre as a whole.
Written by : Putri Mumpuni | Photo : AHA Centre
- Published in Partnership