Launch of children’s disaster risk reduction platform in Bihar, India
News Release:
Bihar is a special state of India, not only now but for past two thousands year. And All India Disaster Mitigation Institute (AIDMI) has realized this in its work with the people of Bihar. The communities in Bihar know the risk, are eager to find a way out, and focus on both, the process and results of reducing risks. This is what AIDMI has found since our work in Bihar in 2007. This is AIDMI’s direct experience with communities. This experiences is not only true when AIDMI team is in Bihar but also when communities from Bihar come to join AIDMI’s work in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu to hold community-to-community direct interaction and learning ways to reduce risks. There is indeed something special about communities of Bihar.
The launch of the platform for and of children in Bihar builds on the above realization. The children not only represent the above mentioned strengths of the communities of Bihar but also represent the above mentioned strengths and the huge potential. The children of Bihar have and can make Disaster Risk Reduction a day-to-day reality in Bihar.
The platform must develop its own agenda for short term and for overall vision. The agenda must come from the children. AIDMI has learned from the good work of Save the Children in Bihar that children are able to set agenda that is both realistic and relevant. AIDMI has found in its work on District Disaster Management Plan with CARITAS in Bihar that it is not easy to institutionalize child centred Disaster Risk Reduction. This is mostly because the children have limited voice. The children have limited resources. The children have limited opportunities. AIDMI’s city wide mock drills with UNICEF in Guwahati, Chennai, and Mumbai has clearly shown that institutionalizing needs planning, preparations, and direct and long contact with children. And this is not easy. But what is easy is to receive instant interest of children in building disaster resilience of vulnerable communities. AIDMI’s work with Concern Worldwide India (CWI) in Odisha and West Bengal with ECHO support has shown how eager children are to creatively address risk issues. As Leena Sarabhai, a leading educationist who pioneered “open education” for children in India since 1948 said, “Let us learn from children”. The children have a lot to offer.
AIDMI aims to see more girl children in this platform and would be delighted if the platform is run under the leadership of girls. AIDMI aims to see more children from poor communities in Bihar on this platform and would be delighted to see that the platform aims at basic issues of protecting children’s food, water, health, sanitation, and education from disasters. This platform is a small step towards Disaster Risk Reduction but a big leap ahead towards safer Bihar.