By Latasha Brown, Communications Coordinator, Canadian Red Cross
When it comes to disasters and crises around the world, local Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement staff and volunteers are at the heart of the response— taking action to support people who have been impacted.
Sometimes, these emergencies can have such a devastating impact that the needs can overwhelm local Red Cross response teams. To address this, the Canadian Red Cross collaborates with Movement partners to support local teams by providing experts, funds, and equipment, to support the response on the ground.
Training humanitarian experts is also essential to ensure personnel are ready to respond when an emergency hits. In March, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), held three training sessions for humanitarian experts in Argentina, Colombia, and Panama. The Canadian Red Cross sent facilitators and participants to these trainings with support from the Government of Canada.
The training sessions focused on Community Engagement and Accountability, Operations Management, and Cash Assistance. The sessions helped to equip regional participants and trainees from other Red Cross Societies with the skills needed to confidently support humanitarian responses in these key areas.
The goal is to help strengthen local capacity for responses and empower staff and volunteers from local and regional National Societies to take leadership roles. The Red Cross knows from experience that keeping a response as local as possible is the most effective approach to helping people in a disaster or emergency.
Local and regional teams from National Societies have insights into community context, languages, and needs of the communities being supported, which makes their expertise essential.
In Argentina, the Community Engagement and Accountability training provided skills to build acceptance and trust among communities and people impacted after emergencies, with a focus on ensuring we’re listening to what people really need.
Participants received the opportunity to discuss and share experiences, learn from the seasoned facilitators, and put their learnings into practice during a simulation. As a result, participants’ knowledge and confidence were strengthened through the range of perspectives provided.
“The information given includes different examples from National Societies and the tools that we can use in deployments and local response activities,” shared Mary Cruz Madrigal Gomez, a participant from the Costa Rican Red Cross. “The training let me compare the things I did on previous deployments to the best practices I have learned. I am really looking forward to putting my new skills to use on my next deployment,” she continued.
That same week, the Operations Management training took place in Colombia for participants across nine National Societies. Following a similar approach of discussions, learning sessions and practice, trainees gained a better understanding of the processes and tools available to best coordinate emergency responses. Since this training was targeted towards those in leadership positions, it was especially important that women were supported to attend and invest in their development.
Mirian Lopez, Operations Coordinator at the IFRC Regional office in Panama, has been part of the Movement for over five years in various capacities. As a mother who had recently given birth, the IFRC regional office supported Mirian in finding a solution that would allow her to comfortably participate.
“I’m so proud to work for an organization that created this opportunity,” explained Mirian. “I get to feel fulfilled both as a mother and a humanitarian. I don’t have to leave one thing behind; I can prioritize both parts of my life.”
The third training, held in Panama, focused on Cash Assistance. Participants learned to effectively design, implement, and monitor cash assistance interventions during emergencies using the Cash in Emergencies toolkit. Through a dynamic hands-on approach, facilitators engaged participants with scenario-based exercises that mirror real-world challenges.
Daniela Funez, IFRC Cash Assistance Coordinator for the Americas, attended the 2020 Cash Assistance training session co-hosted by the Canadian Red Cross and American Red Cross as a participant. This year, she took part in the training as a facilitator, sharing her knowledge and helpful perspectives with this year’s participants. “[This training builds] preparedness for cash assistance within the region, which is essential for timely, effective, and locally appropriate responses,” shared Daniela.
The experience and insights Daniela gained as a facilitator has set a strong foundation for her preparedness work in the region and has supported her to later deliver another successful Cash Assistance training session in Panama—this time in Spanish.
While the Canadian Red Cross is fortunate to provide response support to Movement partners around the world, our goal is to help strengthen capacity for responses to be as local and effective as possible. These training opportunities significantly enhance the readiness of regional responders as well as Canadian Red Cross delegates, ensuring more personnel are trained and ready to confidently support affected communities the moment disaster strikes.
To date, several previous Community Engagement and Accountability, Operations Management, and Cash Assistance trainees are already contributing to emergency operations around the world, including Belize, Tanzania, and more in the year ahead.
When it comes to disasters and crises around the world, local Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement staff and volunteers are at the heart of the response— taking action to support people who have been impacted.Sometimes, these emergencies can have such a devastating impact that the needs can overwhelm local Red Cross response teams. To address this, the Canadian Red Cross collaborates with Movement partners to support local teams by providing experts, funds, and equipment, to support the response on the ground.
Training humanitarian experts is also essential to ensure personnel are ready to respond when an emergency hits. In March, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), held three training sessions for humanitarian experts in Argentina, Colombia, and Panama. The Canadian Red Cross sent facilitators and participants to these trainings with support from the Government of Canada.
Strengthening Regional Preparedness: The Role of Local Expertise
The training sessions focused on Community Engagement and Accountability, Operations Management, and Cash Assistance. The sessions helped to equip regional participants and trainees from other Red Cross Societies with the skills needed to confidently support humanitarian responses in these key areas.
The goal is to help strengthen local capacity for responses and empower staff and volunteers from local and regional National Societies to take leadership roles. The Red Cross knows from experience that keeping a response as local as possible is the most effective approach to helping people in a disaster or emergency.
Local and regional teams from National Societies have insights into community context, languages, and needs of the communities being supported, which makes their expertise essential.
Insights into Regional Training Session for Effective Humanitarian Aid
In Argentina, the Community Engagement and Accountability training provided skills to build acceptance and trust among communities and people impacted after emergencies, with a focus on ensuring we’re listening to what people really need.Participants received the opportunity to discuss and share experiences, learn from the seasoned facilitators, and put their learnings into practice during a simulation. As a result, participants’ knowledge and confidence were strengthened through the range of perspectives provided.
“The information given includes different examples from National Societies and the tools that we can use in deployments and local response activities,” shared Mary Cruz Madrigal Gomez, a participant from the Costa Rican Red Cross. “The training let me compare the things I did on previous deployments to the best practices I have learned. I am really looking forward to putting my new skills to use on my next deployment,” she continued.
That same week, the Operations Management training took place in Colombia for participants across nine National Societies. Following a similar approach of discussions, learning sessions and practice, trainees gained a better understanding of the processes and tools available to best coordinate emergency responses. Since this training was targeted towards those in leadership positions, it was especially important that women were supported to attend and invest in their development.
Mirian Lopez, Operations Coordinator at the IFRC Regional office in Panama, has been part of the Movement for over five years in various capacities. As a mother who had recently given birth, the IFRC regional office supported Mirian in finding a solution that would allow her to comfortably participate.
“I’m so proud to work for an organization that created this opportunity,” explained Mirian. “I get to feel fulfilled both as a mother and a humanitarian. I don’t have to leave one thing behind; I can prioritize both parts of my life.”
The third training, held in Panama, focused on Cash Assistance. Participants learned to effectively design, implement, and monitor cash assistance interventions during emergencies using the Cash in Emergencies toolkit. Through a dynamic hands-on approach, facilitators engaged participants with scenario-based exercises that mirror real-world challenges.Daniela Funez, IFRC Cash Assistance Coordinator for the Americas, attended the 2020 Cash Assistance training session co-hosted by the Canadian Red Cross and American Red Cross as a participant. This year, she took part in the training as a facilitator, sharing her knowledge and helpful perspectives with this year’s participants. “[This training builds] preparedness for cash assistance within the region, which is essential for timely, effective, and locally appropriate responses,” shared Daniela.
The experience and insights Daniela gained as a facilitator has set a strong foundation for her preparedness work in the region and has supported her to later deliver another successful Cash Assistance training session in Panama—this time in Spanish.
Empowering Local Responders with Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Skills
While the Canadian Red Cross is fortunate to provide response support to Movement partners around the world, our goal is to help strengthen capacity for responses to be as local and effective as possible. These training opportunities significantly enhance the readiness of regional responders as well as Canadian Red Cross delegates, ensuring more personnel are trained and ready to confidently support affected communities the moment disaster strikes.
To date, several previous Community Engagement and Accountability, Operations Management, and Cash Assistance trainees are already contributing to emergency operations around the world, including Belize, Tanzania, and more in the year ahead.
