Humanitarian Response Workshop

MERCY CORPS HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE WORKSHOP The Humanitarian Response Workshop is an engaging week-long workshop that introduces key principals and tools that have been embraced by the humanitarian community, and provides a hands-on approach to training NPO/NGO leaders about disaster response.

The Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 helped propel Japan’s NPO community into the limelight – setting the path toward regulatory reforms that would help to codify the important role of civil society in responding to natural disasters in Japan. Similarly, the East Japan Earthquake of 2011 has again drawn attention to the remarkable capacity of NPOs to support response and recovery at the community level. The TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program supported by J.P. Morgan is taking that momentum forward – building new capacity on lessons learned from these disasters.

The Humanitarian Response Workshop is created through the partnership of U.S.-based NGO Mercy Corps and Japan Platform that is a consortium of 40 Japanese NGOs, and is one of the core programs under the TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program supported by J.P. Morgan.

2015 Humanitarian Response Workshop

From November 30 to December 4, 2015, the Humanitarian Response Workshop – part of the TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program supported by J.P. Morgan – will be held in Portland, Oregon.

2014 Humanitarian Response Workshop

From October 27 to 31, 2014, the Humanitarian Response Workshop – part of the TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program supported by J.P. Morgan – was held at the National Women’s Education Center in Saitama, Japan. Various NGO leaders from Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea committed to disaster response, gathered to learn new skills and build upon their knowledge of various topics. Q&A (Quality and Accountability), Security Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation were just some of the topics that were addressed with the goal of building networks among participating NGOs and NPOs for future incidences that will call upon their expertise in disaster response.

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2013 Humanitarian Response Workshop

Location: Portland, Oregon (United States)

Dates: September 23-27, 2013

From September 23-27, 2013, the TOMODACHI NGO Leadership Program’s Humanitarian Response Workshop engaged 12 Japanese NGO workers — all of whom have had some role in the response to Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami — for a workshop at Mercy Corps Headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Among the topics offered at the workshop were sessions on core humanitarian principles, response coordination, information technology and communications in austere environments, security of aid workers, program design and accountability. The week culminated in a simulation exercise that engaged the participants in applying what they had learned to a disaster scenario.

The group was also invited to a reception at Portland’s renowned Japanese Garden hosted by Japanese Consulate and Mr. Hiroshi Furusawa. Read More>>