Upcoming Events

Dec. 18 (tentative) – AmCham to host multi-sector round table session in San Salvador, El Salvador to facilitate the development of specific public-private alliances for disaster management and risk reduction

Jan. 19-21: DMA Regional Integration Conference, Guatemala City, Guatemala

Jan. 25-27: Energy & Entrepreneurship Conference, Trinidad and Tobago

Director’s Note

Greetings to All!

The DMA is a strong advocate for sharing experiences as a way of helping businesses, governments, and communities increase their resiliency to disasters by being prepared and reducing risk. Storytelling is a powerful teaching tool used by industry leaders everywhere to share what they have done and show others how to apply what they have learned. Very recently, the Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) published Controlling Our Own Destiny: Proactive Steps for Resilient Communities. With examples from well-known companies and organizations such as Abbott, Allstate Insurance Company, ExxonMobil, IBM, American Red Cross, FEMA, and many more, readers can learn about vital tools and resources they can employ before, during, and after a disaster strikes.

One very important tool I would like to highlight is the BCLC’s National Disaster Helpdesk for Business (1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP). “Rolled out in 2008, the Help Desk provides on-the-ground coordination of information among businesses, local chambers of commerce, civil society organizations, government responders, and disaster recovery specialists” (Communications and Disaster Management, BCLC, 2009). This type of collaboration is critical to speeding up recovery in disaster stricken communities. The DMA applauds the BCLC for its efforts in this area and I invite you to benefit from the collective wisdom of so many experts in the field. Click here to read the full report.

Best regards,

Christine Herridge
Director, Disaster Management Alliance

Announcements

The DMA Regional Integration Conference will take place January 19-21, 2010 in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The Conference will provide an exciting opportunity to learn from a distinguished group including business leaders, government officials, and specialists in disaster management from over 10 countries in the region.

Contact AskDMA for more information

Welcome to the new members of the AGERCA committee in Haiti:

• Sun Auto (Car dealer)
• Valerio Canez (Office and home furniture)

Disaster Management Alliance Launches Mutual Aid Committee Blog

The Disaster Management Alliance (DMA) launched the Mutual-Aid Committee blog (in Spanish) with the help of Mr. Juan Carlos Duque, Technical Director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Program of Colombia. This program is led in by ANDI, Acoplasticos, and the Security Council of Colombia, and is part of the chemical industry’s international volunteer initiative known as Responsible Care.

The mutual-aid committee works to establish a channel of communication between the member companies of the CSR Program, the member companies of the American Chamber of Commerce in Colombia, and other interested parties that want to participate in the alliances to:

• Promote disaster management strategies, based on the known impacts of chemical disasters on health and the environment
• Promote social and economic analysis needed to prevent contamination and reduce and eliminate risks between the member companies of CSR Colombia
• Identify and develop cooperative relationships and agreements with interest groups to develop common goals and minimize negative impacts 
• Identify and promote cooperation with governments and organizations to develop and implement policies and standards for the reduction and prevention of risks

The goal of this blog is to facilitate the building of a network of mutual-aid committees throughout Colombia by providing the group with a place to exchange ideas and information. The DMA supports this effort by providing technical assistance. If you have any questions about the information provided in the blog, please contact jduque@andi.com.co.

Visit our website to see the latest posts:

• International Earthquake Simulation in Bogotá. More>>
• Training Response Squads in the Mutual Aid Committees. More>

To post questions and comments, please login to PlanforDisasters.org or contact AskDMA to get registered today!

New Resources on the Colombia page of the DMA website

We’ve added new pages and contact information for the multi-sector committees in Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, Cartagena, and Medellín on our website. Each page provides highlights, presentations, and pictures of the multi-sector roundtables that took page in those cities in August 2009. More>>

Have you heard about the AskDMA hotline?

Help is only an e-mail away. To find information and tools related to disaster preparedness and business continuity topics just e-mail AskDMA or call (202) 458-6351. Assistance is available in English and Spanish.

Stories from the Field

Corporate Partners Mobilize Resources to Aid Disaster Victims in Guatemala and El Salvador

Hurricane Ida swept across El Salvador on November 6 and 7, leaving in its wake more than 14,000 homeless and nearly 150 dead. Thanks to Chevron’s contribution, thousands of hurricane victims in San Pedro Masahuat located along the coast will receive food and hygiene kits, which contain basic living supplies and toiletries. PADF coordinated with AmCham El Salvador and the Office of the First Lady to execute and distribute the donation.

In addition, Chevron, the Organization of American States (OAS), Feed My Starving Children, the Hope/IMPACT International Services, and the U.S. South Command are working together to deliver four cargo containers of fortified rice, soy protein packs, and corn to the victims of the worst drought seen in Guatemala in the last 30 years. This humanitarian assistance effort is valued at more than US$250,000.

Also for El Salvador, PADF sent a shelter package that was donated by Citigroup. FedEx donated the transportation costs of the container. The container was received and distributed by the office of the OAS and the Office of the First Lady in El Salvador. The package contains shelter, water purification tablets, and other supplies for hundreds of affected persons.

PADF and U.S. South Command Join Forces to Coordinate Relief Activities in Latin America and the Caribbean

Washington, D.C. – November 19, 2009 – A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and US Southern Command (USSC) to coordinate humanitarian response and international development activities based on shared goals and a desire to instill long-term regional security in Latin America and Caribbean. Through enhanced cooperation, PADF and USSC plan to leverage their core strengths to support and promote public-private partnerships critical to socio-economic development. This partnership has been in the work for some time and its culmination reflects the commitment these two organizations have to improving the lives of people in the region.

The Hemispheric Conference for Haiti Strengthened Partnerships for Future Collaboration

The Hemispheric Conference for Coordinating International Cooperation with the Republic Haiti, held in Mexico City on November 4 and 5, 2009. The meeting was a high-level information exchange on international cooperation activities bringing together nations and regional and international organizations from throughout Latin America, North America, Europe, and Asia, who are currently implementing activities with the Government of Haiti. Central themes discussed with the participants include donor assistance targeting economic support, agricultural support, infrastructure, and disaster management and risk mitigation.

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE)), in collaboration with the Organization of American States (OAS), encouraged the participants to highlight projects, programs, and cooperation initiatives currently implemented in the key sectors identified by the Haitian authorities. Prior to the event, conference participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire to provide empirical data, which was used to provide a thorough analysis of the scope and nature of donor contributions and programming in Haiti.

Throughout the conference the Haitian government’s work in developing a plan which has led to improved security and next steps for creating economic growth and macroeconomic stability was emphasized. Given the current climate, with the parliament deliberations for a new Prime Minister and other government officials, continuity of policies were even more thoroughly stressed. Throughout the two-day event, the participants got an overview of the activities being implemented by countries and organizations in country, giving them the opportunity to identify future partnerships and collaboration potentials.

Given the country’s vulnerability to natural and manmade disasters, mitigation and risk management were high on the agenda, with several of the multilateral organizations discussing on the ground implementation of mitigation programs and available financing. PADF, as the only non-governmental agency in attendance, and as part of the Inter-American institutions’ initiative supported by the OAS, also presented its Haiti program in Disaster Relief, Management, Risk Reduction and Mitigation currently being implemented on the ground, providing a well defined program for Haiti, and offering an opportunity for other donors and partner organizations to work with PADF to further develop and implement programming. Following a well received presentation, PADF was approached by several bi-lateral and multi- lateral institutions to further discuss possible collaborations.

Additional information and outcome of the conference can be found on the Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores de México website.

Disaster Management Alliance

Pan American Development Foundation

1889 F Street, NW, 2^nd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20006
202.458.3969