HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Dec 19: The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, North Eastern Regional Centre (NIRD&PR – NERC), in collaboration with CCDRR Centre, National Institute of Disaster Management (Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India), inaugurated a five-day Training of Trainers program on Child-Centric Disaster Risk Reduction (CCDRR) from Monday which will continue till December 21, 2023. The event is being held at NIRDPR – NERC, Khanapara, Guwahati.
The initiative is crucial given the global threats posed by disasters to the lives and well-being of children. Over the past two decades, India has encountered various catastrophic events, making the need for effective Child-Centric Disaster Risk Reduction strategies paramount. The training program aims to equip officials from departments such as Women and Child, Police, Education, Rural Development, and the NGO sector with the necessary skills and knowledge.
Related Posts:
The objectives of the program include: Describing the concept of child-centric disaster risk reduction and listing CCDRR activities; Identifying and listing children’s rights and protecting these rights during disasters; Developing strategies for school safety with the active engagement of children; Explaining the impact of disasters on the mental health of children; Describing the life cycle and risk-informed approach for child-centric risk reduction.
Conducted under the patronage of Rajendra Ratnoo (IAS), executive director, NIDM, and Prof Murugesan, director, NIRD&PR- NERC, Assam, the program is supervised by Prof Santosh Kumar, senior advisor & project director, CCDRR, NIDM, and Dr V Suresh Babu, associate professor, NIRD&PR – NERC, Guwahati. Dr Kumar Raka, senior programme officer, CCDRR, NIDM, and Dr Balu I, consultant, CCDRR, are actively coordinating the Training of Trainers program.
Dr Balu I, consultant, CCDRR, provided an introduction to the program, highlighting its objectives and modalities. Dr V Suresh Babu, associate professor, NIRD&PR- NERC, delivered opening remarks, highlighting the significance of Child-Centric Disaster Risk Reduction concepts and child rights.
Dr Kumar Raka, senior programme officer at CCDRR (NIDM), delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance of a child-centric perspective in disaster risk reduction. He shared the vision of ‘zero tolerance for children at risk’ and underscored the transformative nature of the training for participants.
Prof. Murugesan, director, NIRD&PR, offered insights into collaborative efforts between government agencies and communities to address challenges posed by disasters and climate change. He stated the importance of protecting the rights of all children from violations at all times.
Notably, the Training of Trainers on Child-Centric Disaster Risk Reduction aims to build a cadre of skilled trainers at the state and district level, fostering resilience building for children. The program is anticipated to have a lasting impact on state and community preparedness for child protection in the face of contemporary and future risks.
Following the Training of Trainers, a regional workshop on ‘Integrating Gender Sensitive and Child-Friendly Approaches in Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Preparedness’ is scheduled for December 22, 2023. This workshop, conducted in collaboration with NIRD&PR, Assam State Disaster Management Authority, and technical support from Bal Raksha Bharat, aims to initiate a gender-sensitive and inclusive discourse for child-centric disaster risk reduction at the regional level.
