“This session will provide an open and honest discussion between NGOs and anticipatory action”, explained Sarah Klassen, policy and advocacy advisor at the Start Network, to start this panel discussion, and the speakers then shared their initial thoughts.
Muhammad Amad, executive director at IDEA, talked about the importance of local communities being integrated into the system: “This is the beauty of the model, and this is how we practice it.” Building on this, Emeline Siale Ilolahia, executive director of PIANGO, agreed that local people need to be part of this puzzle: “If you want to see success in communities, you must invest in the people.” Traditional knowledge has to be included, she argued, and is an important part of the process.
She also urged us to always look at the impacts of climate change: “It is no longer a talk about which actions we take; it is a fight for survival.” In particular, local people’s priorities must be seen, because they feel the impacts the most. Their dignity has to be respected, they have to be heard - and they must get the information they need: “They live these challenges.”
Amadou Diallo, the DRF regional coordinator for the Start Network, explained that they went from a classical system to a more innovative one involving many stakeholders - a radical change. “Collecting data is the base - and it necessary doing it on a regular basis in the communities.” Data about women, children and other groups is also useful, and for scaling up it is key: “What is very important is the institutional aspect, which has to be accepted by the government. When the government accepts the locally invented plan, they will support it.”
Rounding off this opening part, Tsitsi Magadza Magadza from FAO explained their role in anticipatory action: “We are an enabler and a facilitator. Mobile devices help [our work] a lot, like by getting meteorological information, which helps [us] to be prepared for disasters.”
Next, the panellists considered some of the challenges facing the sector. “Many commitments are made”, said Emeline Siale Ilolahiam, “but they are not always the right ones”. Muhammed Amad echoed these thoughts: “More donors have to step forward, and we need collaboration and institualization, which needs a long time to really grow. Working in silos helps nobody.”
So, how can local anticipatory action really be scaled up? “Most of the pillars that humanitarian action has built up are not receptive to anticipatory work,” noted Amadou Diallo. Tools which were used 20 years ago will not work anymore - just like an old glove might no longer fit. Instead, new ones are crucial. “We have to look for the best solutions to really improve our work. Communities need to be in the centre, and when we focus on them, we will find new ways.”
Tsitsi Magadza Magadza agreed that new solutions must be found - and over the longer term, because this won’t happen overnight. “Agility is important”, she explained. “New technical equipment or new designs can help, we have to close these gaps.” Emeline Siale Ilolahia concurred, noting the huge resilience many countries already have - but that technical innovations can support this and can, together with local knowledge, expand the positive outcomes.
Also looking ahead, Muhammed Amad’s wish for 2022 was a mechanism to mitigate human-made disasters - especially climate change, which is hitting Paksitan hard, and in many different ways.
To conclude, Sarah Klassen summarized the problems that were addressed during the debate, such as the need to take a closer look at the tools we have, and changing them - and being willing to change ourselves: “A change in language can help too!”