CLIP is a program that supports new community-initiated initiatives (which we call innovation) in disaster prevention and mitigation, and was launched in 2020 with funding support from the UK government. About 50 communities from four countries (the Philippines, Indonesia, Guatemala, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) are working on projects based on a “take care of your own” approach. As readers of the CWS Japan blog know, humanitarian aid plays a very important role in times of disaster. But at the same time, the voices of the affected communities are often forgotten as the emergency response continues. Funds flow from the top down, and decisions are made by outsiders who do not know the community. At CLIP, we believe it is important for humanitarian actors to confront these issues and encourage communities at risk of disaster to define their own problems, propose solutions, and implement them. We are very much interested in this process.

So, what did we discuss in this workshop?
In my own words, it was “building camaraderie.” In addition to the 50 communities, CLIP has local, national, regional (that’s ATIH), and global partners all working on the same issues. However, due to the Corona disaster, almost all dialogues have been conducted online. This time, for the first time in over three years, partners from different countries (the Democratic Republic of the Congo was unfortunately absent) gathered to spend a week together, discussing activities, achievements, and challenges to date. The opening ceremony was a Mayan ritual performed by the Guatemalan partners. Even though the culture and language may be different, the joy of gathering with friends and praying for the safety and peace of all people is the same.

Field Visit
During the five days of the workshop, we were able to visit two communities where innovation projects are being implemented for two days.
One is a community along a river that floods every time there is a heavy rainfall. Project members discussed with residents, installed water level gauges and sirens, and created a system to mobilize local volunteers to guide residents in need of assistance to higher ground in the event of a disaster. Stickers are placed on each house so that residents can easily identify those in need of assistance, such as the disabled, children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Currently, this activity has spread to neighboring communities and is playing a role in revitalizing the strength that exists in the community by supporting the organization of volunteer groups and joint training.
The other is a community facing declining agriculture due to aging and lack of water during the dry season. Project members discussed with engineers and developed a system that pumps water from a well and stores it in a tank on top of the mountain, from where it is sprinkled through sprinklers installed in the fields. The system can be operated remotely via a smartphone app, so that elderly people can spray water without having to go far to fetch water. The challenge is the installation cost of the system, but we have begun a trial-and-error process to see if the system can be included in the Indonesian government’s subsidy program for local governments, or if a microfinance mechanism can be devised to promote the system.
Although all the projects reflect the advice of mentors and experts, the materials and human resources can be procured by the community, and above all, the fact that they were created by community residents discussing and working together made them seem like a community effort that is more than a one-time event. The workshop was a good opportunity for us to learn from each other.

[Learning from the workshop
When we gathered 50 such innovations and discussed them among the representatives from each country, we found a number of commonalities.
The theme that left the greatest impression on me was how to protect and nurture “indigenous knowledge. For example, drought is a major problem in Guatemala, and the indigenous people are seeking ways to cope with drought by utilizing the ancestral wisdom of their own communities, even if only in a small way. However, the Guatemalan government is reluctant to support indigenous peoples’ efforts from the perspective of productivity and prejudice against them. The examples from each country show that minorities are most vulnerable in times of disaster not because of their own attributes and characteristics, but because they are socially vulnerable due to invisible obstacles and denial of their own wisdom in normal times.
How can CLIP respond to this challenge? What was proposed in the workshop was to publicize local wisdom as evidence in cooperation with scientists and experts, to communicate its importance in various situations, and to communicate this evidence back to the community.
These activities are difficult for communities and organizations to carry out on their own, but if various partners from around the world unite their ambitions and work together, as CLIP has done, they can have a great impact. I believe this is essential for the sustainable expansion of community-initiated innovation.

From now on…
CLIP will continue through the spring of 2024. Through this workshop, the sense of camaraderie among the partners has grown much stronger.
ATIH will continue to promote activities to bring back the learning from the workshop to each country and apply it to program improvement.
I hope that CWS Japan, the management organization of ATIH, will also contribute to changing the shape of disaster relief in Japan, starting from the community, through its daily activities.