‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’

Strengthen your knowledge and capacity on responding to crisis in emergencies and standardised approaches in humanitarian aid. 

Join us for a 3-day interactive course where experts in disaster response will share the fundamental principles and strategies, including case studies and group work, when delivering disaster relief and humanitarian aid.

Date: 7 to 9 June
Time: 9.00am to 5.00pm
Venue: CANA Catholic Centre
Cost: Free

This course is open to all professionals who desire to apply their skills to serve the community during emergencies.

For more information, kindly reach out to mervyn.lim@charis-singapore.org.

The course gives a fundamental overview of the humanitarian response, its principles, approaches, and strategies for humanitarian aid worker to adopt, apply and practice utilising the standard tools of Caritas Internationalis (CI) and other international humanitarian organisations.

It encourages learners to recognise, analyse and cope with emerging challenges in humanitarian field work. The course will also provide learners with a brief understanding of the basics of volunteer management and mobilisation of community volunteers with the formation of community-led teams as part of disaster preparedness.    

Overall, the course intends to strengthen capacity of learners in having the needed specialised skills required for working during crisis in emergencies.

Key Takeaways

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Strengthen knowledge and capacity on responding to crisis in emergencies and standardised approaches in humanitarian aid and response.

• Be knowledgeable on the SPHERE adhering to minimum standards in providing humanitarian assistance and the Core Humanitarian Standard with its 9 commitments that organisations and individuals involved in humanitarian response can use to improve the quality and effectiveness of the assistance they provide.
• Adept in utilising the Caritas Internationalis (CI) tool kit in Emergencies and sectoral intervention templates and forms to be applied on disaster or emergencies.

• Developed a common understanding on the Basic Concepts of Volunteer Management and reflect on lessons in the management of volunteers during crisis in emergencies.
• Share learning experiences and case studies to broaden perspective in managing crisis, linking relief, and rehabilitation through development.

DAY 1

Module 1: Caritas Internationalis Emergency Framework
Discover the flow of reporting and elements of the Caritas Internationalis emergency framework. This module dives into SPHERE, a handbook on humanitarian charters and minimum standards in humanitarian response. Participants will learn about the link between humanitarian action in the current situation and global events.

Module 2: Core Humanitarian Standard
The Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) on Quality and Accountability sets out nine commitments that organisations and individuals involved in humanitarian response can use to improve the quality and effectiveness of the assistance they provide. It also facilitates greater accountability for communities and people affected by crises.

Module 3: Caritas Internationalis Emergency Toolkit and Needs Assessment
Get acquainted with the tools and manual of the Caritas Internationalis emergency toolkit. Participants will receive simple and practical guidance on how to use it, what to do before, during, and after a disaster, and how to respond to an emergency.

DAY 2

Group Works: Emergency Needs Assessment and Tabletop Simulation
Participants will take part in a practical application using various tools and templates based on a provided case study.

DAY 3

Module 4: Volunteer Management
Learn about the definition of volunteers, principles of volunteerism, various exercises on volunteer management, training of volunteers, the 9-step system for volunteer management, and connecting volunteers with the community. Participants will also understand the formation of Community-led Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (CMEAL).

Group Works: Meaning of Volunteer, Qualities of Volunteer, and Steps in Volunteer Management
Participants will put into practice the theories presented through case studies as well as volunteer test and analysis.

The facilitators will engage participants through presentations, films, handbooks, group work, interactive demonstrations, and case studies.

Jeanie Curiano

Jeanie is the Humanitarian Head of Caritas Philippines. She also serves as the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) and Safeguarding focal point. A nurse by profession, she pursued Public Health through a 2-year course on Applied Epidemiology and obtained a Master's degree in Disaster Risk Reduction.

Currently, Jeanie is a member of the Regional Emergency Support Mechanism (RESUME) for Caritas Asia and the Sectoral Working Group on Accountability Protection Mainstreaming and Real-Time Evaluation for Caritas Internationalis.

Ava Guardian

Ava is the Humanitarian Program Coordinator at the Humanitarian Office of Caritas Philippines. He is involved in Community Development and has worked with various development and humanitarian organisations, including the Philippine Red Cross and the Philippine Business for Social Progress and Action Against Hunger.

Presently, Ava is a member of the Community of Practice and the Regional Emergency Support Mechanism (RESUME) under Caritas Asia.