The Anguilla Community Action Network (ACAN) and the Department of Disaster Management hosted a one-day workshop on Disaster Risk Reduction at the La Vue Boutique Hotel on Wednesday morning.
The workshop, entitled “Project Hope,” was aimed at enhancing the capacities of the vulnerable population in Anguilla and was attended by persons from the public sector including vulnerable persons.
It was also aimed at dealing effectively with persons deemed as the vulnerable population in disasters so their unique vulnerabilities are taken into consideration by the various agencies dealing with safety and emergencies.
“Persons with disabilities can be resource agents of change. Everyone has a contribution to make and persons with disabilities can serve as volunteers and workers helping their communities when disaster hits to cope and bounce back,” said Ms Melissa Meade, Director of Disaster Management as she addressed the participants at the opening ceremony.
Miss Meade went on: “Today the theme for the seminar is Living with disability and disasters-a not so obvious conversation with a focus on engaging vulnerable populations. The Department of Disaster Management in association with project HOPE a project of ACAN decided to expand on the 2013 theme to rectify this omission. We have realized that a paradigm shift must occur where the opinions of children, women, persons living HIV/AIDS, chronic illnesses and disabilities are included or taken into consideration in the planning stages of disaster risk reduction strategies and methods fully, nationally, sectorally and individually.”
President of ACAN, Mr John “Pow” Lake, also noted the importance of the vulnerable saying that they are usually the group that have been overlooked.He also said there is the belief that persons with disabilities have no hope, and thus made reference to the importance of Wednesday’s workshop dubbed “Project Hope” reminding listeners that there was hope for the vulnerable group.
The Disaster Risk Reduction workshop was sponsored by the Governor’s Office. Head of the Governor’s Office, Mr Steve McCready, said we all have a role to play in disaster mitigation. He observed that households, government and the private sector all have a role to play and that we should not just leave it to the experts at the Department of Disaster Management.
Mr McCready said Wednesday’s workshop placed emphasis on the important role we have to play in mitigating against disasters.
