Information Sheet

Third National Course on
The Sphere Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response

A national course on Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response was launched on October 3, 2001 in Kolkata. The course was jointly organized by the Disaster Mitigation Institute (DMI) of Ahmedabad, and Caritas India.

DMI is a community based, action-research and action-advocacy agency. Caritas India is a social organization of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and it is a partner of the Caritas International network.

DMI and Caritas are pilot agencies for the Sphere project that promotes minimum standards in disaster response.

"There is a huge, unmet demand in both the government and the non-government sector for capacity building in order to foster a humanitarian response. We need a lot more investment in this area," said Mihir Bhatt, Director of the Disaster Mitigation Institute. "Humanitarian action has deep roots in eastern India. This course aims at making these roots more effective at the community level" Mr. Bhatt added.

The National Course addresses the Humanitarian Charter and the Minimum Standards in Disaster Response. This includes the Sphere Project, which establishes minimum standards pertaining to water supply, sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter, site-planning and health services.

"Understanding and using the concepts of humanitarianism is essential. The right to life with dignity-especially for the poor, during a calamity-is of great concern to us", said Lucas Sircar, Co-adjutor Archbishop of the Kolkata Archdiocese at the inauguration.

32 participants from Caritas India, Indo-German Social Service Society, Orissa Regional Forum, Association of Bengal Collaborators for Development, Darjeeling Diocese Social Service Society, Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities and several other faith-based organizations from six states in eastern India attended the course.

Course participants discussed ways in which poorer communities can reduce the risks of natural disasters by establishing minimum relief standards. "Learning about the Sphere standards will be very helpful in my work of providing aid for those most in need," said Sister Amalie, Assistant Director of Social Work, at the Bongaigaon diocese in Assam, a participant in the course.

Disaster managers and individuals with field experience, engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating some of the most innovative humanitarian projects in Orissa, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, participated in the course.

"Mainstreaming mitigation and increasing levels of satisfaction among victims are the two biggest challenges facing the states of eastern India" said Francis P.U., Head of the Emergency Department of Caritas India, Delhi.

"These minimum standards are useful in disaster preparedness at the panchayat level. When panchayats are prepared, communities are safe." said Jude Henriques of the UNICEF, Kolkatta at the closing ceremony, held on October 6, 2001.

The participants drew up follow up plans to find ways to incorporate Sphere in their relief- preparedness and planning work in the eastern states of India.

The next course, to be held at the end of October, will focus on community-based disaster risk management. It will be followed by another course in November, to address urban flood mitigation.

Agencies and individuals are invited to join these efforts.