Relief 2.0 (Aug 2011)

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DISASTER STRIKES IS AN UNFORTUNATE TWIST OF FATE.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN DISASTER STRIKES IS AN UNFORTUNATE TWIST OF FATE.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY…WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY…

When disaster strikes…When disaster strikes…

Some people are given a burden:

The burden of enduring the disaster and the conditions that follow

When disaster strikes…When disaster strikes…

Some people are given a gift:

The gift of being sparedfrom disaster.

How can we not use our

gift to lift the burden of

others?

Disaster Response Lies…Disaster Response Lies…

• Only experts can help.

• You will be a burden in the field.

• We don’t need anything, we have all we need.

• Do not send clothes or food, send money.

We all can respond…We all can respond…

• And guarantee an efficient response…

• Donate Action, not money, not words…

• But how?

Disaster Response Basics:You can be useful in the field if…Disaster Response Basics:You can be useful in the field if…

• Bring your own supplies and food to the field.– Or buy them locally if possible.

• Engage the local stakeholders and work for them, with them.

• Are connected.

• Have independent mobility.

• Listen, learn, respect.

Relief 2.0 (what is it?)Relief 2.0 (what is it?)

• A focus on running the last mile in disaster relief

• through independent units of local stakeholders and foreign volunteers in the field

• supported by mobile technologies and social networks

• to fill the gaps created by bureaucracy and slow response from top-down hierarchies.

Relief 2.0 (how does it work?)Relief 2.0 (how does it work?)

• Individuals and organizations report incidents, needs and requests from the field using their mobile phones and the Internet.

Relief 2.0 (how does it work?)Relief 2.0 (how does it work?)

• These incidents are reviewed, verified, completed, enhanced and their information spread to others

• By individuals and groups on social networks– Housewives, youngsters, volunteers, anyone.

• until they are addressed, solved or matched with someone who takes care of it.

Relief 2.0 (the last mile)Relief 2.0 (the last mile)

• Small independent units then complete the cycle by actually addressing those issues and delivering the response required and supported by the social network.

BEYOND DISASTER RESPONSE

We know that people respond to calls for help

We know that people respond to calls for help

So why are we failing so badly?

Is helping any help?Is helping any help?

Not really…At least not in the way we are doing it…

Often when we help…Often when we help…We make life decisions for

those we are helping.

Often when we help…Often when we help…We fail to see the whole picture

and feel content to help.

Often when we help…Often when we help…We search the approach most efficient to

us not to those we are trying to help.

Often when we help…Often when we help…We destroy the very same environment

we are trying to help.

Often when we help…Often when we help…

we displace local capacity.

Often when we help…Often when we help…we measure our success by the delivery

of help or completion of actions not actual impact.

SO THEN WHATCAN WE DO?

When disaster strikes…the physical infrastructure is destroyed.When disaster strikes…the physical infrastructure is destroyed.

When disaster strikes…The social infrastructure remains, people’s capacity is untouched…

When disaster strikes…The social infrastructure remains, people’s capacity is untouched…

What appears to be random or chaosis neither…What appears to be random or chaosis neither…

There is order, social structure…There is order, social structure…

There is people,like you and me, willing and able.There is people,like you and me, willing and able.

Who are the people who survive disaster?

Who are the people who survive disaster?

Disasters create survivors,they don’t create refugees.Disasters create survivors,they don’t create refugees.

IIt is the conventional relief system what

turns survivors into refugees.

Disasters do not destroy knowledge or capacityDisasters do not destroy knowledge or capacity

Tteachers are still teachers, doctors are still doctors,

nurses are still nurses, carpenters are still carpenters…

Disaster recovery with dignity, inclusion, generation and distribution of wealthBusinesses working with businesses to get back on trackand jumpstarting the economy to serve people

What happens to your donations?

Disaster Relief with dignity, inclusion, generation and distribution of

wealth…

Relief 2.0 Enterprise NowRelief 2.0 Enterprise Now

We need to start working with disaster survivors and enable them as entrepreneurs before they are turned into refugees by conventional relief.

Matching shops and businesses affected by disaster with same-trade businesses in non-affected areas and

enable collaboration to get businessesto re-open as soon as possible.

Relief 2.0 B2BRelief 2.0 B2B

It’s not charity, it’s not donation.Both businesses reach a collaborative business agreement:

36 months low interest loan, restore inventory, line of credit, etc.It’s a business deal that preserves their dignity.

Relief 2.0 B2BRelief 2.0 B2B

Our PartnersOur Partners

• National University of Singapore Entrepreneurship Centre.

• Stanford University Persuasive Technology Lab.• Grameen Creative Lab @ Kyushu University.

• Using social networks, strong ties / weak ties, you can reach further and wider when you share and ask for help.

• Everyone is interested to help, you need to understand each person's capacity and interest level.

Lessons so farLessons so far

• Planning too much does not help. It is in how you react to the situation as it arises.

• Bootstrap financing for funds is a great way to raise a lot of funds by an individual, everyone can do it.

Lessons so farLessons so far

Action Plan and StepsAction Plan and Steps

• Identify and Engage Local Stakeholdersand Potential Partners.

• Business and Business Associations.• Complete Census of Businesses in the Field.• Engage survivors to understand their needs,

hopes, plans and expectation.

Tasks going onTasks going on

• Ongoing relief trips to affected areas• Launching 1st of 3 Photobooks to raise funds to

carry out Relief 2.0 B2B • Collaborating with universities and organizations

to spread awareness of Relief 2.0

Tasks accomplished so farTasks accomplished so far

• (July 2011) 4th Relief trip to Tohoku• Women Helping Women, raised US$50,000 in

cash and US$150,000 in goods and 5 year plan to focus on women in affected areas

• www.relief20.com • robin@relief20.com• Mobile: +1-857-919-9700

Pictures:Ishinomaki 2011, Robin LowHaiti 2010, Carlos Miranda Levy