This session will open with an introduction to the work of the Catalyst2030 group on Disasters by Alan Braithwaite, the chair of the group. Our mantra is ‘Make Local Central’. We have been working on a new operating model for the last 2 years.
We will then show some video clips that align closely with our research and then invite our speakers to provide their experience and comment on the approach we are taking.
Claire Barnhoorn, the CEO of Solvoz, will describe her experience of disasters, how she came to create Solvoz as a platform for local sourcing and supply, the opportunities for technology, and the benefits it is bringing to local economies.
John Kitui who leads Oxfam in Kenya will talk about the imperative to localise disaster response and relief as a way to build better resilience and increase efficiency. He will describe how Oxfam is trying to make that change.
Issifu Sulemana Jobila, Executive Director of CEAL in Ghana will talk to his experience of the importance of sustainable agriculture in building disaster resilience and how he is working with his local community to improve practice and yields.
Alan will then lead a discussion with the panellists on what they see as the critical barriers to progress and then close by summarising the contributions in the context of how the Catalyst2030 Disaster Group is working to help drive change.