“Corporate Community Interface” in Disaster Risk Reduction

Kyoto University GSGES and Partners Discuss Program Contents Development

April 20, 2006

As part of a continuing effort to promote the concept of Corporate Community Interface (CCI) in disaster risk reduction, a second videoconference organized by Kyoto University Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (GSGES) and the TDLC was held on April 20, 2006 to discuss plans to develop a CCI program. Sites in Manila, Bangkok, Hanoi, New Delhi, Kobe and Tokyo connected to share experiences and expertise, and considered specific contents for a CCI Handbook which will serve as the basis for conversion into a distance learning program.
Opening the conference, “The corporate sector has a strong stake in the community” emphasized Dr.Rajib Shaw of Kyoto University GSGES. Mr. Takaaki Miyaguchi, GSGES PhD candidate, who developed the contents for the Handbook , gave an overview of the CCI program and its design. Presentations were given on lessons learned from the Indian corporate sector, from the Philippines, from Japan, and from training and capacity building in Asia.

Organizations including the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC), Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR), UNDP India, The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Vietnam Business Links Initiative of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the International Recovery Platform (IRP/UNDP) and the Global Forum for Disaster Reduction (GFDR) will be working together to finalize the contents and design of the program.

The concept of CCI was first introduced at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) held in Mumbai, India in November 2005. It seeks to enhance the corporate sector’s involvement in disaster risk reduction at the community level, not only as a Corporate Social Responsibility activity, but in the interest of long-term business continuity. Its goal is to unite the corporate sector and communities by raising awareness and providing common training opportunities.

The Handbook will approach CCI on three levels, directed towards CEOs, mid-level managers and employees, focusing on vision, decision making and implementation respectively. An extensive section on case studies will be included. After finalizing the framework, participating organizations will finish their drafts by August 2006, and a third videoconference is scheduled for September to prepare the actual structure and medium for a distance learning program.

Contact Form

Your Name:

Your Email:

Organization:

Location (City, Country):

Subject:

Message: