The interdisciplinary 3rd Effective Response conference was organized on 5 November by Hungarian Red Cross, in Békéscsaba, Hungary to discuss the role of humanitarian coordination and volunteer management in civil protection activities. The event provided an opportunity to discuss future challenges of voluntary-based organisations’ involvement in life-saving activities and humanitarian responses.
The conference gathered practitioners and participants from different sectors: experts in civil protection, humanitarian assistance, volunteer management, and academic scholars. The event included a joint plenary meeting and parallel sections covering the topics above. Keynote speakers of the plenary highlighted the involvement of voluntary based organizations in emergency response activities, while parallel sections gave an opportunity for a deeper discussion on the contemporary practices and challenges. The conference allowed reaching out and involving stakeholders to strengthen the network of professional and volunteer organizations.
Joining the main topics of the DiMaND Project, researchers and practitioners were encouraged to present their findings and field experiences related to the role of volunteer organizations and municipalities in Disaster Management. In addition to this particular focus, the organizing committee called for papers touching upon the following topics:
- Coordination and cooperation in Civil Protection, Disaster Response and Humanitarian Operations;
- Assessment methodologies and practices;
- Innovative technologies assisting disaster response and humanitarian activities;
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Preparedness;
- Disaster Recovery Practices and Build Back Better;
- Early warning and Early Action;
- Psychosocial Support;
- Climate Change Adaptation and Civil Protection;
- Community-Based approaches;
- Resilience research and resilience-building practices;
- The implementation of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).
The event mobilized 24 scholars from 7 countries to submit their works in English and Hungarian languages, and to present either in person or remotely through streaming services. A conference proceedings e-book will be edited and published by Hungarian Red Cross and will be disseminated through the Open Science repository ZENODO.org.
The day before the conference, the EUSDR PA5 Disaster Management Working Group held its meeting and a DiMaND project management meeting was also organized to allow project partners to discuss current issues and monitor the progress of the project’s implementation.
