Relief Assistance for Tohoku Earthquake Affected

JEN is working with partner organizations in Iwaki City for valunerable people, including children and disabled, "disaster prevention that no one can leave."

In the Great East Japan Earthquake, the death rate of elderly people over 60 years old and those with disabilities more than 60% of those who died due to the earthquake was twice that of the entire inhabitants.

In the Kumamoto earthquake, more than 200 people died due to "disaster-related death" such as the harsh evacuation life after the disaster, many of them were elderly people with an existing disease.

On the other hand, there are areas where people with disabilities in the disaster area, those with experience in care for women and the elderly, have been active as leaders with people responsible for regional disaster prevention. In such areas, skill of residents are fully utilized, and evacuation guidance is well organized, too. There are many cases reported that the information and emergency supports are provided smoothly to those who evacuate at home. Close communication from the daily life are indispensable.

In the international conference etc., the word "inclusive disaster prevention" has spread considerably over the last few years due to the encouragement of the disabled people that lead to disaster prevention. The following four elements of “Inclusiveness” are important.

1. Diversity is recognized: The impact of disasters varies depending on each individual's disability, gender, age, etc. This means that diversity is recognized by those around us.

2. Safety: It is based on recognition of diversity that disaster and subsequent safety are secured. For example, whether the wheelchair or the invisible one is devised so that a safe evacuation action can be taken.

3 Part of the decision making process: It is the people who knows the most about diversity. It is important that the disabled people is making decisions.

4. Barrier-free environment: Participation in decision-making is impossible unless obstacles are removed in decision-making process. For example, there are sign language interpreters for hearing impaired people, whether they are meeting rooms that even wheelchair users can enter.

Links:

• JEN Official Web Site

JEN has been providing support in “Raising the Next Generation Project” from the planning phase. The project aims that young people in their teens to 30s become attracted to the idea of participating in regional development, making the region where young generation want to work and live in future.

The project implement body is a group that supports raising the next generations, which is composed of SAVE TAKATA and Rikuzentakata citizen. Adults support junior high students in the project. ”EXCITE TAKATA”, a two-hour presentation by 2nd year junior high students in Rikuzentakata, was held on Jan 14 2018. The venue was the Abasse Takata, a shopping mall in Rikuzentakata. 50 members of Rikuzentakata-citizen and 20 junior-high students attended the event.

Some attendees said “Kids are trying their best, so we have to do our best, too.”, “I support the students’ efforts.” From these comments, we realize the project has been supporting not only children but also the region.

This is a presentation by the students who had tried workplace experience.

They made a presentation on what they had learned from meeting people who engage in the activity to rebuild Rikuzentakata, expressing they realized each person is building Rikuzentakata. They prepared the presentation material by themselves.

The title of this presentation is “Nobody calls Rikuzentakata the ordinery rural area”. Students voiced their opinions that Rikuzentakata may be the hope among other disaster areas if it would achieve  the revitalization to becomean extraordinary city in 10-20 years.

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There was an opinion among junior high students “Is there anything we can do more in Rikuzentakata?”, and 18 student volunteers started “FACE(Future, Action, Connect, Evolution)”. The team is carrying out activities of region development with the help of the support group.

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Rikuzentakata, rebuilding.

Links:

• JEN Official Web Site
• JEN Facebook Fan Page