Exploring the important role that older people can play in helping their communities prepare for and remain resilient after natural disasters.
Two global agencies are each supporting research projects to explore the important role that older people can play in helping their communities prepare for and remain resilient after natural disasters.
The International Association of Homes and Services for the Ageing (IAHSA) and the LeadingAge Center for Applied Research (CFAR) are collaborating on both projects with Ibasho, a nonprofit organization that promotes the value of integrating elders into their communities.
- The World Bank is supporting Ibasho’s efforts to facilitate socially inclusive approaches to disaster risk management.
- The Global Disaster Preparedness Center (GDPC) of the International Federation of Red Cross and Crescent Societies (IFRC) recently supported the development of a case study focusing on the process of coalition building and community engagement promoted by the Ibasho model.
About Ibasho
The Ibasho model gives community members of all ages and abilities a gathering place — called an “Ibasho Café” — where they can develop deeper connections with each other. These community-based “hubs” also:
- Offer a platform for helping local residents work together to make useful and relevant contributions to their community; and
- Help to bolster resilience among traditionally excluded groups, including elders, women, and persons with disabilities.
The Ibasho approach was implemented in Ofunato, Japan, after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, and in Barangay Bagong Buhay, the Philippines, after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. The model is currently being launched in the village of Matatirtha in central Nepal, which experienced massive destruction during a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2015.
The Ibasho café is “a place where anyone can come and relax,” according to a new video featured on the GDPC website. Generally, older adult run the cafes, offering hospitality to community members, providing a connection to traditional foods and customs, and offering an intergenerational gathering place that fosters community engagement.
“We try to do what we can to help others, not just depend on others’ help,” says Gunpei Suzuki, manager of Japan’s Ibasho program in the video. “Everyone should support the community, and our elders should have a role in that.”
World Bank: Offering Technical Assistance on Resilience Projects
IAHSA and CFAR will be working as a subcontractor on Ibasho’s World Bank grant. The organizations will provide technical assistance to the project, which is funded by the World Bank’s Program on Mainstreaming Disaster Risk Management in Developing Countries.
Dr. Taryn Patterson, a researcher with IAHSA and CFAR, will spearhead the development of several implementation toolkits for Ibasho projects based in Nepal and the Philippines. The toolkits will help community members design and implement self-sustaining intergenerational livelihood projects.
Additional aspects of the grant include developing community preparedness plans, implementing training for community members, and conducting an impact evaluation.
Case Study Highlights
The new case study, Empowering Elders Through Community Coalitions for Resilience, is featured on the GDPC website, along with the video about Ibasho. The case study describes the steps involved in establishing the Ibasho model, including:
- Community needs assessment: During this phase, an Ibasho team identifies a local implementation partner and specific communities where Ibasho could be implemented. Then, Ibasho works with local coalition members to develop a concept for the Ibasho program.
- Capacity building: Community leaders, organizations, and individuals come together to listen to one another’s ideas and work on community-building activities.
- Place-making: This phase consists of a series of “visioning workshops,” during which selected local stakeholders work together to adapt the Ibasho model to the community. The stakeholders identify community needs, skill sets, and goals. Later, they also develop short and long-term implementation plans.
- Ongoing monitoring, research, and programming: The local implementation partner helps community stakeholders implement program ideas and goals. This phase takes place with on-going technical support from the Ibasho team leaders.