Thursday, November 8
3:30-5:30 pm
CCIC, 39 McArthur Ave, Ottawa

Five years ago, on November 8, 2018, the Philippines was struck by the worst natural disaster in its recorded history when Super Typhoon Haiyan (known locally as Yolanda) tore through its centre, destroying nearly everything in its path. To mark the 5th anniversary of this tragedy, and to celebrate the recovery, on November 8th, 2018, Development and Peace, in collaboration with the Next Generation Program and the Asia Pacific Working Group, presented a documentary film screening and panel discussion at CCIC.

The documentary After the Storm: Building the Pope Francis Village, produced by Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, immerses viewers in the devastation and challenges faced by poor communities confronting the impacts of climate change. The community-driven response to Haiyan shown in the film proves that it is possible to break the cycle of poverty when the survivors themselves are empowered to build their own future. This example of the humanitarian-development nexus puts the Istanbul Principles into practice, providing for the most urgent needs while also addressing structural challenges, including powerlessness, poverty and inequality, that make these communities disproportionately vulnerable to disasters in the first place.

Following the documentary, there was an interesting panel discussion with experts from different institutions.CCIC’s Nicolas Moyer moderated the panel led by Jess Agustin, Development and Peace, Furqan Asif, University of Ottawa, Carine Bigira, Humanitarian Coalition, and John Summerbell, Global Affairs Canada, who reflected on how to improve humanitarian responses and community preparedness to climate change and natural disasters.

 

Organized by:

Development and Peace – Caritas Canada

In partnership with:

The Asia Pacific Working Group (APWG) : a regional working group of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) focused on development and social justice issues in Asia and in the Pacific.

Next Generation: Collaboration for Development : a joint program of the Canadian Council for International Co-operation (CCIC) and the Canadian Association for the Study of International Development (CASID).