Pre-Event APUFY (Asia-Pacific Urban Youth Assembly) 2015 I love YOU (Disaster): A Massive Youth Movement to Practice Strong Leadership in Disaster Preparedness

I love YOU (Disaster): A Massive Youth Movement to Practice Strong Leadership in Disaster Preparedness

#THANKyouDISASTER
by:
Ikbar Al Asyari (Malang)

Smile, tears, and laugh are something common Indonesia, Indonesia is well known as the happiest country in this world with every single problem they had, including disaster. Indonesian always smile every time and everywhere whether they know or not what kind of hazard they’re dealing with. It’s so refresh in our mind in December, 26^th 2004 a mega disaster happen in Aceh by tsunami and earthquake 9.1 RS which is more than 160.000 people died and many losses more than $4.500 million. It’s been 11 years since mega tsunami 2004 in Aceh. The next one May, 27^th 2006 Yogyakarta was attacked by massive earthquake which is more than 5.700 people died and losses more than $3.000 million. The similar condition also occurs in other countries. Pakistan with its earthquake on October, 8^th 2004, earthquake in India on January, 26^th 2001. Most of the have more than 5.000 people died and more than $1.000 million losses. There’re so many victim and many losses stuff.  The detail can be seen below:

Comparing with Japan, mega tsunami on March, 11^th 2011, a mega earthquake happen 9.0 RS by epicenter in Tohoku. Based on the data, there’re 15.037 people died, 9.487 people disappear, and 5.282 get injured. With almost similar power of disaster, Japan is more ready to deal with disaster reflected by total victim (Muhari et al, 2011).

Disaster preparedness of Japan is the key to anticipate the disaster, The preparedness isn't only about technology and infrastructure, but also human resource development. Upgrading human resource capacity is the most important thing implemented by educating youth and children though disaster education and improving leadership capacity. Preparedness of facing the disaster from the basic science is implemented by collecting the data as much as possible to model the disaster and decide the pola, and mapping the disaster zone as well. Developing human capacity beyond disaster using local wisdom approach through tsunami tendoko which mean when tsunami happens, run away, scatter, save our own life first (Muhari, 2011). Young people and children have a central role as agent of change. Strategy of disaster preparedness is done by disaster awareness and disaster education concept. Disaster isn’t something we have to fear and avoid, disaster is something we should face together. I LOVE YOU (Disaster) is a platform and movement to engage and educate youth and children to build disaster resilience and urban resilience (Istiyanto, 2011).

Educating youth and children as part of the community is so important, seeing children are the most vulnerable when disaster came. Youth and children will lead the community and educate the community. The massive and wide movement can be achieved by involving them, they have the capability to innovate, educate and reach out to their direct and extended family as well as their wider community on how to reduce disaster risk and lead resilience building. Youth and children role is described by picture below:

The concept of I LOVE YOU (Disaster) try to make disaster is something we should face together. It needs youth and children action with local wisdom of disaster zone, supported with creativity, innovation, and technology which is the basic of youth strength and package by strong leadership. With this concept, we can implement disaster preparedness and creating youth and children beyond disaster which means youth and children will lead the community in the middle of disaster.

SOURCES

_____.2011. Ringkasan Eksekutif. (http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ INTINDONESIA/ Resources/ 226271-1150196584718/ ExeSumBhs.pdf). Accessed September, 29th 2015.

Istiyanto, D. 2011. Beberapa Catatan Menuju Strategi Efektif Pengurangan Resiko Bencana Tsunami. Balai Pengkajian Dinamika Pantai: ISTECS

Muhari, A. 2011. Belajar dari Bencana Jepang 11.03.2011. ISTECS

Muhari, A. 2011. Dampak Tsunami Jepang 2011 Terhadap Manusia: Permasalahan Dibalik Tingginya Angka Korban Jiwa. Tohoku University.

This article is publish regarding the discussion before APUFY (Asia-Pacific Urban Youth Assembly) 2015 Jakarta on October, 17th-18th.

Please visit: apufy website