1. 1 Participatory Public Policies Placing Grassroots Women’s Groups at the Center of Community Resilience Sandy Schilen, Global Facilitator GROOTS International 1

2. 2 - Helen Clark’s Cambridge Lecture “Achieving resilience is a transformative process which builds on the innate strength of individuals, their communities, and institutions to prevent, mitigate the impacts of, and learn from the experience of shocks of any type, internal or external; natural or man-made; economic, health-related, political, or social.” 2

3. 3 “Resilience-based sustainable development …invokes the agency of people, institutions, and systems. It calls for developing the agency or capacity of the poor to overcome their conditions; draws on local knowledge and expertise, and the resilience of those who are vulnerable ….(and) is about building the capacities of societies to prevent, resolve, learn, and grow...” 3

4. 4 “Resilience-focused approaches offer opportunities to build development from the bottom up, from a concern and a deep respect for the people who are the most resilient in the face of crisis – those who are facing and confronting it.” 4

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6. 6 Community Resilience=Facilitating Grassroots Women’s Empowerment Approach Securing Access to & Control over Resources Supporting Women’s Effective Community Resilience Practice &Transfer Build Relationship with Local Authorities, Government Officials Constituenc y Building & Leadership 6

7. 7 Elements of Resilience Building in Our Network include: Disaster preparedness and emergency response Protecting natural resources and development gains Ensuring that development does not increase vulnerabilities Building capacities to participate in long term risk reduction – sustainable agriculture Reviving and transmitting indigenous knowledge and practices to preserve natural resources Strengthening organizations and networks Negotiating with local authorities and government for coordinated response and institutional accountability 7

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9. 9 Entry Points for Scaling Up Grassroots Women’s Resilience Efforts Hazard, Risk Mapping Land use mapping Indigenous early warning systems Contingency Planning & Disaster Response Committees Community kitchens Sustainable agriculture Rain water harvesting Soil conservation Crop rotation Food security Securing land and housing tenure Disaster-resistant construction – houses, sanitation, drainage, river embankments. Improve infrastructure Access to basic services – health, sanitation Disaster safe construction – houses, embankments Community banks, savings and credit Transmitting indigenous knowledge and practices Strengthening organizations and networks Negotiating with institutions COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 9

10. 10 Resourcing Community Development Insuring Funds & Opportunities Reach Women in Poor Communities Climate & Disaster Risk Mapping Community Resilience Fund Scaled Up Demonstration Funds Climate & Disaster Risk Mapping Advancing Grassroots Women’s Leadership through Public Roles Reducing Vulnerabili ties Building Action and Learning Network s Initiating Partners hips and Linkages 10

11. 11 The Community Resilience Fund: Sanitation and Drainage Reforestation Water Recycling Rain water harvesting Mangrove replanting Securing land for collective farming Vulnerability Reduction Initiatives from Risk Mapping Roof retrofitting Jamaica: Hurricane resistant roofs and women led construction Indonesia: Construction of canals, drainage system and pipe reconstruction Jamaica: Toilet construction and health awareness campaign Seed and tool banks for food security Uganda: Drought resistant crops Nepal: Vegetable farming Jamaica: Seed banks and containers Nepal : To combat drought and water irrigation for crops Jamaica: Prevent environmental degradation and provide shoreline protection UrbanRural Uganda: Securing land for collective farming Local and National Government Engagement Peru: Tara tree reforestation Indonesia: Replanting trees based on 2000 new trees Peru: Building a water tank for irrigation for farming and tree planting Roof Retrofitting Livelihood Diversification 11

12. 12 Grassroots Women’s Organizations take actions to reduce risk and vulnerabilities and engage local authorities National Ministries and Governments related to disaster and climate change implement pro poor risk/vulnerability reduction policy and programming Local Authorities recognize and support proactive women’s agendas to take short and long term approaches to risk reduction and resilience Innovative partnerships reduce risks and vulnerabilities and create a culture of resilience Community Resilience Fund: A Vision of Change Networking (Grassroots Organizations, Local Authorities, and National Ministries) create a critical mass of leaders fostering community focused resilience building 12

13. 13 Community Practitioners Platform Officially Recognized by UNISDR Enable grassroots communities to strategically influence decision makers by: Building coalitions through which they can demonstrate, teach and transfer their practices Building a network of institutional champions and allies committed to promoting community leadership In order to strategically influence policies and programs so that they advance pro-poor, resilient development. 13

14. 14 Thank you! sandy.schilen@groots.org www.huairou.org 14