The Humanitarian Training Intervention Sector, through the Training and Development Sector (T&D) of the Fraternity – International Humanitarian Missions (FIHM), held an online training course from March 14 to May 2, on Emergency Management and Disasters & Humanitarian Sphere Norms for members of the Brazilian Caritas.
Divided into eight sessions, the training addressed the main chapters of the Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter, Code of Conduct & Protection Principles, Core Humanitarian Standards, WASH, Food Security and Nutrition, Shelter and Settlement, Health and Sphere in Urban Scenarios.
The Sphere Handbook is one of the most accessed references to parameterize humanitarian actions, according to good practices that guarantee effectiveness and quality in the reconstruction of lives affected by humanitarian crises that affect communities around the planet – whether in environmental catastrophes, wars, ethnic conflicts or social and economic crises.
The documents contained in this Handbook help humanitarian actors to define their own responsibilities, develop performance indicators and metrics, and provide accountability to donors, governments, impacted communities, to other organizations involved in the work, and also internally.
Ricardo Treno, who focused the training, explains how the meetings went: “The contents were presented in a very dynamic way, with ample time for the groups to discuss and create, and we opted for plenary discussions so as not to miss any feedback from the class.”
“The exchange of experiences and practices was very rich. In addition, the trainers have a lot of knowledge and sensitivity to the subject, which made the training a great space for exchanging experiences,” evaluates Taynara de Souza Dettmann Adami, 27 years old, national advisor for Caritas. And she adds: “As I work with humanitarian emergencies, my objective in participating in this training was to obtain information and knowledge that would help me in the daily activities of humanitarian action.”
Clarissa Paiva, 30 years old, Bachelor of Laws and national advisor for Caritas, says that knowing about the structure of the Sphere Handbook and its respective segments was of great value in thinking about the holistic structure of the humanitarian approach around the world, whether through planning and execution of projects or rendering of accounts, among many other teachings that the Handbook presents.
“Having the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with such contexts and norms were unique moments, as we were able to perceive, in general, the difficulty of establishing standardized guidelines in the activities carried out, both in the third sector and in the humanitarian sector, in Brazil, to respond to emerging demands, since, in many moments, we do not receive adequate information or training, even if we seek professionally to work in this sector. Thus, the contact with the Sphere Norms allowed us to be more capable and calm to respond to such demands, especially those that need greater protection,” observes Clarissa.
Caritas in Brazil and in the world
Founded on November 12, 1956, the Brazilian Caritas is one of the 170 member organizations of Caritas Internationalis. It is an organism of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) which has a network with 187 member entities, 12 regional and 5 articulations.
Caritas Internationalis is a confederation with more than 170 member organizations, present on five continents. It has its headquarters in Rome, from where it coordinates emergency operations, proposes policies to correct inequalities and defends a fair and solidary world.
Since its founding, Caritas has had the practice of respectfully listening to the suffering of the impoverished and providing them with tools to transform their own lives, based on the principles of dignity, justice, solidarity and Good Living.
“The future is collective”
“The classes were highly appreciated by everyone who participated. Despite the interactions and the relevance of the contents, what impressed me the most was realizing that the future is collective and that we are willing to support each other whenever possible. I say this because actually carrying out the training took a few months of dialogue and preparation by both organizations and, suddenly, seeing that everything is flowing is very encouraging and hopeful,” highlights Clarissa.
“This moment of updating is also an opportunity to reflect on our place in the world and how we can continue using the Sphere Handbook as a tool to mitigate certain demands,” adds Clarissa.
Partnerships
Among the principles present in the action dynamics of the Caritas Network is that of collective construction and solidary cooperation, as well as the establishment of mutual aid bridges at the most varied levels. In this way, it continues to focus on strengthening networks and collaborative articulations, principles that are also common to the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM). Hence the joint efforts of the two organizations in various actions, not only in Brazil, but also in Greece and Angola.
About collectivity and partnerships, Clarissa comments: “It worked out well and it was worth getting organized. For this reason, I would like to reiterate once again my gratitude to the Fraternity – Humanitarian Missions (FIHM) for having agreed to train the agents of the Brazilian Caritas, who are on the front line daily, as well as their collaborators, in seeking to update themselves and deliver their best at what they set out to do.”
“I hope to have new learning opportunities over time to, whenever necessary and possible, resonate positively in this very challenging journey that is the humanitarian sector,” expresses Clarissa.
