Sewa International hosts a three-day national conference on Disaster Management

● The three-day conference centered on the importance of immediate response in times of disasters or natural calamities

● The three-day conference hosted dignitaries from NDRF, RIS, COE, and other prominent institutions

New Delhi, March 6th, 2022: Sewa International, a global non-profit organization, organized a three-day national conference on disaster management at Gandhi Samiti & Darshan Samiti (GSDS), New Delhi.

With the world gearing up to prepare for future disasters, India is also stepping up to spread awareness on how to combat disasters. Institutions and organizations play a key role in instilling the necessary infrastructure to combat any calamity or tragedy beforehand. As Sewa International has been working relentlessly for the past 25 years, the core idea behind the conference was to achieve collaborative and multilateral interventions in the area of disaster management.

The insight-driven conference hosted dignitaries, including Former Union Minister Mr. Santosh Gangwar, the Inspector General of the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) Mr. Narendra Bundela, Director General of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) Mr. Sachin Chaturvedi, Member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Lt. General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.), Director of Centre of Excellence (COE)& Projects Mr. Anil K Gupta, HEAD of Division, International Cooperation, NIDM, shared their thoughts and insights on disaster management.

As Former Union Minister, Mr. Santosh Gangwar, said, “Government organizations and civil society organizations usually work independently. However, when they operate in sync with each other, it can be instrumental in preventive disaster management. With the increase in awareness, institutions and social organizations are taking significant steps to be prepared for upcoming disasters and calamities. It’s crucial that civil societies work in tandem with the government to strengthen the mitigation and rehabilitation capacity. Sewa International has been at the forefront for over 25 years in providing immediate relief during disasters. Their volunteers have been working relentlessly to combat disasters, and we hope more people associate with the cause in times of crisis.”

The conference hosted by Sewa International was supported by ICSSR, VESIM, Oracle, and MoRTH with the critical objective to engage stakeholders in holistic conversations and build multilateral and resilient infrastructure. One of the key areas of focus was leveraging and integrating technology for disaster risk reduction and management. Developing a participatory model of community immersion in preparedness and response was another key highlight during the session.

Mr. Shyam Parande, General Secretary, Sewa International, said, “Looking at the current scenario, society should be attentive and prepared for upcoming disasters. At Sewa International, our mission is to educate people about life and improve their quality of life. We must recognize that nature is one of our most important responsibilities. It was encouraging to see prominent institutions like NDRF participate in our endeavor, and we hope to see more common people join us in our initiative of supporting society in dire crisis. For years, Sewa has stood stall in times of need and will continue doing it.”

During the conference, Pratap Sarangi, Minister of Parliament, Lok Sabha said, “Sewa International has been working on ground level during disasters for years, and their commitment to providing hands-on relief has been profound. The honorable Swami Vivekanand Ji always advocated helping each other in times of need as the core essence of humanity. As a society, we should take conscious steps in supporting people, especially for prevention and rehabilitation during tragic situations. The country needs more common people to volunteer in times of crisis as it is the first step towards building a prosperous nation.”

Sewa International has been serving society for more than 26 years by providing hands-on relief in disaster-struck regions. The global non-profit organization has supported communities across the globe and in India by providing rescue, relief, and rehabilitation during floods, cloudbursts, earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, COVID-19 pandemic, drought, etc. Sewa International has also supported disaster response in neighboring countries, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, and others. Additionally, the organization actively engages the Indian Diaspora (NRI) worldwide through their contribution to humanitarian causes locally and across India, especially in times of natural calamities.