ECHO [to 17 October 2015]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/en/news

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World Food Day 2015: More effective EU food assistance with cash
15/10/2015
Around one in nine people in the world goes to bed hungry every day. Although the number of people suffering from hunger worldwide has fallen by around 20% over the last decade, the fight against food insecurity remains very high on the global agenda…

International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015: Helping to save lives and livelihoods
13/10/2015
On 13 October each year, we observe the International Day for Disaster Reduction (IDDR), a day to consider the importance of disaster preparedness that helps save lives and livelihoods.

African Union [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.au.int/en/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Oct.17.2015
‘Forbes Africa Person of the Year’ and ANN7 ‘South African of the Year’ are among additional awards H.E. Dr. Dlamini Zuma is nominee for in 2015

Oct.16.2015
The Republic of Mali launches the AU Campaign to End Child Marriage in Africa
Marriage in Africa
Bamako, Mali, 11th October 2015. Under the title campaign “Education for girls, a means to eliminating early child marriage”, the Republic of Mali launched on 11 October 2015 its national campaign to end child marriage in the village of Konobougou, 160 kilometers away from the capital Bamako. The campaign was spearheaded by, Mrs Maiga Aminata Keita, First lady of the Republic of Mali.

In her introductory remarks, First Lady Keita emphasized on retention of girls in school and the important role that education plays in strengthening the abilities and personalities of these little girls that embody the future of Mali. The First Lady expressed her commitment to eradicate school dropout rates for girls and her full engagement also in the fight against child marriage which undermines the socio-economic development of the country.

On behalf of the African Union Commission, the AU Special Rapporteur on Ending Child Marriage in Africa, Ms. Fatema Sebaa Delladge congratulated the Government of the Republic of Mali for taking the bold step to launch the campaign and called on all stakeholders to ensure the success of the campaign by harmonizing all laws that speak to the age of consent and ensuring that that are in line with that of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which sets the age of marriage at 18 years. She also called for the adoption of a national strategy to monitor and evaluate the campaign at the deferent levels of government. “These would greatly help to eradicate child marriage and demonstrate the commitment of the Government of Mali in promoting and safeguarding the rights and wellbeing of children in Mali.”

The launch event witnessed a march around Konobougou with musical slogans condemning any sort of violations against Malian girl child’s human right to education and prosperity. The call for child marriages to be eliminated was followed by drama performances played by young children – depicting social attitude towards the retention of girls in schools.

About the AU campaign to end child marriage in Africa
The campaign was launched at continental level in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 29th, 2014 during the Conference of Ministers of Social Development. It is aimed at ending child marriage by: (i) support legal and political actions in the protection and promotion of human rights, (ii) increased awareness of the continental socio-economic impact of negative child marriage, (iii) strengthening of social movements and social mobilization to peoples and national level; and (iv) an increase in the capacity of non-state actors to undertake advocacy policies based on evidence including youth leadership role among others through new media technologies, monitoring and evaluation.

The African Development Bank Group [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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AfDB high-level conference to catalyze Africa’s agricultural transformation
15/10/2015 – On October 21-23, Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economy, as well as Ministers of Agriculture, Rural Development, Trade and Industry and Governors of Central Banks will join business leaders, academia, investment agencies, civil society and global experts in Dakar, Senegal, to discuss the future and transformation of agriculture in Africa.

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Creating the necessary framework to mobilize sustainable energy investment in Africa: SE4All Africa Hub Annual Report
13/10/2015 – The Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Africa Hub launched on Tuesday, October 13 in Abidjan its Annual Report for 2014-2015, which outlines the progress made to date in helping the 44 partner countries create strategic frameworks necessary to mobilize investment for realizing their long-term energy goals aligned with the SE4All initiative objectives: ensure universal access to modern energy services, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency and double the share of renewable energy in the global mix by 2030, enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 adopted end of September in New York.

ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.asean.org/news
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Hungary to Further Enhance Ties and Practical Cooperation with ASEAN
JAKARTA, 13 October 2015 — Hungary expressed its strong desire and continued interest in enhancing ties and practical cooperation with ASEAN and ASEAN Member States (AMS) yesterday. This was conveyed by the new Hungarian Ambassador to ASEAN H.E. Mrs. Judith Németh-Pach who presented her credentials to Secretary-General of ASEAN H.E. Le Luong Minh.

European Union [to 17 October 2015]
http://europa.eu/rapid/search-result.htm?query=18&locale=en&page=1
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives]

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EU-Turkey joint action plan
Date: 15/10/2015
European Commission – Fact Sheet Brussels, 15 October 2015 Challenges are common and responses need to be coordinated. Negotiating candidate country Turkey and the EU are determined to confront and surmount the existing challenges in a concerted manner. This joint action will render the message of Europe stronger and more visible. Human dignity is at the core of our common endeavour.
This Action Plan reflects the understanding between the European Union (EU) and the Republic of Turkey to step up their cooperation on support of Syrians under temporary protection and migration management in a coordinated effort to address the crisis created by the situation in Syria…

Refugee Crisis: European Commission reports on progress in implementation of priority actions
Date: 14/10/2015
European Commission – Press release Brussels, 14 October 2015 Refugee Crisis: European Commission reports on progress in implementation of priority actions Ahead of the European Council of 15 October, the Commission has today put on the table a Communication describing the State of Play of the implementation of the priority actions…

Commission invests €16 billion in funding for research and innovation over next two years
Date: 13/10/2015
European – Press release Commission Brussels, 13 October 2015 The European Commission will boost competitiveness by investing almost €16 billion in research and innovation in the next two years under Horizon 2020, the EU’s research and innovation funding scheme.

Organization of American States (OAS) [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_releases.asp

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Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay Presented at the OAS Advances in Economic and Social Rights
October 17, 2015
The governments of Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay presented this week at the Organization of American States their advances in the areas of rights to health, education and social security. The reports were received by the Working Group of the Protocol of San Salvador during its meetings this week at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC. The five reports were analyzed and will be published next year by the working group, which will also include the contributions made by other signatory countries to the Protocol.

“What happened this week is not a minor issue; it confirms the commitment of the States of the Americas to advance toward the full recognition of the economic, social and cultural rights of their citizens. This is giving more rights to more people,” said the Secretary General of the OAS, Luis Almagro. “We know that in the coming days more countries will present their reports and hopefully in the near future all member states of this Organization will do the same,” he said.

This week’s meeting was the first time in which the member states had a session with the working group to analyze and discuss the follow-up reports on the Protocol of San Salvador, which consecrates the economic, social and cultural rights of the Inter-American System of Human Rights.

The monitoring mechanism of the Protocol of San Salvador, designed at the OAS and approved by its member states, includes a pioneering system of indicators that allows for a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the progress made by countries. The mechanism divides the rights in two groups: first, rights to health, education and social security. In the second, rights to work, a clean environment, nutrition, the benefits of culture and trade union rights.

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OAS Electoral Observation Missions: Strengthening Democracy in the Americas
October 14, 2015
:: The OAS has carried out more than 200 electoral observation missions in which more than 5,000 international observers participated, thus promoting more inclusive, equitable and more transparent election.
:: Secretary General Luis Almagro: Missions are “a highly credible public good.”
:: OAS/EOMs’ technical expertise is recognized, including outside the Hemisphere. Eastern European countries and Africa have requested the assistance of the OAS in these matters.

UNCTAD [to 17 October 2015]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/AllPressRelease.aspx

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Press Releases
14 Oct 2015 –
The world’s commercial shipping fleet grew at lowest rate in 10 years in 2014 – new UNCTAD data

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14 Oct 2015 –
Developing countries’ share in the volume of global seaborne imports exceeded share of seaborne exports for the first time in 2014

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14 Oct 2015 –
At 11.4 per cent of the value of imports, African countries paid more for international transport than any other region in 2005–2014

14 Oct 2015 –
Maritime transport and climate policy at a critical juncture, UNCTAD Report says
UNCTAD/PRESS/IN/2015/008
Geneva, Switzerland, (14 October 2015)
Maritime transport is at a critical juncture as the global community commits to the new Sustainable Development Goals and gears up for a new international climate policy agreement. The UNCTAD Review of Maritime Transport 20151 highlights the role of freight transport, including maritime transport, in addressing the global sustainability and resilience agenda.
Download Report: Review of Maritime Transport 2015

World Trade Organisation [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news_e.htm
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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New consultation process established on Nairobi outcome document
At a meeting of all WTO members in Geneva today (12 October 2015), Director-General Roberto Azevêdo outlined an initial process for developing an outcome document for the WTO’s 10th Ministerial Conference, which will be held in Nairobi this December.

Some Members not ready to start discussions on increased transparency in services
Several WTO members, citing different concerns, said at a meeting of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation on 15 October that they were not prepared to start discussing what some consider a potential outcome for the Nairobi Ministerial Conference: to increase transparency in the services sector, in particular in “Domestic Regulation”. Chairman Eog-Weon LEE from Korea will consult with delegations on a potential way forward.

IMF [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.imf.org/external/news/default.aspx

Press Release: The IMF’s Regional Technical Assistance Center South Supports Strengthening the Administration of Large Taxpayers in the Southern Africa Region
October 13, 2015

World Bank [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all
[We generally limit coverage to regional and global level initiatives, recognizing that a number of country-level announcements are added each week]

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Africa Gains in Health, Education, but Numbers of Poor Grow
Ahead of End Poverty Day, new World Bank Group report highlights progress and challenges, calls for ambitious efforts to collect data ACCRA, Ghana, October 16, 2015 – Africa’s strong economic…
Date: October 16, 2015 Type: Press Release

Speech by World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim at the Global Launch of “Poverty In A Rising Africa” Report
President Mahama, Prime Minister Matata, President Adesina, dignitaries, Your Majesty Paramount Chief of Jamestown, good people of Jamestown and Accra, and all of Ghana! I greet you all. I’m so happy to…
Date: October 16, 2015 Type: Speeches and Transcripts

South Asia Extreme Poverty Falls, but Challenges Remain
WASHINGTON, October 15, 2015 – The number of people living in extreme poverty in the South Asia Region is likely to have fallen to 13.5 percent of the region’s population in 2015, according to new World…
Date: October 15, 2015 Type: Press Release

World Bank’s New End-Poverty Tool: Surveys in Poorest Countries
Working with countries and partners, plan will ensure household surveys every three years in 78 countries
Date: October 15, 2015 Type: Press Release

Addressing the Youth Employment Crisis Needs Urgent Global Action
In the coming decades, global growth will depend on today’s young people. Combatting the persistent youth employment crisis requires a global effort and proactive action: report
Date: October 13, 2015 Type: Press Release

World Bank Group, SVRI to Fund Innovations to Prevent Gender-Based Violence
WASHINGTON, October 13, 2015—The World Bank Group and nonprofit Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) today announced an open call for funding proposals for work aimed at preventing gender-based violence in low- and middle-income countries.
SVRI and the World Bank Group will provide grants of up to US$150,000 for innovations to prevent gender-based violence (GBV)—a severe and neglected problem affecting more than one in three women worldwide and a major challenge for global development.
Applications must be submitted online here by December 9, 2015.
Date: October 13, 2015 Type: Press Release

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.ipu.org/english/news.htm

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Strengthening parliamentary action on terrorism
16 OCTOBER 2015
With terrorism remaining a priority concern for the global parliamentary community, MPs from across the world will be focusing on what actions national parliaments can take or are taking to meet international commitments to counter it when they meet at the 133rd IPU Assembly in Geneva.

Since 1996, IPU members have adopted 12 resolutions related to terrorism, the most recent at the Hanoi Assembly in March 2015, and have also committed to backing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and all relevant UN resolutions which underscore the important role of parliaments in ensuring States comply with international law in efforts to combat the crime.

To make progress on these commitments, better understand how the Global Strategy is being implemented and identify legislative gaps on countering terrorism, MPs will engage in various discussions with key experts during the Assembly…

International Criminal Court (ICC)  [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/icc/Pages/default.aspx

14/10/2015
Statement of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Mrs Fatou Bensouda, following growing tensions reported in Guinea
As part of its ongoing preliminary examination, my Office has been closely following developments in the situation in Guinea, including as they relate to the risk of possible violence leading to crimes falling under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”).

13/10/2015
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, requests judges for authorisation to open an investigation into the Situation in Georgia
Today, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or the “Court”), Fatou Bensouda, requested authorisation from the Court’s Judges to initiate an investigation into the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to the August 2008 armed conflict in Georgia. For this purpose, the Prosecutor requested to proceed with an investigation into the Situation in Georgia for the period from 1 July to 10 October 2008.

13/10/2015
UN USG for Safety and Security meets ICC Registrar and highlights the importance of strengthened field operations, including outreach
On 12 October 2015, United Nations (UN) Under-Secretary General for Safety and Security, Mr Peter Thomas Drennan visited the International Criminal Court (ICC) and met Registrar Herman von Hebel. They discussed cooperation between the United Nations and the ICC in the area of safety and security, particularly in regions where both the UN and the ICC operate.

BRAC [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.brac.net/#news

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16 October 2015
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has been honoured as the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate
Founder of BRAC received this prestigious prize for giving nearly 150 million people worldwide the opportunity for enhanced food security and a pathway out of poverty.

RAC founder and chairperson Sir Fazle Hasan Abed has been honoured as the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate, on 16 October 2015 at 06:30am (Bangladesh time) at a ceremony held at the Iowa State Capitol Building in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. This highly prestigious prize was conferred to him for his outstanding contribution to enhancing the world’s production and distribution of food to those most in need…

Watch Sir Fazle’s speech at the ceremony

CARE International [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.care-international.org/news/press-releases.aspx

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Food Injustice in a Changing Climate: Hundreds of Millions at Risk of Hunger
GLOBAL
12 OCTOBER 2015
Climate change threatens to put hundreds of millions people – mostly women and children – at risk of hunger unless inequalities in the food system are tackled simultaneously with climate change.

Danish Refugee Council [to 17 October 2015]
http://drc.dk/news/archive/

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DRC statement to the WHS Global Consultations (16.10.15)
Read the full written statement submitted by the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), at the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) Global Consultations,14-16 October 2015 in Geneva. the DRC.

“People need to recognise Ebola and isolate it” (15.10.15)
Liberia is Ebola-free, and for the first time since the outbreak was declared in March 2014, no new Ebola cases were recorded in Sierra Leone and Guinea for a full week. The end of the outbreak seems…

International effort for refugees and internally displaced people in regions of origin (13.10.15)
Many people are talking about assistance in regions of origin. The Danish Refugee Council does it because, we are there. Therefore we also have positions on this. Read more about the Danish Refugee…

Six months into the Yemen crisis, DRC helps over 243,000 persons (12.10.15)
An estimated 21.1 million people remain in need of immediate humanitarian assistance in Yemen, six months after the conflict began in mid-March 2015.

Heifer International [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.heifer.org/about-heifer/press/press-releases.html

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Heifer International Weekly
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015
October 15, 2015

Heifer International Named 2015 LINGOS Member of the Year
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
Congratulations to Heifer International, which has been named LINGOs’ 2015 Member of the Year! The annual award honors a LINGOs member organization that has demonstrated commitment to LINGOs’ mission: providing affordable, high-quality learning solutions to those working to improve lives in developing and vulnerable communities.

HelpAge International [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.helpage.org/newsroom/press-room/press-releases/

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HelpAge study included in top 20 most impressive examples of research contributing to development
Research exploring the effects of limited access to transport on older people’s health and livelihoods in Tanzania has been cited within a case study ranked by the UK Collaborative on Development Sciences (UKCDS) as one of the top 20 most impressive examples of UK research contributing to development.

The study, including research carried out by HelpAge International, Durham University, the Good Samaritan Social Services Trust and Research for Policy (REPOA), was selected from the 6,975 case studies submitted to the Research Excellence Framework 2014 – the system used to assess the research quality of all UK universities. It was picked by UKCDS, a group of 14 UK government departments and research funders working in international development, as one of their 20 favourite impact stories.
Posted: 14 October 2015

IRC International Rescue Committee [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.rescue.org/press-release-index

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Press Release
South Sudan: New Violence Prevents Aid from Reaching Vulnerable Populations
13 Oct 2015 – Norwegian Refugee Council & International Rescue Committee: For Immediate Release
:: Renewed violence in Unity State keeping humanitarian organizations from accessing most vulnerable
:: This is the second suspension of NRC and IRC activities in Koch and Leer Counties in the last five months. Clashes between armed factions in mid-May resulted in both agencies relocating their staff
:: All parties to South Sudan conflict should immediately cease hostilities

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World Handwashing Day: A village comes together to end cholera
Posted by The IRC on October 15, 2015
With the help of the IRC, a village in Ivory Coast has not seen a single case of cholera for more than a year after coming together to promote healthy practices that can prevent the spread of disease.

ICRC [to 17 October 2015]
https://www.icrc.org/en/whats-new

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Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory: Planned house demolitions are illegal
Jerusalem/Geneva (ICRC): The International Committee of the Red Cross urges the Israeli government to immediately halt plans for the punitive destruction of six private homes in the West Bank.
17-10-2015 | News release

What we do for detainees
Our aims – Every day people are detained and exposed to danger. They may lose contact with their families or be subjected to inhumane living conditions, including inadequate food, water and health services.
16-10-2015 | Article

Frequently asked questions on detainees, detention and the ICRC
What is the ICRC’s position on torture and ill treatment? What can the ICRC do when detainees go on hunger strike? What is the role of an ICRC doctor during a visit to detainees on hunger strike? What is the ICRC’s position on the forced feeding o
16-10-2015 | Article

How does the ICRC work in detention?
Under what conditions will the ICRC visit detainees? What does an ICRC visit look like? Who is in the visiting team? What does the ICRC do to improve the situation of detainees? Under what conditions will the ICRC visit detainees? ICRC visits
16-10-2015 | Article

Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory: An alarming cycle of violence to be addressed now!
The International Committee of the Red Cross is increasingly concerned by the deterioration in the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.
16-10-2015 | News release

Afghanistan: Reaching people and places in need
Widespread conflict continues to devastate the lives of thousands of people in cities and towns across Afghanistan. The ICRC is providing basic aid, such as clean water and medical care, to those most in need.
15-10-2015 | Article

South Sudan: Maridi hospital up and running – ICRC strengthens support
After the explosion of a fuel tanker in Maridi last month, the ICRC, in cooperation with the South Sudan Red Cross (SSRC), was the first responder.
15-10-2015 | Article

South Sudan: Countering the spread of preventable disease
15 October 2015, Juba – Today marks Global Handwashing Day. Sadly, the challenges in South Sudan have gone beyond mere handwashing with a cholera outbreak that has had a devastating effect on many in the country.
15-10-2015 | News release

How does the ICRC help migrants?
This booklet explains how the ICRC helps vulnerable migrants and their families around the world. It details our approach and describes what we, together with National Societies, do to help protect and assist migrants along migration routes.
14-10-2015 | Publication

Nigeria: Facts and figures, September 2015
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the armed conflict in north-east Nigeria.
14-10-2015 | Article

Australia: How is IHL relevant in modern humanitarian contexts?
On 29 September the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Australia hosted a symposium in Canberra to explore the relevance of international humanitarian law in modern humanitarian contexts.
14-10-2015 | Article

eBriefing: New technologies and the modern battlefield
In recent years, a wide array of new technologies have entered the modern battlefield, giving rise to new means and methods of warfare, such as cyber attacks, armed drones and robots, including autonomous weapons.
13-10-2015 | Article

Handbook on strategies to reduce overcrowding in prisons
Published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime with contributions from the ICRC, the handbook provides holistic and practical guidance on how to avoid overcrowding, to address it where it already exists and to alleviate its consequences.
13-10-2015 | Publication

Islamic Relief [to 17 October 2015]
http://www.islamic-relief.org/category/news/

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International Day for Disaster Reduction
October 13, 2015
When the tsunami washed over parts of South East Asia, many people sought refuge in their local mosque.
Psychologically, mosques offered a sense of security and safety. They were a place to both give and receive comfort from other survivors. Many people believed disaster was the will of God and so wished to be closer to Him by attending mosques. Their column-like structures meant the water passed through the building; importantly, therefore, among flattened buildings and debris, the mosques remained standing.

The theme of International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015 is the value of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge in reducing a community’s exposure to disasters. This, UNESCO says, can be anything from local understanding of the cause of natural disasters, cultural belief systems, and survival and coping strategies such as migration to higher ground. Understanding the Muslim community’s reasons for amassing at a mosque has been instrumental in designing our disaster risk reduction programmes in West Sumatra and West Nuga Tenggara, in Indonesia…