A Few Words
About Us
Welcome
A Disaster Preparedness Network, working since 1994
Foundation for Disaster Forum (DF) is a Dhaka based National Disaster Preparedness Network of seventy humanitarian and development agencies, research institutions, government departments and independent activists who are working on various disaster and environmental issues with special focus on preparedness. Since 1994, Forum is working for ensuring the accountability of the humanitarian and development agencies and to promote the rights of all vulnerable people. Promoting alternative perspective on Disaster Mitigation against the prevalent dominant perspective is the prime objective of Disaster Forum.
Foundation for Disaster Forum (DF) keeps close contact with the field based NGOs through the sharing of its publication and preparedness messages on various disasters. DF tries to reflect the views of local NGOs in disaster-related Policy and decision making.
DF coordinates with a number of government organizations in relation to collecting information. DF also works with community radios to disseminate disaster related awareness messages.
Perspective
Dominant Perspective
- Disasters/conflicts viewed as an isolated event.
- Linkage with conditions in society during normal times are less analyzed.
- Technical/Law and Order solutions dominant.
- Centralized institutions dominate in the intervention strategies. Less participation of people, who are treated as “victims”.
- Implementing agencies less accountable and their process less transparent to people
- Interventions are made after the event occurs.
- The objective of intervention is to return to the situation before the event occurred.
Alternative Prevalent Perspective
- Disasters/conflicts are part of the normal process of development.
- Analyzing linkages with society during normal times is fundamental for understanding disaster and conflicts.
- Emphasis on solutions that change relationship/ structures in society. The objective is to reduce people’s vulnerability and strength their capacity.
- Decentralized institutions dominate in the intervention strategies. Participation of people paramount in intervention strategies; people treated as “partners” in development.
- Ensuring accountability and transparency emphasized in implementation.
- Mitigation of disasters/conflict the fundamental aims.
- Disaster /conflicts viewed as opportunities for social transformation.
Structure
Forum has an Executive Committee, which decides the plan of actions and policy. One person from the Executive committee officiates as Member Secretary of the Forum. Representative of the Executive Committee supervises the secretariat activities of the Disaster Forum. Along with a set of core staff, it carries out the movement/ program, with a pool of volunteers.
Besides, the Executive Committee, Forum has and forms issue- based Sub-Committee when situation and need demands.
Foundation for Disaster Forum is registered under RJSC No. S10770.
Members
Initially Forum started working with twenty-five member organizations. Now it has Seventy (70) members.
Types of Membership:
- Organization membership (NGOs, Government agencies, Donor, Research, and Educational institute)
- Individual membership.
Executive Committee:
A fifteen member Executive Committee selected from the member organizations and individuals formulate and review the policy and activities of the Forum in consultation with the member organizations.
Membership
Disaster Forum offers membership to both individuals and organizations. For appliciation of membership people need to fill up below forms
Executive Committee
A fifteen member Executive Committee selected from the member organizations and individuals formulate and review the policy and activities of the Forum in consultation with the member organizations.
Member of Executive Committee
| Mr. Afsan Chowdhury – President | afsan.c@gmail.com |
| Ms. Hasna Hena – Vice President | hhena54@gmail.com |
| Mr. Gawher Nayeem Wahra – Founder Member Secretary | nayeem5508@gmail.com |
| Mr. Abdul Matin – Treasurer | ivsban@gmail.com |
| S.M. Ahsanul Islam (Suman SMA Islam)- Member | smaislam@yahoo.com |
| Md. Mozibur Rahman – Member | mozibur@sdsbd.org |
| Md. Rasel Ahmed Liton – Member | sksfoundation@sks-bd.org |
| Md. Habibullah Bahar – Member | hb_mms@yahoo.com |
| Md. Shahidul Haque –Member | shahidul@sarpv.org |
| Dr. Rezaul Haque – Member | k_haque2@yahoo.com |
| Ms. Farida Shahnaz – Member | shahnaz.farida@gmail.com |
| Dr. Dibalok Shingha – Member | singha@dskbangladesh.org |
| Mr. Khurshid Alam Phd – Member | khursidcodec@gmail.com |
| Dr. Selina Amin – Member | Selina.Amin@plan-internatinal.org |
| Ms. Sultana Afroze – Member | hussainzmr@gmail.com |
Activities
Publications
Disaster Forum publishes various publications related to disaster. Some of them publish on regular basis viz. ‘Bangladesh Disaster Year Report’, ‘Newsletter’, ‘Arsenic Fact Sheet’ etc. while others are issue based viz. ‘A Guide Book to Tackle Water Supply & Sanitation during Emergencies in Bangladesh’, ‘Cold Wave Manual’ etc.
Training
Disaster Forum offers training to disaster mitigation, health and coordinating, providing humanitarian assistance. It also has developed many training modules. DF’s recent notable trainings are : 5 Days Sphere Training in Cox’s Bazar, Flipchart and module for Climate Change Adaptation (with GUK). DF is trying to develop more training category and module.
Communication materials
Disaster Forum has developed many communications materials including posters, pocket book, stickers, flyers. Recent communication materials include: Seasonal disaster calender, Pocket book on disaster preparedness, Compilation of laws relevant to disaster and human rights in Bangladesh with links to the official government sites etc. DF has also developed video cassettes on different disasters as communication material, which can be used for preparedness messages, awareness raising and training material for different disasters. Besides, there are posters, booklets, stickers etc.
Study
Natural calamities are regular phenomenon in Bangladesh. Disaster Forum is trying to contribute in the field of disaster mitigation/management through it’s activities. Preparedness is essential to reduce the loss, casualty and sufferings. Disaster Forum believes analytical knowledge, information on disaster helps to be prepared for the calamities. Along with the regular natural calamities, DF also tries to deal the unusual events of disasters.
Translation
Disaster Forum works in translation projects and has translated many reports, books and important documents from English to Bangla. Major translation work done by DF are : Three versions of Sphere Handbook project (2003, 2009 and 2011), INEE, Covid-19 Parenting resources for UNICEF, optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
