This is our official contribution to the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (WCDRR) in Japan 2015.

Dear all,
during our workshop weeks here in rural Morocco, our country lived to see terrible floodings; following some of the heaviest rainfalls that we have ever seen.

Many people lost their lives, including children. It was a hard and sad time….

But instead of only beeing sad, we said to ourselves: “Let’s learn from this disaster.” 

We discussed it on two levels:
Locally: What happened why, and what can be done for the better?
Globally: What is done on global level, and what is still to be done? And, of course: how can we children and youth contribute to change?  …. :(

We did indepth research: We learned…

• about the UN Major Group Children and Youth
• about Disaster Risk Reduction, in short DRR (very difficult expression, but we got it!)
• about the DRR conference in Japan 2015
• and we learned what more than 1000 children in 9 states of the MENA region (Jordan, Egypt etc.) think about this issue – thanks to an excellent video produced by our new friends of UNICEF, World Health Organsiation, Save the Children. Here is the video:

This is what we thought about it when we saw it:   

And then, we came up with dozens of good ideas. Here are some of our suggestions and ideas:

* help suffering people, especially children
* build more stabile roads and infrastructure
* build shelters in regions at risk
* using mobile technology and social media for early warning and rescue
* give children and youth access to these technologies to be safer in emergencies
* re-forestation programs that help in the fight against floodings and climate change

Do you agree with our ideas? And what are your experiences and suggestions?
Please share and help spreading the word, to make the life of children worldwide a bit safer.
We would be happy to hear from all of you soon!

Many thanks to UN Major Group Children and Youth, UNICEF, World Health Organsiation, Save the Children.