This year’s theme for Indonesia’s National DRR Month celebration is DRR for sustainable development. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) held the celebration in Solo, Central Java Indonesia in October 16 – 18, 2015. The event adopted a World Conference DRR format where there are main events, special sessions and side events. The events were attended by government, academia and practictionersin DRR from all over Indonesia.
Being held in Solo, which is known nationally as an inclusive-city, ASB and coalition of DPOs in Yogykarta, Central Java and Solo hosteddisabilty-inclusive DRR events during the celebrations. The activities including the direct participation and representation of people with disability in the all events of DRR month celebration to raise awareness of the inclusion of disability and other at-risk groups in DRR. The activities aimed to influence the outcome document, Solo Declaration to consider inclusion. The Solo Declaration itself will be brought to New Delhi for the next ISDR Asia Pacific (IAP) consultation in November 2015 and Asian Ministerial Conference on DRR, 2016.
DPOs actively raised their voices in formal meeting events as well as informal discussion with national and regional policy makers. A dedicated special session on inclusion as part of collaboration between ASB, Plan International Indonesia, Oxfam and Mercy Corps Indonesia provided recommendation to the Solo Declaration. And the responses were great with DPO representatives receivingcompliments for their active contribution during the event. A student with disability also received a Special Award for taking part in the drawing competitiondespite having no arms. The 5th-best booth title was also given to the ASB and DPO coalition booth. Being the only non-government organisation to receive an award.
In the closing ceremony, the Solo Declaration was launced and it has accomodated inclusion and provided specific references to people with disability taking an active role in DRR. BNPB in its closing speech called on local government, national government, international government and organisations to take the spirit of the Solo Declaration as a guidance to Sendai Framework for DRR (SFDRR) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation in Indonesia.
