Spontaneous Volunteers

After the 1995 Kobe earthquake, residents of North Rokko used the participatory Machizukuri model to create alternative reconstruction plans, forming neighbourhood associations that strengthened community resilience and civic engagement.

ReBuS provides a structured methodological framework and operational tools to assess community resilience and to guide strategic planning and public action in the context of crises, emergencies, and systemic change, through a holistic, participatory and multi-level approach.

A structured system where Japanese municipalities and welfare institutions create personalized evacuation strategies for vulnerable people, verified through inclusive drills and coordinated with local support networks.

Local Resilience Agents (LRAs) are community members trained in disaster risk reduction, first aid, and search and rescue to supplement local government capacity and disseminate early warnings.

The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) is a youth-led, university- and school-based volunteer initiative in New Zealand, focused on building resilient communities through crisis response and ongoing community support. The organisation mobilises tens of thousands of volunteers to assist communities during and after disasters, while cultivating a culture of service and leadership among young people. Partnerships with organisations and funders amplify SVA’s reach and impact.

Ready.gov provides a comprehensive framework for individual and community preparedness, focusing on four pillars: staying informed, making a plan, building a kit, and getting involved.

The Territori Aperti Disaster Preparedness Toolkit is a dynamic tool that gathers existing experiences and transforms them into useful recommendations and procedures for public bodies and citizens.

This guide provides practical strategies for engaging children as active participants in disaster risk reduction. It frames children not merely as vulnerable groups but as agents capable of contributing ideas, identifying risks, and supporting community preparedness. Through participatory methods, case studies, and hands-on activities, the guide demonstrates how children can be meaningfully involved in planning, prevention, and resilience-building at the community level.

A structured system where Japanese municipalities and welfare institutions create personalized evacuation strategies for vulnerable people, verified through inclusive drills and coordinated with local support networks.

MAG-DER coordinates a standardised neighbourhood disaster volunteer model built on a 36-hour training programme (theory and fieldwork), volunteer team organisation, and “Neighbourhood Disaster Support Centers” (equipment containers) linked via radio to provincial crisis structures, with volunteer-led maintenance and periodic checks.