Helping inform policy in China

Tomorrow, I will be representing Mercy Corps China at the National Post-disaster Psychosocial Response Plan Review Seminar, organized by School of Social Development and Public Policy (SSDPP) at Beijing Normal University. It's an exciting opportunity for us, and great recognition for the programs we implemented in Sichuan Province after last year's earthquake.

With a grant from China's Ministry of Civil Affairs and Ministry of Health, a project team composed of SSDPP researchers made comprehensive reviews of program literature and field studies to summarize lessons learned and best practices from post-earthquake psychosocial programs. This project team was expected to develop a emergency plan and a long term recovery plan for post-disaster psychosocial support, to inform the government's policy planning. These plans include application scope, principles, coordination mechanism, responsible agencies, working modes and contents, in order to emphasize the balanced participation of government, technical personnel, expert agencies, affected community and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in psychosocial assistance for disaster survivors.

Experts from health and medicine, psychology, social work, volunteer organizations, government agencies and NGOs were invited to review both plans. Since the earthquake struck, Mercy Corps has implemented successful youth psychosocial programs - including Comfort for Kids and Moving Forward - in disaster-affected areas. These programs have won recognition from beneficiaries, partners and local authorities. As the only NGO representative, we shared our experience and called for being aware of NGOs' role in the disaster response.

One of Mercy Corps China's country objectives is to help China improve resilience to natural disaster by preparing and responding positively at the national, community and individual level. Our participation in this strategic plan review suggests our progress of approaching this goal.