Nobuyuki Asai of SGI delivering a presentation at the Ignite Stage in Manila, Philippines.
From 14–18 October 2024, the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) was held in Manila, capital of the Philippines, with more than seven thousand participants from across the region. On 15 October, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines emphasized the need to increase investment and develop financing mechanisms for DRR, and showcased the country’s previous responses to various types of disasters.
On 17 October at the Ignite Stage, Nobuyuki Asai of SGI delivered a presentation titled “Faith-based Organizations’ unique contribution to preparedness and relief.” He highlighted Japanese faith-based organizations’ activities after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred on 1 January 2024, severely affected parts of northern Japan and caused the death of more than 400 people. To make matters worse, heavy rainfall caused floods and mudslides in the same area in September, and eight temporary housing units were inundated.
In the Noto Peninsula, faith-based organizations have promoted relief activities including delivering relief supplies, organizing soup kitchens, assisting with volunteer center management and cleaning up damaged houses. Soka Gakkai organized a “Bonds of Hope Musical Concert” in September aiming to share hope with the disaster victims. In other areas, meanwhile, Soka Gakkai has been collaborating with local communities in disaster preparedness, including evacuation training and installation of evacuation staircases at its centers.
SGI organized a session titled "Inclusive DRR in Changing Communities" as part of Bosai Kokutai in Kumamoto, Japan.
On 19 and 20 October, Bosai Kokutai (The annual national conference for the promotion of DRR) was held in Kumamoto City. Some 400 organizations shared lessons learned, organized workshops and presented new technology and services for DRR. On 18 October, SGI organized a session as part of the conference, titled “Inclusive DRR in changing communities.” This concept is becoming increasingly important in Japan due to aging populations and an increase of foreign residents.
In the session, four panelists shared lessons learned through efforts to achieve inclusivity, targeting older people, foreign residents and those with disabilities, among others. Nobuyuki Asai of SGI pointed to the strength of faith-based organizations in this context in light of their daily efforts to help marginalized people in society.
