Students' Summit on Earthquake Safety-2013

We, the 230 participants of International Students’ Summit on Earthquake Safety 2013, hereby pledge to make Nepal Disaster Resilient by reaching all families, communities and settlements with disaster awareness message by 2032 A.D. through schools. We call upon all government, NGOs and private organizations as well as international development partners to join hands with us toward attending this common mission”.

With this declaration from the students the 3-day International Students Summit on Earthquake Safety concluded on August 8, 2013 at Sauraha, Chitwan.

The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education, Department of Education in association with NSET and the support from various organizations including, UNICEF, Asian Development Bank, AusAid, American Red Cross, Save the children, Mercy Corps, Maiko High school Japan, ADRRN, Oxfam, ActionAid -Nepal, Plan International, Nepal Red Cross Society and USAID/ OFDA organized a 3-day Students’ Summit on Earthquake Safety (SES2013) during August 6-8, 2013 at Sauraha, Chitwan. The program was actively participated by 230 students and teachers from 37 districts of Nepal.The participants were selected to represent the entire territory of Nepal covering Taplegunj, Ilam, Paanchthar, Jhapa, Morang, Dhankuta, Udayapur, Bhojpur, Dolakha,  Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Routahat, Bara, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Gulmi, Palpa, Nawalparasi, Kaski, Myagdi, Rupandehi, Lamjung, Banke, Bardiya, Humla, Jumla, Achham, Dadeldhura, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Darchula from east to west. 15 participants from Japan (including 9 students, one teacher and one graduate student from Maiko High School and 4 crew members of NHK(Japanese National Television) and 10 participants from Bangladesh(7 officials from BDRCS/IFRCS, 1 teacher and 2 students) also attended the Summit as international participants. Local schools such as the Malpur Higher Secondary School, Nepal H.S. School, Bachauli H.S. School and Jhuwani High School co-hosted the meet.  Japan national Television (NHK) and Watch Dog Media Services (program broadcasted from Nepal Television) fully covered the program.

With this declaration from the students the 3-day International Students Summit on Earthquake Safety concluded on August 8, 2013 at Sauraha, Chitwan.

The Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education, Department of Education in association with NSET and the support from various organizations including, UNICEF, Asian Development Bank, AusAid, American Red Cross, Save the children, Mercy Corps, Maiko High school Japan, ADRRN, Oxfam, ActionAid -Nepal, Plan International, Nepal Red Cross Society and USAID/ OFDA organized a 3-day Students’ Summit on Earthquake Safety (SES2013) during August 6-8, 2013 at Sauraha, Chitwan. The program was actively participated by 230 students and teachers from 37 districts of Nepal.The participants were selected to represent the entire territory of Nepal covering Taplegunj, Ilam, Paanchthar, Jhapa, Morang, Dhankuta, Udayapur, Bhojpur, Dolakha,  Sunsari, Saptari, Siraha, Routahat, Bara, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Gulmi, Palpa, Nawalparasi, Kaski, Myagdi, Rupandehi, Lamjung, Banke, Bardiya, Humla, Jumla, Achham, Dadeldhura, Kailali, Kanchanpur and Darchula from east to west. 15 participants from Japan (including 9 students, one teacher and one graduate student from Maiko High School and 4 crew members of NHK(Japanese National Television) and 10 participants from Bangladesh(7 officials from BDRCS/IFRCS, 1 teacher and 2 students) also attended the Summit as international participants. Local schools such as the Malpur Higher Secondary School, Nepal H.S. School, Bachauli H.S. School and Jhuwani High School co-hosted the meet.  Japan national Television (NHK) and Watch Dog Media Services (program broadcasted from Nepal Television) fully covered the program. SES2013 fully achieved its three objectives: a) propagate disaster awareness all over Nepal using students as ambassadors, b) share good national and international practices of school disaster preparedness, and c) enhance fraternity among students through common understanding on disaster risk reduction.

The summit agenda included Awareness Rally, sharing of experiences in learning and implementing DRR, excursions to several demonstration sites: Elephant breeding Centre, Rapti riverside and local community. An earthquake drill, sharing of good practices on preparedness by different districts, lesson learned in Education in Emergency and sharing from Japan and Bangladesh were the main activities. Evening cultural shows by the participants, art competition, essay competition, and plank walk were also in the agenda together with poems and poetry on DRR and CCA themes, team building exercises and a friendly soccer match among national and international participants. The participants were moved by the stories of devastation due to Tsunami caused by an mega earthquake in Sendai Japan in 2010, but were greatly encouraged by the fact that Maiko High School students did work in east coast of Japan to assist the tsunami-affected children.
Earthquake Safety Awareness Rally: 
The summit started with the rally from Tandi, Ratnanagar Municipality to Nepal Higher Secondary School in Ratnanagar of Chitwan district. There were more than 500 participants from local School and government offices and local communities and also summit representatives. Rally was addressed by Mr. Dilli Raj Sharma Director Department of Education, Mr. PurusottamSapkota, Chief and Executive Officer, Ratnanagar Municipality, Mr. Rama Kanta Sharma, District Education Officer, Chitwan and Mr. Amod Mani Dixit, Executive Director, NSET

The 3 day Student Summit was inaugurated by Dilli Ram Sharma, Director of Department of Education.In the inaugural session, Chief Guest Mr. Narendra Raj Sharma, Chief District Officer, Chitwan, and guests Mr. Tilak Paudel, Local Development Officer, Chitwan and Rama Kanta Sharma District Education Officer Chitwan, Mr. Amod Dixit from NSET, Mr. HariNeupane from NRCS, Mr. Seiji Suwa from Miko High School, Mr. Dipu from IFRC Bangladesh, Mr. RamhariDahal, Mr. Surya Prasad Acharya and Mr. Bijay Upadhyay in their address highlighted the role of students in propagating the message of earthquake safety and helping build earthquake safe communities. Change is possible through students was the central message delivered.

The first working session was on Sharing from the school representatives of five development Region of Nepal and Miko High school Japan. The day concluded with Cultural Program in the evening where students performed Dances and Songs from Japan, Bangladesh and Nepal including a magic show by student from Bangladesh.

SES-2013 incorporated different activities; all of the activities were adventurous and full of knowledge. Presentations from students of different districts of Nepal, students from Japan and Bangladesh, Earthquake Drill, Education excursion to the Wildlife Conservation and Elephant Breeding center, poem, essays, songs, art competition, Team Building Exercise and Friendly football match were the main attraction of SES-2013.

SES 2013 once again showed high cost-effectiveness, leveraging effect, efficacy and innovativeness of program implementation. The SES 2013 program was simple, but the impressions achieved in the minds of 230 participants are everlasting. The DRR pledge the participants made in Summit Declaration will definitely make a big difference in making Nepal disaster-resilient. It is because the pledge came from children who are now confident of implementing the lessons on how to make their future safe against disasters.

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