As part of the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, celebrated annually on October 13, Cap-Haitien welcomes more than 200 young people from several regions of the country committed to preventing major natural hazards and promoting a culture of resilience. They come to share their experiences and propose concrete solutions to strengthen community resilience.

This year, the theme of this event is "Financing Resilience, Not Disasters". The initiative will highlight the contribution of young people to reducing disaster risks and building safer and more sustainable communities. Participatory workshops, interactive discussions, and presentations of local experiences will explore concrete solutions to strengthen community resilience.

Indeed, financing resilience is a much better investment than responding to a disaster, which often entails very high economic and material costs that could be reduced, or even avoided, through prevention, risk culture education, and resilience building.

This regional forum, taking place at the Auditorium of the Collège Pratique du Nord in Cap-Haitien (October 13 and 14), is organized by UNESCO in partnership with the Ministry of National Education, the General Directorate of Civil Protection, and the Ministry of the Interior.

Raising awareness among young people and introducing them to risk culture is one of the main objectives of this forum, which is intended to be a space for learning, observation, and exchanges for the benefit of an aware and proactive youth.

Informed and educated youth represent an investment priority for the National Risk Management System and the General Directorate of Civil Protection, complementing the deployment of its agents and volunteers throughout the country.

IH/ iciHaiti